Fight the bulge

The new year saw me with a pretty bad cold, out of which pit i am finally crawling. I have been using my rollers (not for the hair: for the bike) and trying to get back into the kettlebells. My back has been a mess, and some massages have been helping, but all in all, its not the corner i thought i'd be coming out of, swinging and punching. Oh well.

Strathpuffer is the first of this years offerings, and it is next week end. Half heartedly, i have been gathering the stuff i'll need to survive the super wet, super gritty, super dark horrid thing that it is. It'll be fine. Dave, Chipps and Chris are the team, and there are a couple of others we know in a girly girl team (jac, jenn, emily and 1 other...?) and shaggy is solo-ing. Mel will be team smile for us all and the camper van will be in full effect.

Went out today, as i put the dambala together for the race as your bike does tend to get, well, destroyed up there...so it is the most expendable, and i kind of enjoyed sliding around on the super wet flooded out trails, with every root and rock a challenge. Again, if you are in any doubt BUY SOME ENDURA eVENT 3/4's. They rock harder than Eddie Van Halen.

It was a beautiful thing actually, I rarely head out if it is raining heavily, but dont mind if im out, prepared and wearing enough clothes for it...oh and im not aiming to do distance. For the last month i have been concentrating on the technical stuff, and it is beginning to show...my skills are back to the (low) level i like. The dambala was good today, the kit on it all held (including the new wheel shaggy christened) and the gear feels nice...its going to be a 36:18 for strathpuffer. Not quite as stout as it sounds as im running the vapors, so the diameter is a little less, and hence the gear a little lower...should be 56" .

What else? well, Persephone is looking mad bad and dangerous to know, now that she has got her glossy coat back after a mammoth 2 week lick fest to get all the charcoal off after the chimney escapade. Good work. She will be visiting the vet soon also, as her undercarriage needs trimming. Or something. She's a bonny wee thing to pop home to after work though, alleviating the razor blade mood that january always holds.

Off to Spain soon, Andalucia, so food and wine are upmost in my mind. As such we have mostly been cooking from Moro East and Gennaro Contaldo's Italian year cook book. Both tops.

I was saddened to hear of the unfortunate death of a minneapolis CRC cafe barista. The story is on how to avoid the bummer life. Im sure we are all sparing a thought for friends and family.

Ok. This next week? kit organisation and gentle exercise. To the Black Isle i tell you!