KickR

With more bad weather it is very difficult to hit my training targets with nice outdoor rides. Having had two faulty Watt Bike Atoms I have now moved onto a Wahoo KickR bike trainer. A wet saturday was the ideal opportunity to put the set up through its paces. Having previously done an unsatisfactory Sufferfest Ride in gears mode I tried a session in ERG mode which went really well. This was followed up by two rides in Zwift. Not quite as intense as the Sufferfest rides but soon got the heart rate up to a fairly steady high level. The bike is a bit noisy and the gear changes not that smooth but on balance I think it is a keeper. It will be nice not to have to go to the Pure Gym any more.

Busy Busy Busy

A tough working week that started on Sunday night with a flight to Southampton and overnight at the Premier Inn by the airport. Monday morning train and taxi to the office in Bournemouth before around 5 hours of meetings. Managed to squeeze in a 30 minutes jog in Poole before a working dinner.

Working breakfast on Tuesday morning then an 8 hour meeting following by a 4 hour cross country train journey to Telford - getting to the hotel by 10.30 pm.

Wednesday was meetings from 10.30 to around 6 pm and then straight to dinner. Thurday started at 9 am with meetings through to just after 3 pm and then train to Birmingham Airport where I had to hang around to 8.40 pm for the FlyBe flight home - getting back at around 10.30 pm.

Thankfully a few weeks off now.

SOL 1 - Auchengarroch

Drove up to near Crieff for the first of 5 Scottish Orienteering League events this year starting at the Wildlife Park at Auchengarroch. Parking was at the Prisoner of War camp at Cultybrachan.

The Orienteering was extremely difficult. It always feels like a massive step up to SOL events. I never got totally lost although it was tough going.

More Snow

The Mini Beast from the East led to another cold weekend with pretty heavy snow on Sunday. It cleared pretty quickly this time but played havoc with my biking target for the weekend of 80 miles. I had a pretty nice ride on Saturday morning only slightly spoiled by a flat tyre out by Silveknowes. Then an indoor Sufferfest session on Saturday afternoon and a tired session on Sunday.

Beecraigs

Cherry, Les and Colin drove out to Beecraigs. Colin was orienteering in the Compass Sport Trophy and had a pretty reasonable run in snowy and muddy conditions. Les and Cherry walked although the conditions were a bit too rough for Les.

Colin cycled home along the canal.

Edinburgh Food Studio

For my birthday treat, a few days deferred, we went out to the Edinburgh Food Studio for an evening of classic french cooking. The restaurant is a bit different with set menus, guest chefs and a fair bit of experimentation. A very nice and large meal.

Snow

The Beast from the East and Storm Emma hit the country and brought pretty much everything to a standstill. I was down in London at the start of the week with a 2.40 pm flight back to Edinburgh on Wednesday. I got to the airport and found pretty much everything cancelled and flights back the next morning at the earliest. I rushed across town and just managed to hop onto the 2 pm train heading North which was probably the last one to make it through to Edinburgh. Arrived 2 hrs late but given the conditions and general havoc this was a pretty good result.

Got out for 1 run and 1 short cycle during the snowy weather with conditions not conducive to anything more adventurous.