Slatewoman; coming to a TV near you!

Pre race accommodation, what a view for £5 a night.

As I was setting up the tent on Saturday early evening, Mick, also racing the Slateman triathlon and occupying the caravan that looked slightly more comfy than my tent, was giving me a run down on the bike course, having just driven the route with his family.
Tent up, scenery admired, having heard Mick's bike course descriptions "only a long drag really, not too steep" I thought I ought to jump in the micra and find out for myself what this bike course was about.

Well, yes it's a long drag al right, not sure about Mick's "reckon you can do it in the big gear" statement!

A hearty evening meal is essential prep pre race, so I sat on the grass by my tent, with my pack lunch box, eating my pork chops, jacket potato and baked beans. Couldn't find the camping stove so made do with a tepid, aka heated on the dash board during the journey temperature.

Thanks Mick and family for providing me with some hot water from your kettle (advantages of a caravan over a tent) for my morning porridge on race day, and with that I picked up my bike, stuffed my wetsuit in my backpack and cycled the 3miles from the campsite to the race start in llanberis.

It's Spring, that must mean...

....SLUG WATCH! 
All you green fingered gardeners know what I mean...

Planting seeds, watering, bringing inside to escape the frost, putting outside to capture the sunlight (repeat and repeat!), repotting into bigger pots, tying to sticks as they flop over and being on slug watch! It has been a busy few weeks for us wannabe green fingered gardeners.

Below shows the progress of the vegetables in the Richards-Connell household....

Potting started off in the Connell's family garden and survived the journey in the Micra back to Leeds. Where broad beans, courgette, peas, spinach, fennel, tomatoes, broccoli are trying as hard as they can to become big and strong! I may not be Charlie Dimmock  but nothing beats pottering around in our little back yard, watering and mindlessly messing with the plants, a great way to relax.

In between being on slug watch and saving the courgette from the frosty Leeds weather a bit of biking, running and swimming has taken place. In the last few weeks I have kept out of trouble with the Sheffield Spring Road Race, Stockton Duathlon and John Carr 5km Road race.

*Sheffield CC Race 1 of Yorkshire Womens Road race series- 13th April*
Jenny and myself toed the line at Sheffield CC Race 1 of the Yorkshire womens road race series. 55km (ish?!) 10 laps of a road circuit, due to start at 10am. We had cycled a lap of the course, felt the savage headwind on one side of circuit and tested legs on the one hill. Ready to rumble. Commissaire late, start delayed to 10.30, then 11am. Finally underway at 11.30am! As there was a fairly large pack of girls racing, Jenny& myself decided to stay at front of the group, out of trouble & easier for cornering (good decision as there were a few crashes).