Todays Club Run

[Marek]

Did anyone go out today. This was the first Sat when I have been able to go out but have chosen not to. The gales and rain just put me off. I was half ready to go this morning but I felt that the weather was just too much.

If weather is a bit better tomorrow may venture out.

Did anyone ride then?

[LUDWIG]

I went out .
Got to CSS at about 9.30 and didn't see anyone, so I did an extended clubrun on my own. I went to Brighton and back .I decided that rain is just water and that gales are just wind and that the discomfort of being wet and cold is all in the mind.
In fact during my ride , all 6 hours of it, I had plenty of time to think and I came to various conclusions.

Firstly, I realized that pain is just a subjective perception and can be overcome by mind control.

Then, going up Ditchling Beacon, I realized that only the co-presence of consciousness together with the sense organ and the object of the sense organ produces experience. From that, I saw that my mind was the root of all my suffering and not the wind and the rain and the tiredness in my body.

After this, coming back through Turners Hill, a euphoria swept over my body and the inner struggle with the pain, the wind and the rain, ceased and I felt at peace.
The last miles swept by in an a kind of intense concentrative ecstasy that is hard to describe. I know this may sound corny and many of you may well think that I must have had one too many vitamin supplement...or something.. , but I felt that on some level, doors of perception were opened for me during this ride. I feel ,in a strange way, kind of blessed, as if I have been given some divine gift, the nature of which I don't quite understand.

I might go out for another ride tomorrow if it's raining.


Ludwig

[David Findlay]

Six of us left CSS at 9.25am.

Did the usual route to Westerham then Darren, Rob and Simon(?) decided they would take in a few extra hills so headed for Idle, Titsey etc. Turned out to be a good ride believe it or not.

If you are going out tomorrow, there is a group meeting at The Feathers at 9.30, Merthsam.

[steve c]

for yer info i went out on today's ride
and we left about 9.30 so we just missed you ludwig.
seven left css
david f
he was scottish im pretty sure as he seemed pretty much at home in todays horizontal rain.
rory..brian t..daren l..young rob and brett.
a young lady turned up but did not come with us as she had more sense
after a couple of hours i decided against the cafe stop in westerham as i did not fancy stopping once i was soaked through.
thats my excuse... truth is there was talk of doing some serious hillwork
in kent after the cafe stop.
and after reading last weeks report i know better than to attempt to destroy all my base training by pushing my heart rate skywards and its only the last day of jan for heavens sake.
plus if im gonna do any hills its gonna be with my eye's open
so i rode up the long drag of a hill to botley then along the ridge drop down to godstone..bletchingly then home sweet home giving me a wet four hours out including about 30mins at css.
long enough for most in todays weather unless your name's mad-rob or mad-daren.
as the rain was horizontal i spent the whole ride sheltering at the back and side's and managed to stay completely dry
untill i was on my own then i got soaked.
just as i got home the rain stopped just to rub it in.
iv'e been on a late turn at work and have been finding it increasingly hard to get up soon after going to bed so todays ride was a doddle compared to dragging my arse out of bed this morning 4/5 hours after hitting the sack.
i actually got up looked out the window saw the rain and heard the wind and got back into bed but i lay there and thats when my cycle training conscience on one shoulder started up (ala cycling slim shady type scenario) and this inner voice was really pestering me till it won me over
no really
is this a really good thing or really really bad...
...i really am going mad
will confirm after sundays training ride...9.30am sharp guy's and gal's
go ride
stevie c.

[Will]

Sounds like you've been doing LSD training Ludwig;-)