Day 15 – Tour de Blue Cross 🚲

Hi Guys

It was a bit darker and a little mizzly this morning for my 10.06mile into work, but the mizzle soon stopped, I took a photo when it started to get light. Hello sheep

The sun was shining a little on my way home, though the wind was a bit chilly, but I managed to do 16.14miles. Totally 26.20miles.

I have now done 303.4miles! and completed my 302mile challenge, but I will do a couple more days and add to my mileage, but now I don’t have worry too much about how many miles to do, yay.

There’s still time to donate to my fundraising page:
https://bluecross.enthuse.com/pf/verity-banks
More donations means more pets get the help they need.

Take Care & God Bless
Vez

Round 5 -Season Finale Pembrey (16-10-16)

Hi guys

I went testing on the 4th of October at Llandow. It generally went well. It was cold, but dry, I didn’t really get any heat into the tyres, so it was a little twitchy round the corners at times. Also didn’t know how done in my air filter was. The first couple of sessions out, the car didn’t really pull out the corners as well as it has done, and was a little hesitant to get up to top revs, Tony took the air filter off and… WOW! What a difference it made, the revs ran smoothly throughout the whole range, with no hesitation, plus I seemed to have so much power I didn’t know what to do with it all – which was interesting with limited grip. The new air was ordered and fitted to the car ready for the race meeting. I had lots of fun and came away with a big smile on my face 😆 I was hoping it would be the same for the race meeting, but…

I had an early start on the Sunday, having to get up at 4am 🙈. Got to the race track in good time, but trying to find where the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship guys were, well, was interesting, as we happened to be spread out all over the inner paddock.

We had a mixture of intermittent heavy rain ☔ and sunshine 🌞 equalling rainbows 🌈 (and not just in the sky).
Well racing didn’t go to plan, I was all geared up, and feeling really pumped up for a great day of racing, but my little car decided otherwise. The head gasket blew on the 2nd lap of qualifying. I first knew something was wrong when smoke started filling up the cockpit and then looked out my wing mirrors saw smoke coming out the back of the car as well. I managed to get back to the pits, very slowly mind you, and Tony lifted the bonnet and told me it was terminal and that the head gasket had gone. I slowly drove into Parc Ferme, then back to my paddock space. The worst thing of all was that the car was feeling good before the problem occurred.
This resulted in the end of my race weekend 😔 and any chance of scoring some decent points. It was so frustrating, especially as I had had such a positive test session.

On my way back home, me and my dad decided to stopped off at Coate Water for a nice walk in the sunshine, to enjoy the afternoon, after such a disappointing day.

Lots to do over the winter to get the car reliable and competitive, though I will come back (hopefully stronger) and fight hard in 2017 💪.

Take Care, Keep Smiling and God Bless
Vez

Race Season Started 😊

Hi guys

Finally I’ve got back on to the race track!

Went testing in this beauty on Tuesday (10th May) on a damp Llandow track. The car felt good, it was running smoothly and I was happy 😊.

Pembrey  Race Meeting – 15 May 2016

The weather was beautiful and sunny 🌞 for most of the day, the clouds did start to come over and the wind started to get up, but not totally hiding the sun, in the afternoon.

Qualifying: Result: 21st out of 24; Lap Time: 1:21.935
Just getting back into the swing of things, after not being at a race meeting for 13 months (Castle Combe April 2015), and getting the feel of the car on the Pembrey track again (18 months since I last raced at Pembrey October 2014).
The car felt good, and was responding well. I was slower than I would of liked, but that was probably just me being a little race rusty I suppose 😉, but I wasn’t last on the grid 😊💪.

Race 1: Result: finished 18th; Lap Time: 1:21.710
I started ok, had a good little battle with Holly for about half the race, until her engine let go 😔. My car started was starting to develop an issue, it wasn’t running as smoothly as it should have been or producing its full power output, though I came home in one piece and finished the race 🏁😊.

