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<channel><generator>iloblog 1.0</generator><title>Alan&#039;s personal blog Feed</title><link>http://myblog.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/</link><description>&lt;p&gt;I don&#039;t really know yet, it could end up as a life story or just a place for me to get things off my chest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Back to website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><item><title>New Season 2012</title><link>http://iloapp.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/blog/myblog?Home&amp;post=3</link><description><![CDATA[   Feb 5th 2012.   What a start to the year, While finishing the end of last year on fixed gear to try to maintain some base fitness I was struck down by a chest infection, no cold or flu or anything like that, my breathing just started getting wheezy with the production of a lot of mucus. I do have a sleight asthma problem so I carried on hoping it would clear given time. In December I rode the South Emsall mince pie ten mile time trial and really struggled. I also got out once with Michael Vennards Saturday morning fixed gear ride but struggled all the way round, dropping of the back a few times. Then on New Years Day I tackled the Calder Clarion five miler at Heath Common, there I did a bit better but but I think I must have been in oxygen debt most of the way round, heaven know what my heart rate must have reached, but I was in agony right to the end. Throughout the rest of January I felt less and less like putting any effort in whilst riding so in the end I went to the doctors and started a course of anti-biotics. This eased things a little but didn't clear it altogether so he put me on a second course of different ones. A fortnight later I was back at the doctors hoping for the all clear, but I was dissapointed, he could still hear a bit of a crackle, so next a course of steriods was a prescribed and I was sent for an X-ray. At this moment I am feeling a lot better but still staying of the bike until after my next appointment with the doctor on the 14th of this month.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:50:32 +0000</pubDate><category>Cycling 2011</category></item><item><title> Music &amp; Family</title><link>http://iloapp.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/blog/myblog?Home&amp;post=2</link><description><![CDATA[    Music   
 I love playing music in one form or another but I have only ever played at an amateur level and I have never classed myself as a proficient enough player to try earning a living from it. I have often joined in folk musicians sessions and done the odd spot along with a friend on a stage which I have alway found to be a nerve racking experience. I play guitar, mandolin and fiddle of which I prefer the fiddle. I am in a small way involved with the "Friends of Romero", a group of volunteers who are trying to keep the  Romero Project  going though out the new government cut backs and lack of funding. Through this group I am hoping to be able to perform with the musical group that they are planning to put together in the near future. Today the 24th of March I have had a second get together with the musical group and I think it will work ok. Well I hope it will, though having not played much over the last few years I am a little rusty and lack confidence and my hearing problem doesn't help. having said that I have enjoyed the rehearsals so far. 7th of April and the fourth rehearsal, I had a few issues with my timekeeping on some of the tunes but it seemed to come together today. When I am not taking the lead with the fiddle I feel a bit like a spare part as the mandolin doesn't sound right for what we are doing. an acoustic guitar would be handy now. Well that's the end of that, I wasn't really enjoying it as I would much prefer a muso's session than to be part of a band, but I have agreed that if they do a gig I will join in and do the tunes we have rehearsed to date. 
 On Boxing day I took a ride to Heath to watch Wakefield Morris Dancer and take in the music played there. While there I spoke to Raymond Padgett and he told me of a fortnightly session at the folk club that he goes to, so I made a mental note and went to the first one after the Christmas holiday and really enjoyed it. Through going there I have now learned a few new tuned and last Saturday (4th Feb 2012) I joined in a session at the Old No.7 public house in Barnsley Sth. Yorkshire as part of the towns Beer Festival. 
   
   Family     August the 29th 2011  and Jackie Dawn and myself set off at 8:15 for Whitby the town in which we were married. We had a good drive up with no traffic problems at all and the weather though a bit on the cold side stayed dry for us. First problem that I encountered was in the car park at Whitby, I queued for ages to find out that it only took coins and I needed £5 worth, it also took debit cards , so I went back to the car to get it and queued again put the card in and the pin then it told me to press blue bouton ( not my spelling but the ticket machines ), There were two, confused I paused to think and the machine cancelled the transaction. By now I was fuming so I took a five pound note to a few shops to change and the all refused so I went back to Jackie at the car to get a tenner and bought a Mars bar asking far all the change in pound coins. Success at last and we were then soon walking into Whitby. We had Dinner in the Shambles near the market and it was horrible I am afraid I cannot recommend it. 
