2009 Review of the Year

Done totally without the safety net of reading my older posts, my highlights (I don't do lowlights) were:

• Getting into the best shape ever, mainly due to all the rides round the Cotswolds with Jon. When it came to the event we were training for (The Dragon Ride), all the climbs seemed a bit... flat. Long, but flat.
• Jem's cakes from all the trips to the Cotswolds. I can remember the flapjack, the tiffin cake and peanut butter cookies. All brilliant, and the thought of them kept me going more than once.
• Buying the Orca. Even now, when I'm in the garage on the turbo trainer, I keep catching myself staring at it. It rides pretty well too.
• The Dragon Ride itself. The second Bwlch climb, the sweeping descents, the line of 50 or so riders with Jon at the front (and me second) and then the final 5km. The pace started to creep up, with a last all out sprint to the line with two other riders before skidding to a halt. Cue huge silly grin.
• Finishing my first 12 hour solo. Huge thanks to Darren who was there "to make sure you don't quit". Well, it worked. I think I was on the course for about eleven and a half hours.
• The second half of the Wessex 100, when we upped the pace and lost all but 5 riders. Phill at the front for at least 50 of the 100 miles. The chat with the final 5 as we waited at the lights before the killer last mile, and knowing that Jon was going to leave everyone behind up the hill. I managed second. Sitting around afterwards with coffee and cake watching the rest of the field come in.
• Almost forgot - the after work 100 miler, in the dark. That was very silly.

Lots more road than off-road there - probably because it was my first year doing road events. 2010 might be a bit more balanced - I've got some interesting off-road plans forming.