Race 2: Result: DNF; Lap Time: 1:20.876
Managed to make a goodish start and overtook a couple of cars off the line, but that’s where the good part ended, coming out of the hairpin my car wasn’t revving properly and never recovered, I came into the pits and got my mechanic to check that everything was still attached as it should, when out again found that the issue wasn’t any better, came back in and had to retire – DNF for me 😔 – one of the coil packs had decided to give up the ghost.
On a positive note though, I somehow managed to go 1 second quicker 😊 which means that I know I have the pace to run with the pack when my car is running smoothly 💪.

So mixed emotions for the day, but staying positive for the rest of the year. Fingers crossed all will work out and I have a good year 😊.

So new plugs and coil packs for the next race, plus some new brakes as well. I’ve got a couple of months now until the next one, and hopefully get out again for another test session.

Next race is at Castle Combe in July 😊

Take Care, Smile and God Bless
Vez

Things I’ve Been Up To

Hi guys

Where has the time gone, I can’t believe it has been 6 months since I lasted blogged!

What have I done in that time, well going back to last year a couple of things;

November 2015
I went with my mate Elz to see the Rapha Supercross at Kings Cross – which in the end was cancelled due to bad weather – but I did take these photos of the outside part of the circuit

and the Revolution Series at the Lee Valley Velo Park, I have never been to a velodrome before, it was great fun, and I enjoyed myself a lot, the atmosphere was buzzing! 😊

I went to see a Lost Innocence gig at The White Swan in Aylesbury, and I have to say these guys are amazing! – and I’m not just saying that because my brother-in-law plays the keyboard for them – I would definitely recommend going to see them if you get the chance. They are a covers band, and they do covers of Within Temptation, Nightwish, We Are The Fallen, Evanescence etc

December 2015
I did a Taekwondo grading for my green belt, which I managed to pass and gain yay J I was pretty nervous, the higher up I go the more nervous I seem to get, I think it’s due to having to remember more stuff and each pattern/form gets just that little bit more complex.

January 2016
Went to watch my mate Elz at Dalton Barracks for a CX race. Well impressed with her performance, especially as she was suffering with a cold. Met a couple of her riding buddies too, Toria and Caroline – great guys! ‪#‎amazingride ‪#‎soproud 😊

At her next CX race I actually helped out in the pits for her – very muddy, but a lot of fun. I’m so proud of her, she is doing great! 😊

February 2016
Panto time – Beauty and the Beast 🎭
We performed three shows, all three went well, with the obligatory minor hiccups of course, though very funny ones 😄 The cast were all amazing and the backstage crew did a great job too!
The audience, on all the nights, were great with all the interactions of the show as well. The whole production just seemed to flow and – though a lot of hard work was put into it – be quite relaxed.
Well done to all the cast and crew for an awesome show, you guys are amazing!

Now that I’ve got up to date with what has been going on in the last 6 months. It’s almost time for my race season to start. I’m racing in the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Championship again this year, as it’s such a relaxed, fun and friendly group to be with 😊

I’ve got a test session next Thursday (21^st) at Llandow, which is leaving it a bit late I know, as my first race of the season is on the 24^th April at Pembrey. Hopefully all goes well, and I can ease myself back in to the car before the race, instead of going in cold.
I will keep you posted on how the test session goes and the first race.

Take Care and God Bless
Vez

Holiday!

Hi There

Well last week I went on my first proper holiday in about 7 years! I went to Guernsey on my own. I was hoping for a really fun and interesting time and possibly meeting up with people and making some friends during my stay – well everyone who had been to Guernsey before had said it was a great place, easy to walk around the whole island and good for meeting new friends. All I can say is don’t go on your own as it can become quite lonely, and it isn’t easy to walk the whole of the island – my legs hurt after a few days, and it got to the point I could barely walk without being in pain, or sit for long periods without cramping up. There were some good points and some disappointing points (not saying bad) during my little ‘adventure’. The weather was pretty much like it was on mainland UK.
Good points: food was good; nice scenery; the museums were good and quite informative about life in Guernsey
Disappointing points: some of the ancient sites were very badly looked after, or there wasn’t really any information about the sites when I was there looking at them. I’m classifying my down moments as disappointing not bad due to the fact that in the guide to things to see in Guernsey didn’t live up to what was actually at the sites of interest;