   
 The rest of the day was very enjoyable and we also had a good drive home with just a brief stop on the moors over Pickering to take a few photo's. Getting home at about 7:10 pm 
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:53:52 +0000</pubDate><category>Life in General</category></item><item><title>Training</title><link>http://iloapp.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/blog/myblog?Home&amp;post=1</link><description><![CDATA[   2nd of January  and the training for the 2011 season started today with a late start, I don't why but this morning I overlaid which is very unusual for me. A 66 mile ride with the destination being the Selby Garden Centre cafe for a scone and a cup of coffee. I tried to keep the pressure on myself throughout the ride and held an average speed of 17.5 mph. The weather was cold but quite pleasant and at no time did I feel too cold or too warm so my choice of clothing must have been spot on. 
 I started of by heading for Hemsworth and out to Ackworth by which time I was feeling good and holding a healthy pace, turning right at the celtic cross in Ackworth I headed through the villages of Low Ackworth, East Hardwick and Darrington where I turned right at the lights and headed for Pontefract and the old A1. Off at the flyover through Byram, I then turned left at Birkin through Gateforth and onto the Selby by-pass and to Osgodby for a break. 
 On the return journey I kept on the A63 right to Selby Fork, passing through Hambleton and Monk Fryston. At the Selby fork I joined the old A1 southbound and stayed on it until Darrington, from there the rest of the ride was a reversal of the outward journey and in the final few miles I was joined by John Martin of S.E.S.C.C. and we discussed me joining there Saturday group training rides. The picture below is my bike and helmet outside the Cafe/Garden Centre where I called. 
   3rd of January  and I decided to put right one or two of the problems with my winter bike, things like gears not changing cleanly and brakes sticking on, all brought about by the excess salt and dirt getting into the parts because of the adverse weather. Sorting the gears was simple enough but I noticed the chain was riding high on the chain ring, on measuring it I saw it had stretched by half a link, no problem I thought I have two new ones in the garage, so I changed it only to find out the new ones were 9 speed, my Ribble is a 10 speed set up so I then had to set out swapping it all back over. Next job was freeing the brakes, well by the time I had stripped , cleaned, lubricated and re-assembled the front brake my dinner was ready and it was dropping dark so I called it a day.  
  6th of January  and not yet managed to get back out on the bike because of a combination of buying a new kitchen and the weather. I have aranged to get out on Saturday but that will depend on the weather. 
  9th of January  and I got out for the first time in a week, I covered 52 miles in windy but dry conditions, though some of the road surfaces were wet. The fact that I had had a week off has effected my form a little and I felt close to hitting the wall towards the end of the ride even though I had taken the Quintana Roo as the Ribble is in need of a new chain.   16th January  and a 65 mile ride at a steady pace with Andrew Whitehead. I set of early and a good job too as I punctured on the Wombwell by-pass. I soon had it fixed and was on the road again arriving at the meeting point with 10 minutes to spare. We made our way round Worksop calling at Oldcotes for a cuppa and then home. I was out again on  Thursday the 20th  on the best bike, and working really hard pushing the heartrate over 175bpm at times. 30 miles done in 1:45:00 averae of 17mph.  23rd January . I ros early to ride out to Wroot with Steve Myatt but he rang me at 8:55 to say he was feeling ill anf would not make it. I set off twenty minutes late and headed for Clumber Gates instead. There was a slight tailwind and I set a good pace getting there, A quick teacake and coffee in Friar Tucks and I was back on my way passing through the village of Sutton Lound, the place where I had my accident last year. In Maltby I picked up my pump which I had left at Alan Sides' last year. By the time I was at Kilnhurst I had hit the wall and struggled a bit the rest of the way home, arriving home at 2:40pm having covered 72 miles. 
  30th January  and Seacroft Wheelers reliability trial, first of a series and the only one close enough to take part in, so it's my first and last this season. I left home at 8:00am to get there for the 9:45 start, I made good progress and got there for 9:15. The start was prompt and soon a small group including myself and Paul Kirk,who I had arranged to meet there. The pace started steady but soon increased enough to break the group up even more. At Thorner Paul dropped back to wait for the stragglers and I work hard to pull back the leading three riders who I caught at Aberford, and just managed to hang on to them to the finish.  
   22nd of February  and since the reliability trial I have done very little in the way of training. The two weeks following that ride I did nothing at all, then last week I managed to fit in 20 miles, and 30 miles were covered today. The reason for this is the fact that we were having a new kitchen fitted and that has put a stopper on my training. Any way that job is almost done and my training has recommenced from today though it may be a bit steady at first. My first race is this weekend and with the lack of training it should be interesting to say the least.  
