Getting back to running.

Before today I hadn't run for 18 months, and even then I was quite sporadic. My right ankle had been playing up for some time, possibly due to too many hill-reps, in the end I saw a podiatrist and a physio who helped me both diagnose the problem and treat it. I spent time with inserts in my shoes, built up at the heels with a wedge, and had exercises to follow. I still had problems, but yesterday I felt the time was right to run again.

I did a short but sweet route around some local fields and lanes, 4.7k, in a time of 36.24. This is slow for me, but right now I just want to make a gentle start, running for the sake of it rather than to train for races. Today was hot, so I came home covered in sweat but quite satisfied with myself. The aim now is to run once a week and see how I get on, then maybe twice a week, increasing the time spent running rather than walking and increasing the distance.

All being well I hope to be reasonably fit for winter, as running in snow is great fun!

Paul.

Bottle cage rivnut replacement.

As my frame of my Sonder fatbike is carbon the bottle mounts are inserts, called rivnuts, that fit into the frame like rivets. The supplied ones are aluminium, fine until a bolt decides to seize and shear off the lower part of the rivnut inside the frame, so the bolt just spins in the hole trapping the bottle cage in place.

The solution was to cut the bolt off using a junior hacksaw, then drill out the rivnut starting with a drill slightly larger than the remaining hole then working up the sizes half a mill at a time until the rivnut popped out. I managed this without damaging the carbon frame;

I can't fit rivnuts myself so I took the bike down to my local bike shop, a two minute job for which I was charged a couple of quid;

This apparently is a common problem on carbon bikes, sometimes needing a larger rivnut.

Once this was sorted I attached a Topeak Alt-Position Cage Mount, which has allowed me to move the bottle cage further down the frame so that when my frame bag is fitted and I'm carrying a water bottle the top of the bottle doesn't foul the bag.

Its shown with a Monkii cage fitted, the velcro strap means that I can carry a travel mug of tea (which wouldn't fit a normal cage) or a water bottle.

Paul.

Avoiding the footie.

I'm not a football fan (I've tried, but it leaves me cold) so rather than stay in and watch England lose I decided that an overnight bivi would be in order. So after Sunday's dig day (I do volunteering at the Roaches once a month, path maintenance with Peak District MTB) and once I'd had tea (lasagne!) I loaded the bike and set out, aiming to arrive at my spot as the light fades.

My chosen site was on a ridge, not too far from home, surrounded by moorland. Once there the stove went on as I set up camp. Which as you would expect, didn't take long.

Once I turned in it started raining, nothing too bad just light drizzle. This did keep me awake for a while, its difficult to ignore rain on Goretex when the roof is inches above your head. The rain kept the wildlife subdued, I was expecting and looking forward to hearing grouse make their odd night-time calls but all was pretty quiet.

I didn't sleep as well as I could anyway for some reason. I think I'm just haven't camped enough for a few years. But, I was warm enough, too warm in fact, as I've finally bought myself a new sleeping bag. Its and Alpkit Pipedream 400 3 season bag, a very nice but very expensive down bag.

Morning came, as it always does, so on went the stove whilst I broke camp. An Aldi porridge pot and a cup of tea is my usual camp breakfast, nice and easy as both just need hot water. An owl flew over my site as I ate.

With the bike loaded I headed home;

The only trace of my stopping was a patch of dry, flattened grass;

On the way home I met a chap parked on a UCR with a very large lens fitted to his camera. It turned out that he was trying to photograph short eared owls, and we spotted one in the distance as we chatted. I told him of the one that I'd seen, and mentioned that lapwings nested nearby. He told me that the owls were probably after lapwing chicks.

A small but worthwhile adventure

Paul.

A slightly belated Summer Solstice bivi.

 I can't believe its three years since my first and only attempt at bivvying on t'bike.

Recently I've been rather fed up, work getting me down, so I needed to reset my head. So I loaded the bike, picked a spot, and arranged to meet a friend there. I also decided that the summer solstice needed celebrating, which I've never done before even though I've felt that I should for a few years now. So the evening of solstice day, which was a Monday, found me heading out on the bike.

I've bought some more luggage since my last time out, I now have a seat pack and a frame bag, both bought in sales. The seat pack carried my bivi, minus its pegs and poles, along with my roll mat, and the frame bag those pegs and poles and my stove etc. A fork bag, cunningly made from old inner tubes by Beerbabe, held a warm top and a wooly hat (both needed).

I met Debbie as she was walking in, she parked nearby. Once we were at our chosen site we picked what we thought were the best pitches, set up camp, then drank tea as the light faded, chatting away. Then it was time for bed, Debbie prefering a basic bivi whilst I slept in my hooped job.

Sleep wasn't easy, my 'bag is just a little too cold (and bulky to carry), and I'm not used to camping like I used to be. Still, I did get some sleep, and was soon awakened by the morning chorus.

Debbie awoke about the same time I did, demonstrating the advantage of a simple bivi over a hooped bag, you can sit up in one;

Stoves came out and tea make, and porridge for me as well;

Then it was time to go, Debbie to work and me home. We both really enjoyed our night out, she sat at her desk with a big grin on her face and me, well my mind was a lot clearer afterwards. It seems that a night out really did reset my head.

I do know that I need to upgrade some of my kit, since that night I've invested in a new sleeping bag that I'll be trying out soon.

Paul.