Some day my sprints will come#

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:00:00 +0000

No race report from last weekend, because I didn't race anywhere. I have three weekends off (now two) between Preston on the 4th and the next event, which will be Le Mans on the 1st July, and I spent the first weekend of the break ... well, having a break. Went for a beer or six after work on Friday, woke up under my desk on Saturday, remembered why I don't do that too often. Then Sunday morning I was up with the lark (the specific lark I have in mind is quite a tardy one which only rises at about 9am) for Mike's 500m sprint sessions on the Mall - should have been on South Carriage Drive, but that was closed due to a sponsored run going on in the park.

I'm going to complain, as usual, about my armswing, although it's starting to feel more natural and from time to time it even seems to be making a difference. But it's still something that I do to accelerate and then start feeling rather self-conscious about as I reach top speed and my cadence slows.

And then we were moved on by the police after only about 5 sprints, who didn't like it that we'd left our bags in a neat pile by the side of the road. Bah.

So, headed off to find a quiet corner of the park in which to practice rightward crossovers (Le Mans is a clockwise circuit) for a while - until I found the angle at which my wheels don't grip any more, and stacked. Need more knee bend - wouldn't have stopped me stacking, but need it anyway. Then idled away a few hours until the Sunday Stroll by which time the weather was mostly too hot to go all-out but in which I had a few fun moments zipping through the crowd nevertheless.

Other stuff I am thinking about lately

• New boots are reported to be in the post. I am checking the office mailroom excessively often.
• My anklebone (inner, right). It was pointed out to me recently that most of its size is not actully bone, and after some prodding I have to admit this is the case. The bone itself may be marginally bigger than it used to be, but most of the size increase is in the soft tissue covering it. Much fun reading about heterotopic ossification (used to be called myositis ossificans, but that's not the best name considering it can happen in non-muscle tissue), and wondering if it will go away on its own when I get some boots without this silly builtin cant (see above, any day now) or should I take a break from putting any kind of pressure on it at all and if so for how long. In the meantime am playing with topical ibuprofen gel to see if that makes any difference. Obviously, the "complete break" option is not preferred with Le Mans only three weeks away ....
• The LFNS this week which I am leading. Consed up a draft route this evening subject to RC tomorrow: it's got a goodly chunk of Regents Park (which at this time of year would be much lighter and less slippery than it was back in winter) and the famous downhill on Kensington Church St.
• I need some new wheels. Or perhaps I don't really, but I want them anyway