  Tuesday 1st March  and the weather was beautiful though a bit cool and Jackie and I went to test the new  Planet-X bike . I took the tool box and Jackie took her camera. The bike went well and looked well but a little problem with the headset ended the fun early. New headset now ordered from  Planet-X . The headset arrived on the 3rd, while I was out getting the miles in, and was fitted first thing the next morning, now all I need is the weather to get summer like. I got out again on Thursday for 67 miles, and The Yorkshire RC reliability trial on Sunday gave me another 98 miles. including a punture making me ride alone, get lost and cut the ride short. 
  Tuesday 8th March  and the weather was mild and sunny so I was out on the Planet-X again, this time with the new headset fitted. I did 25 miles on the ten course at an average speed of 20.70 mph covering the distance in 1:11:00. I have repeated this exercise today and did it in 1:7:35 in similar weather as last time but with the addition of a stiff breeze. 
  Saturday 26th March  and the J.E.James 10 on the new O10/3 course at Ranby, I was hoping for a good result here but I was disappointed. It felt like I was going really well on the outward leg but the cold temperature and the wind on the return leg made the last half of the race very tough going resulting in a poor time of 26:39 for me. I am over 800 miles down on training compared with previous years at the end of March. 
  7th April  and three events behind me, none satisfactorily fast but I am making progress with an improvement since the first one os nearly 5 minutes over 10 miles. After Wednesday's ride I had reached 1'280 miles, still around 800 down on last year. First full week of April completed and a good one at that with 239.12 miles covered and all at a good pace with the legs feeling stronger all the time. Today (Sunday) I rode out to Torworth on North Notts to watch the Ray Levers Handicap Road Race. Pics below. 
   
  2nd of May  and training seems to be going well, on a very windy afternoon last Saturday I rode the YCF 25 starting at the Kirby Hill round-about and heading north into the wind turning at South Kilvington, a little help from the wind on the way back but not all the time and the finishing straight from Dishforth was almost as hard as the ride up to the turn. As hard as it was I finished in 1:04:37. ahead of John Hatfield by almost two minutes who has been beating me all season so far, ahead of Phil Hurt who I have never beaten and on or two more stories like those. Sunday I was out for 80 miles with Dan Taylor and Paul Heggie of Birdwell Wheelers and also James Allen of Sheffrec. 
  2  2nd May  and so far May has been a very windy month. I returned to the borough for the Drighlington 25 and, yes, it was windy, very windy and I went back by forty seconds and again on the 21st the City RC 10 on the V718 at South Cave near Hull proved again to be just as windy as the other events, but this time my result was a bit better, I felt good and I averaged 25 mph for the first time this season, finishing in 00:24:08. Today I did a bit of hill work while watching the BCF Yorkshire Road Race Championships between Penistone and Denby Dale.  
   
   
 June, and the first week has been beautiful weather wise, I got out on Tuesday for my first 100 mile ride of the year and I hope to do a lot more now as I have already entered the National Championship 100, with another 100 and a 12 hour planned, so I need quite a few more long rides to make sure I have the stamina and endurance fitness. Thursday I took my grandson for a ride along the Trans-pennine trail to Conisborough and back. Pictured below is my Granson Reece with Conisborough Castle in the background. 
   
 Rested after that until Saturday evening when I rode the Newark Castle CC's 25 mile time trial on the A1 from Carlton on Trent to Long Bennington and back to finish in Cromwell village. After what was the best weather of the year so far it changed back to very windy and overcast, making the going very tough indeed. 
  5th July  and things are looking up, the weather has shown signs of improving as has my form in my last event I got a PB, improving my 30 time by 1 minute and 19 seconds. I have done quite a few trail rides with Ron Hollingsworth and a few other friends and I now feel ready for the National 100 mile championship race on Saturday. I just hope the good weather returns. 
  12th July  Well I rode the 100 mile championship and finished in 4:33:21 taking second in me age category. The following day I joined the Birdwell club run adding anothe 52 miles to my total. Rested Monday and set off on Tuesday for Ripon Liesure Centre to enquire if anyone had handed my hearing aid in which I lost there on Saturday after the presentation at the 100 championship, that ride gave me 108 miles in presentation for the approaching 12 hour event at the end of the month. 
