Beginnings

Finally I've pulled the finger out and can move it. Allegorically.
Working with a friend we cleared some fallen branches and after leaving them over night for a delicious curry (thanks mate) and cake (thanks mate's wife) it was time to do something useful with them.

Trousers, boots, mitts and head protection donned (don't fuck with something that can go through you like a knife through butter) and the chainsaw fired up.
Gadingadingadinga.
After I'd left a wheelbarrow full of sawdust I also had a pile of logs to arrange into something less avantgarde.
They're now all piled neatly in the beginnings of a long term investment.

More race?

Popped my cyclocross cherry on the weekend by entering the Bourne Wheelers race at Bourne Woods. I was over the flat side of the country for a good friend's stag do on the Saturday (howdy Jon!) and so drove up in the new wagon with the bike in the back to have a crack at the racing on Sunday.
Probably perfect conditions; cool but dry. With nerves going we set off.
I thought I was going to puke myself stupid by about the second lap of the 2.7 mile course which threaded it's way through the woods making use of the fire roads and singletrack. It was a great course and thankfully my stomach contents stayed inside.
With no real grasp of how the racing worked I just kept pedaling and swapped places with the chap in the blue above several times. I had a brief excursion into the scenery when I slid out on a corner in the woods and couldn't get my feet unclipped from the pedals in time to dab. Aside from that it was a pretty smooth race. I got 5 laps in, but not sure where I came. Still waiting for the results to come online. There were about 7-8 people come in behind me in the 5 lap group, and my mates got 4 laps in.
Cheers Aidan
Cheers JT
and cheers JB
I had a great time. Thank you Sarah for the photos.

Race?

Well, despite pulling my back and tethering my sciatic nerve 2 weeks ago, I, and the other 3 members of Team Stoned Fish competed in the 6th Forest of Dean MTB Enduro. Big thanks to my physio for the exercises and pummeling, and to the organisers for putting the event on.
L-R me, JT, JB and Jake
The weather was somewhat inclement, meaning plenty of mud and slarr. The start was a bit frantic as 90odd of us in class set off up the half mile fire road climb, the first part of the 10 mile course designed to spread people out before the forest singletrack.
The large bunch of people meant that the singletrack sections through the forest were slower than I would have liked, and passing chances were limited. Still, passes were made even on some of the climbs where I found grip whilst others were slipping. Also I did some cheeky passes whilst pushing the bike uphill faster than others...
Not far from the end was a nice fast downhill section, the ground was a lot softer than it had been and a root jump nearly had me off into the scenery when the landing slid out form under my tyres. Still it was a good chance to make some ground. Tight left at the bottom and then get the hammer down for the final fire road slog to the finish.
Once through the finish gantry I was met by JT who had finished in fifth. I didn't know my placing, but did know I was hungry. Girlfriends met us and I got some much on and warmed up.
Anyway, after checking times and placings, I had come in 15th, in 1hr 7min 59secs. Properly chuffed. JT came in 5th as mentioned in 1hr 3min 4secs, JB came in 61st in 1hr 26min 32secs after three chain breakages and having to run with the bike the last half mile, Jake came in 76th in 1hr 42min 45secs, impressive considering he had been drafted in to replace someone who had pulled out on us last minute and hadn't been on a bike for 10years!
Good times.