Oh yes

Well, on arriving in Ju Belloc in the Gers Dept with P&K for the cyclo-sportive yesterday, I promptly wondered what on earth I was doing there! The car park was full of fit, skinny, serious-looking lycra-clad blokes putting together their precious and very very expensive full carbon racing stallions. Boy, did I feel out of place with my cheepy cheepo little filly. However, after bluntly reminding myself that I was there for a laugh and to simply get round the 70+km course, I started to relax and I commenced the 'race' at my own pace, content at least not to be right at the back of the field.

Somebody who shall remain nameless had assured me the course was 'flat'. Does this profile look flat to you?! It actually worked out (according to my Garmin) at 665m of ascent!But it went well, my bike was working well and my legs were feeling strong. I rode the majority of the race on my own, just occasionally catching up with a small group of riders, overtaking them and then concentrating my efforts on reeling in the next person in my sights. I think I probably overtook a dozen people in all. The weather was perfect, the course varied and I was chuffed to bits to complete the 77.5kms in a very respectable 2 hrs 59 mins, reaching a max speed of 60kph. I discovered later that I was the 2nd lady home in my age category .... the fact that there were only the 2 of us in our age group somehow seems irrelevant! I had had a grand day out and my trophy is on the mantlepiece.
Pat and Kev had a tougher time on the 110km circuit with Kev somehow missing the turn off for the additional loop which was just 5kms from the end of the 70+km route. Being the trooper that he is, he turned round at the finish, retraced his steps and then picked up the signs for the additional 40km which he eventually completed!

We stayed with their friends Jane and Pete in the area last night and enjoyed a hearty chilli, followed by plum crumble, washed down with some 'muscle relaxant' red wine. It had been an all round excellent outing and I will not be approaching future cyclosportives with the same fear and trepidation as I did my first!

Black

I met up with Lee and David at Guzet today for a morning's skiing. After finding my ski legs again and getting some hot technique tips from Lee, we headed over to the Freychet sector of the resort where I would tackle my first ever black run. We took the top lift from where the only way down was black. I managed a weak smile as I tried not to let nerves get the better of me. I knew I could do it, so positive thinking was the way forward. The snow was in excellent condition, the runs had been pisted so there was not a better time to break into the blacks. I skiied the top half well, making a conscious effort not to allow the steepness to be an issue but concentrating on my technique and my turns instead. But ahead of me was a very nervous bloke, sliding his way tentatively down the slope. I lost my concentration along with my balance and ended up on the floor with a faceful of powder as I slid a good few metres down the slope. But no damage done and I went on to complete the run without further incident. There followed a couple of excellent, uneventful descents of a shorter black run (the pisted slope on the left of the photo below) which boosted my confidence
With the cyclo sportive tomorrow, I was keen not to overdo it today, so left the boys at lunchtime and headed home. I still need to work on my technique but at least I know that I can ski black runs now, which is progress indeed.

The next project

Ever since we moved in to Pissou, a big bug bear has been the fact that the previous occupants had bricked up half of the doorway in the bedroom that used to lead out to the rear of the house and stuck a silly little double-glazed window in the upper half. We have no idea why. It just does not suit the house in any respect and it also closed an important means of access.
The rear of the house sees some wonderful evening sun in the summer, but at the moment it is wasted. So we have a plan to create a terrace area at the back, which is accessible from the 1st floor and for this we will need to open up the doorway again. We picked up a couple of lovely, bargain 'porte-fenetre' from a 'Troc' shop (2nd hand goods and materials) today which fit the space perfectly.I have started stripping them down to bare wood and intend to stain them in due course. We now need to find the right hard wood to make the frame and then we can restore the space back to the purpose for which it was created :-)

Final tweaking

The cyclo-sportive is on Sunday. I moved my saddle 5mm back yesterday to see if that would alleviate the discomfort that I experienced on my ride last Sunday, otherwise I could see me retiring from the race. Andy and I had a burst up to Aulus and back (40km) today to check that the new position was a positive move. I am pleased to report that the riding position is much more effective and the discomfort is now negligeable! Provided I keep myself properly fuelled on Sunday, there is no reason why I shouldn't complete the 74kms. Pat, Kev and I are staying with friends of theirs in the area on Sunday with the promise of an excellent local market on Monday morning. Should be fun. Here's hoping for good weather. I will report back!

House work

Following on from my mould clearing exertions of a few days ago, we are now making great progress on tidying up that side of the bedroom. The walls are cleaned up and painted with bathroom paint which should hopefully prevent further mould from developing, the spots of mould that were evident on the unpainted ceiling boards have been cleaned off and the bare boards and joists primed ready for the final coat of paint. Andy has successfully mounted two nice new subtle spot lights to light up that side of the room, the wiring amazingly well 'hidden' unlike the previous owners' efforts which were anything but subtle! Today (his birthday!), he has been battling with wiring in a light on the stairs which is a massive improvement on the cheapy jobby that was there before. Photos to follow of the bedroom once we have finished the work.

Blue is back

Yes, grey has been chased away and blue has taken its place! It is wonderful to have clear skies again. I decided an outing on the roadie was called for, as I am supposed to be doing a cyclosportive up in the Gers department with P&K next weekend but I really don't know if I am bike fit enough. This would be my last opportunity to decide whether or not to send in my entry.

I headed down to St Girons and parked up in Saint Lizier. The route I had in mind was a 70km circuit with 710m of ascent. It took me along lovely little back roads through charming little villages where people were going about their Sunday business, with some fantastic views of Mont Valier and other Couserans peaks. I passed the Chateau de Prat Bonrepauxthe old bastide de Monjoie and the cité de Saint Lizier... you could call it something of a cultural outing although I was unable to stop long enough to really appreciate it!

It was an immensely undulating circuit but with no major ascents. In a way, I think it was far harder than doing one long slog up a col where you select granny gear and just keep the pedals turning. The hills kept on coming right up until the final few kilometers, by which time I was pooped. However, the outing had done me good and I reckon I have nothing to lose by entering the sportive next weekend. It will be 78kms but with less ascent... I reckon it will be good experience and good fun too!

Grey

Since Wednesday's fine dump of snow, the antipicated high has not materialised which means that the clear blue skies and low temperatures are not yet with us. Instead, we have had a mainly cloud-ridden sky (the odd little patch of blue has peeped through very occasionally just to tease us) and it has been grey and damp with mild temperatures. The snow at our level is turning to mush and that is a lot of mush! However, the meteo is promising us soleil on Monday and for the early part of the week - I am waiting in anticipation!