  30 August  Since the National 100 I have ridden a few events at all distances fincluding the Elmet 12 hour in which I did 215.92 miles, another 100 the YCF event which I improved my time for the distance by 4 seconds gaining nine prestige points moving me up to 5th place with two more counting events to go. 

  14th September  and the season is almost over just a 50, 25, 10 and a
couple of hill climbs left to ride, already the weather which has been poor all
summer is turning a little more autumnal. I am not really satisfied with my
times this year but with the poor summer I feel I should be satisfied as
everyone in the sport as suffered the same. I have missed my CTT certificate by
about 0.5 of a mph with just the 50 left to try to make amends in but it will
have to be a very fast ride to do it. The prestige points contest is hotting up
with only 7 points between the top five riders, myself in fourth place equal
with Alan West. There are points on offer in the 50 and the 10 that I have left
to ride.  Click
here to view the prestige points chart  .    
  The season is all over now and it feels a bit empty now with no challenges ahead for me, I did add a couple of 
hill climbs this year which I found to be a pleasant, though exhausting 
experience, will do a few more next year. I have also done a couple of rides 
down the trans-pennine trail with Ron, Clive and Dave but even though I enjoy 
these rides I miss pushing my heartrate to it's limmit and the feeling of 
euphoria that follows. 
  The VTTA Luncheon is next month, 
that is usually a good event and something to look forward to. I am also presently preparing my 
fixed gear bike to do some winter training on.   30th of October  and a ride out to Long Hill at Whaley Bridge near Buxton to watch the National Hill Climb championship. I took this video of the event while I was there.     1st of November  and I am into base training rides, these are long 
moderatly paced rides to keep my base fitness until the hard work starts
 at the beginning of next year. I have a app added to my phone that 
works like a Garmin set up and here are the results of my first two 
rides using it.  Ride 1 on fixed ,  Ride 2 on gears.    27th of November  and the North Midlands VTTA luncheon and Presentation I was runner up in the B.A.R and 4th in the Prestige points this year. I also took 9th in the groups short distance comp. 3rd in the groups middle distance comp. 38th in the National B.A.R. and was winner of the Brian Beardsley Memorial Cup for my ride in the Elmet 12 hour.   Here I am receiving my winnings from guest Joyce Webb.  Trevor Mayne this years Best all Rounder.        
 ]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:14:17 +0000</pubDate><category>Cycling 2011</category></item><item><title>My Rant</title><link>http://iloapp.cyclingalanjones.co.uk/blog/myblog?Home&amp;post=0</link><description><![CDATA[ I don't know why we are here or how we came to be, I'll leave working that out to science and the religions of the world, but I do feel humanity has gone mad and heading for self destruction. I have a lot of questions that might shed some reasoning on to my views.  My first question is. Why does every individual need a car and are they really as necessary as people thing that they are.   The pros  for cars are covering long distance in less time and making easier the carrying of heavy loads.    The cons  are they kill 3,500 people in the UK alone every year, they pollute the atmosphere with toxic greenhouse gases, they make people lazy and fat, as most car journeys are around two miles in length which could easily be walked or cycled, this lazyness leads to heart disease and other illnesses.   I can't understand why cars are sold that will do one hundred and fifty miles per hour and then have speed limits set at 70 mph, does not make sense to me when it would be easier to only sell car capable of 70 mph.   I think I do understand why the paint speed cameras bright yellow, because if they hid them, (which would make more sense), they would soon run out of drivers to keep the fat cats economy going, as most drivers travell above the set limits most of the time and believe that high speed doesn't kill.   Why, for goodness sake do motorists overtake cyclists on the approach to traffic islands and junctions then pull up sharply in front of them? causing them to have to brake dangerously hard or run up the side of them if there is room. It's not just one or two, like speeding it is most of them. Grrrrr!!!   Why do workers travel for example from Barnsley to Manchester or Liverpool while other workers travel from Manchester or Liverpool to their place of employment near Barnsley. It would make more sense and save on fuel and cut pollution if people worked in their own area.   When it comes to employment, there are people who will always shine, there are people who lack confidence, and there are people who found learning very difficult. The latter groups will always fail at interviews and will spend their whole lives on benefit. Like some people are physically strong and some people are physically weak and we accept this without question, well the mind is the same some are mentally strong and some are weak, Only the mentally weak are unfairly classed as scroungers because no-one will employ them and they spend their life on the dole, which they are sometimes forced to work for, instead of paying them a living wage for the jobs they are made to do. My point is if there is not enough work to go round and it is unfair to victimize and insult the weaker members of society.    