Snowy update

So I survived the ski guiding on Tuesday, knocking off a couple of blacks on the way.

On Wednesday we had a private lesson to brush up on technique. The effects were immediate and amazing, with N's confidence increasing as the day went on. We ticked off red after red with abandon.

Thursday saw a bus trip to another resort, pila, which we explored with what seemed like half of Italy. The reds tumbled again and N did some runs which previously would have had her fleeing the hills. Very impressed with the improvement, and it meant we were able to get to the summit and enjoy a 360 degree panorama of the alps. Spectacular. As was the chocolate ice cream I had afterwards in the main town.

Today, a day off from the skiing to explore the nearby therme spa at pre st didier. Spent quite a bit of the day staring at a snow covered mont blanc from a hot tub, feeling very decadent. A feeling marred only slightly by the other half of Italy being there too. The mud bath was a hoot.

Hotel decorations

These are quite clever....

:-)

Glorious day

So the end of day 1 skiing. We survived unscathed. Was a glorious day, we both had too many layers on to start with.

Someone should have told us though that it was an Italian holiday. The place is heaving with the (mostly) guided missiles known as bambini.

The sun has been out all day and it has been what we call a good day for architecture. But, we only have the architecture of nature to cope with. Ah well. Enjoy ....

(ps. We're by mont blanc, the top of which is appx 1000m below everest base camp).

Good morning Italy!

Apologies for lack of velodrome post

Will rectify in due course.

In the mean time....

Our current view

:)

another day another hour challenge

So after last weeks timed ride, I decided to have another go this week... creeping closer to that world record with a 36.3km (L13). At this rate, I will be the new world record holder by the end of March. Something tells me though that the kms will become harder to shave off.

This week has been an eventful one on the challenge, with my route taking in Reims - celebrated appropriately - and getting tickets for the 2012 challenge event at the olympic stadium in London. We've also managed to get some tickets for a test event for the velodrome which is possibly the most attractive of the Olympic buildings from the images. Will update the blog with photos as we hit the events.

The world of cycling has also been in the news this week, with Armstrong, Ullrich and Contador all hearing long awaited news. Though if you believe the whispers, there may be more to come on the Armstrong story.

On a more positive (ahem) note, the tour of Qatar rolled out this week, with Tom Boonen (Belgium, Omega Pharma-Quickstep) taking the spoils.

30% done...

So that was January. Went very quickly, didn't it.

A month and a bit into the challenge, and I have managed to clock up just over 30% of the total. I'm feeling quite pleased with progress.

I have very vivid memories of Chris Boardman undertaking the hour record in the 90s and 00s, so it was with trepidation that I decided to undertake my own version of the challenge today... No streamlined helmets or carbon fibre monocoque frames for me, just cyberdog, a brown wall and a very welcome air conditioning outlet.

On reflection, maybe I should have gone for the carbon fibre approach - it's the only way I can explain the (negligible) difference in our respective distances. In 1996 Boardman covered 56.375km in the hour. Today, I managed slightly less.. at 34.2km.

In my defence, since the record was set, the UCI have changed the rules, and standardised the specification of the bike that should be used for the hour record. The subsequently set record currently sits at 49.7km, set by Ondřej Sosenka in 2005. So I'm close.

Today's image is from Marrakech. Nice textures.