So as this week I have been well busy in the shop and today was chucking down with rain I have decided that this is my rest week and I will start building up the mileage again from tomorrow. I was due an easy week round about now anyway but the way the week went with the shop and weather it is a good time to refresh the legs before moving onto the next block of training.
This year my training is geared up towards the Highland Games grass track season which starts in May and runs till Sep with races every week and sometimes more as some Games are run on local holidays during the week.
The racing takes place on grass although there is one in Inverkeithing where the track is cinder and can be a lot faster if the conditions are dry. The tracks are oval of anything up to 400mts in length but some can be very tight at under 300mts with no straight as such meaning you feel like you are cornering all the time (interesting in the wet!) The racing is usualy fast and furious giving the crowds a great show of which some number in the thousands giving a great atmosphere.
If you have not experienced a Highland games before put it in your diary as it is a fantastic day out for not a lot of money. Check out some dates here: Highland Games 2007

Pictures are Halkirk Games 2005 from Caithness.org

Well on to the last Cross of the year for me and what a wet one it was. Auchentoshen is at the other end of Glasgow and is a great wee circuit made all the more challenging with the conditions.
The day started for me eating my porridge looking out the window at home with the rain pelting down thinking "it will be better in Glasgow" ha! ha! no chance if anything it was worse, riders were sitting in their cars waiting till the last minute to get out for a warm up if you could call it that!
So it was on with the warm up fluid on the legs and leg warmers on the top trying to keep some heat onto the muscles. The race got under way and I started to pull away from the chasers to get a lead which I kept extending till the end. I felt good throughout with no mishaps during the race and it is a good feeling to end the season on a high.

I would like to thank Alan Quinn, Jammie on the mike and all the band of helpers for putting on a race in shocking conditions so we can all slide about in some mud for an hour, cheers.
1st - Craig Hardie
2nd - Paul McInally
3rd - Andy Wardman

Now that it is the last race of the season it is HOLIDAY time hope everyone has a good time off and remember to get training again in Jan for the Cross season 2007!!!
Check back now and again as I will have snippets of what I am up to if your interested.
Till next time,
Craig.

So this week it was off to the Isle of Mull for the two day Cyclo-Cross race named Cross at the Castle as it was raced around the grounds at Glengorm Castle (thanks to Tom for letting us race round such beautiful surroundings)
The two courses were superb and both set out by Mr Cyclo-Cross himelf Davie Graham, hats off to Davie as he also raced both days.
I felt good going into this weekend after feeling that the cold had totaly left my system from a week and a half ago. The First day was squally showers but quite mild for the time of year, once the race was under way I pushed on and got a lead that I kept till the end with no upsets throughout the race.
On the Sunday the weather was kicking up a storm just to make the racing that bit harder, the start was held right underneath the Castle with the rain lashing and the wind blowing it was going to be some experience this proved right as we took off. The Sunday course was a bit easier but only slightly as the weather was making it feel just as hard.
Once I got into the groove I felt good and pushed on to my second win of the weekend so was well chuffed, this second win also gave me the overall Scottish Cyclo-Cross series title for 2006.

There is only one Cyclo-Cross round left at Auchentoshen Nr Glasgow this Sunday and then it is holiday time for a well earned break.

A big thanks to all that made this weekend possible and if you did not make it this year make sure you get the date for next year and get across.
Until my next ramblings,
see ya.

This week the Cyclo-Cross race was going to be interesting after being laid low last week with the cold.
The Race was the T.L.I British Cyclo-Cross Championships and held at Heath Hall woods Dumfries. The course was a great mixture of technical single track, run up's, open fast bit's and plenty of mud!
The start went well with myself leading the pack into the first bit of singletrack although I got passed by a few as we ploughed into the mud I did come out third, at this point Ross was on his way in first with Steve Ward chasing and me chasing Steve in third.
Going onto the second lap I had got myself into second and got a gap although Ross had about 30secs up front I battled on to see if I could make any inroads in the gap.

All in I felt pretty good considering that I was on my back with a bad cold last week, so I am chuffed that the fitness/form is still there meaning I should finish the season strongly.
Next week is the double header on the Isle of Mull at Glengorm Castle held over Sat and Sun
(www.crossatthecastle.co.uk)
1st - Ross Creber
2nd - Craig Hardie
3rd - Steve Ward