Project Peugeot

Gave the frame and forks a good polish today in preparation to building the bike up.  I have decided against painting the frame and instead embracing the bikes 36 or so years of knocks and scratches.  There is a lot of history on that frame and in a way it would be a shame to sand it all away and paint over it.

I have polished the frame and forks as if they've just come out of the paint shop, I know a bit about this as I used to paint cars.  So a good dose of rubbing compound followed by finesse and then a silicon wax on the paint and autosol on the chrome has given the bike a deep shine without making it look all shiny and new, perfect!

Managed to get the forks back on using the original headset which is still in good nick, as was the bottom bracket which will be going back in too.

Still a lot to do, I need to clean all the simplex gearing and wheels up and source cables for gears and my lovely new Weinmann brakes which I picked up last week, these really will finish the bike off a treat and are exactly what I've been after for months.

Quite excited to see this bike beginning to be reassembled at last.

Cardiff Half Marathon

Last Sunday 7 of us ran the Cardiff Half Marathon as 'Team Cerys' in memory of baby Cerys who sadly left us after only 12 days of life.  Team Cerys included Andrew Fennell (Cerys' Daddy), Julian & Jason Fennell and 'Chiz' Bradley (Cerys' Uncles) Myself and Kelly, we ran the race in aid of Little Hearts Matter.

Crossing the finish line

After taking up running last winter as a way of keeping fit whilst off the bike during the winter months training for a proper event started in March this year after we decided to do something incredible for Cerys.  Some of us had never ran previously, others had experience of running the 13.1 mile distance.

We all trained hard over the summer getting ourselves as ready as we could for the 'race' last Sunday.  My target was to finish and I would have loved to do so within 2 hours, that was my personal target for the day. 

The day came, it was a very cold morning, first outing for the ice scrapper this autumn as we left our hotel a few miles from Cardiff.  After a quick stop at McDonalds for some hot porridge we headed into the welsh capital.  The organisation was excellent although some signage for the baggage drop area would have been good, we just followed the crowd and found it.

After stripping down to shorts and T-Shirt in temperatures of 2C we headed for the start.  By now thankfully the sun was up and warming things up, not a a cloud in the sky, at least it would be a dry race.

I set off well and after 5 miles was feeling good and going well within 2 hour pac, by 9 miles I started to slow a little but was still ahead of schedule.  The drink stations were well manned and placed as was the energy gel station, I was well hydrated.  Too much so, I needed a wee, I can hold this in until the finish I was sure.

My full bladder began to cause me problems, I was going to have to go, it was slowing me down.  I found a spot to divert off route and relieve myself.  That was much better as I set off again.  Problem is though once you stop running even for a few seconds you lose your momentum and rhythm.  This was not good after 11 miles, I checked my watch, the 5 minutes I had in the bag were gone, I was behind 2 hour pace and feeling worse for wear.  To top my misery we turned a corner and bang, what looked like a wall ahead of me.  In the grand scheme of things I admit it wasn't really that much of a hill, but for 200 metres or so it was quite a steep incline.  At the top we passed the 12 mile marker and I tried to push on but there was nothing left, I just kept going as best I could.  The 13 mile marker and a sharp left turn into the finish straight I managed to find some energy and ran as fast I could across the line.... 2:00:24.....24 seconds outside, I had pulled some time back in the last mile, but not enough.

Yes I'm happy with my time considering, but I can't claim a sub 2 hour time, so yes there is going to have to be a next time....