You know the more machines and technology that replaces manpower it will only increase unemployment as the years go by.    So what can be done to improve things and make for a better quality of life for everyone. First of all abolish the private car except on medical grounds, Carry all heavy goods by rail, keep all local transportation from the marshalling yards small with limited speed vehicles. Better public transport, people to work where possible locally, Get rid of the hypermarkets and bring back the local shops. and the Nationalisation of all massive companies so nobody milks the country of its wealth.       My Doctors    They have become a waste of space, or at least that is how I feel. In 2006 I told my doctor about a mild pain in the  trapezius  muscle in my shoulder just behind the collar bone, he checked it, couldn't find anything and just told me not to worry. Over the the following four years the discomfort came and went at varying intervals usually lasting three or four days. Last June I had a cycling accident and that seems to have made the matter a lot worse, now the pain is unbearable I informed my doctor and he put it down to nerve damage due to the crash and again told me not to worry and it would improve with time, it didn't, and I went back to the doctor who revered me to the Hospital.    At the hospital I was X-rayed and the image was examined and so was I, my arm was moved around in different directions and I was ask to push and pull against the surgeons arms but no pain was produced. I was told not to worry and it would improve in time as it was just a stretch injury from the crash.  Two or three months later I was starting to accept that they were right as I had had no trouble from it over that period. then on the evening of Monday 10th of January 2011 while searching for some paper work I was suddenly overcome with a return of the pain in my shoulder and as the night went on it got progressively worse. that pain has now been with me for four days.  Yesterday I went for my flu jab and while I was there I tried to make an appointment to see my doctor, the receptionist told me that she could not make advanced appointments and I should ring up at 9:15am the next morning, I did better than that and was there at the surgery by five past nine to make my appointment in person. There I was told the list was full and also told me that she had already taken 15 appointments that morning, these must have been advanced appointments or made before 9:15. which is annoying as I am told they no longer do advanced appointments and to ring up from 9:15 am.   The difficulty I now have in getting to see my doctor is making me very angry to say the least and the way they palm me off as though there is nothing wrong also gets my goat when I am in so much constant pain at times I am close to tears, how the hell can there be nothing wrong!   This damned shoulder pain is driving me mad, it started Monday and has not yet gone this is Saturday, making it six days so far this time. I'm going to change my doctor as I have had enough of not being able to get an appointment and getting no result when I do.  Well that shoulder pain seems to have mostly gone away but I still have not managed to get an appointment to see a doctor, so I have now moved to a more up to date sugery with internet appointments and hopefully doctors that listen and help. First appointmen is tomorrow the 23rd of May.     Returns     New FSA Vision handle bars on my Planet-X, only been ridden in 12 races and a bolt snaps. it is the bolt that holds the arm rest on to the base bar. I try to get the end of the bolt which is stuck in the base bar out by first drilling it and using a star screw driver head in the drill in reverse. I failed so I go back with to Planet-X. Planet-X rang FSA telling them what had happened and they said send them back so they can decide if they can be replaced on the warranty and this could take a few weeks. First of all I am racing in the National Championship 100 mile time trial at the weekend, so I cannot manage without them, Planet-X were quite willing to give me another pair and reclaim the price from FSA, but FSA would not let then go ahead. This has cost fuel to get to Planet-X and back and the price of some Super Steel Epoxy to do a make shift repair and on top all that I bloody missed the Tour de France. If I don't get either refund or replacement I shall put up with the repair that I have done until I can afford another set of a different brand and go out of my way, via the internet to publicise my displeasure. If two bolts had broken in the same pad a serious accident could have occured and this fault wants correcting as soon as possible before someone is injured or killed. But it would seem that FSA coudn't give a toss.  Due to my racing commitments I still have not sorted this issue out. I have five more race's to ride, taking me into October I have the address for their place in Italy to return them so I will contact them at the end of my season and see what they come up with. I do know this though I would never recommend Vision Tri-Max bars to anybody and I will purchase a set of bars from another manufacturer as soon as I can. If by any chance I do get a replacement they will be for sale as I could never feel safe on them knowing an armpad fastening bolt could break at anytime.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:14:27 +0000</pubDate><category>Me and my Thoughts</category></item></channel>
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