I saw a fair bit, but I still didn’t see much of the island even so. I went to the German Occupation Museum; the Little Chapel; the German Military Underground Hospital; the Folk & Costume Museum; the Candie Gardens; Saumarez Park; Petit Bot Bay; most of the north part – Fort Pembroke, Fort le Marchant (which is also the rifle range), Fort Doyle, La Varde (Passage Grave; one of the slightly not well looked after areas), the Millenium Stone, Les Fouaillages (one of the overgrown not looked after areas), La Platte Mare Cist (another not well looked after areas), Le Dehus (Passage Tomb); Castle Cornet; Clarence Battery; Icart Point; the Cliff Top Shop; I did try to look at the Moulin Huet Pottery, but it was closed; coastal walks. I also went over to Herm quite a pleasant little island definately somewhere where you can just lose yourself, not worry about anything and relax.

It was an experience, and I’m glad I did it, on the basis it proved I can, and if I did it again I will have a better understanding on how to do things. As a friend of mine said “you can have an opinion on something unless you have gone out there and done it” it’s pretty much true for everything in life, to live and experience things you have to go out there and explore.

I’m back at work again and I’m still trying to get my head rounds things, and trying to be less tired. I think the emotions of what I went through (I know it sounds like a went through hell, I didn’t but it was still a challenge at times), and having to be responible for looking after the house now my parents have gone on their holiday (which isn’t a problem in itself, just that I’ve not had to cope with being away myself first, then returning to a pretty much empty house afterwards), and also not having a car as mine needs a new engine, so having to drive my mum’s, which is weird.

I did my body pump session yesterday, after missing last week I was a little worried about how my body would react to it again, but I haven’t felt any ill effects from it, which is good 🙂

I know I haven’t really gone into much detail about my holiday, but I have to say after a while I just kinda went into automatic pilot mode, so didn’t really take in much as I probably should of, I suppose it was my way of coping with the loneiness.

In other news; I should be out testing my race car in the next few weeks, I’ll keep you posted on that.

I think that’s it for now. (Don’t think I hating on Guernsey I’m not, just if I did it again I would go with others).

Take Care, God Bless & Explore 🙂

Vez

Achy Achy…

Hi Guys

Well last week was busy as I had said before.

Wednesday’s safeguard training was interesting, as it made me think about certain aspects of child protection more and how I need to be more aware and observant of what’s going on around me, as you never know what you see or heard may help in helping out a child in need.

Thursday I was out at a meeting about the local youth club I volunteer with, to discuss what has happened in the past youth club events and evenings and what’s coming up.

Friday I had my tattoo done, it didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I was thinking it was going to – which was nice, made the session go flying by in reasonably comfort.

Saturday I did the Ridgeway 20 mile walk – which started at Uffington Castle and finished at Streatley-on-Thames. I managed to do the walk in just under 7.5 hours which for a 1st time was pretty good I thought. My leg joints didn’t enjoy the walk though, both legs were screaming in pain – past injuries raising their ugly head. Got a nicely sunburned right arm, nose, and neck though – my new tattoo was 100% covered up. Sunday morning I ached a little less, but my left ankle was looking bruised and slightly swollen, and a toe on my right foot is still blood blistered – but not badly, other than that the rest of me was fine. Don’t think I’ll be doing it again, but I can at least say I have.

Today I went to the doctors to have my left ankle check out as it was still on the painful side, it seems that I’ve only strained the ligaments there so it’ll heal up sooner rather than later. After work I went to the chiropractor to straighten me out – I felt better afterwards (and still do) 🙂 so hopefully I’ll be walking better again without the pain and discomfort of the last couple of days.

I’m thinking this week will be a lot quieter and less strenuous then last week. My body will be happy to have some time to recover and relax 🙂

I’m thinking it time for bed now as I’m still on the tired side.

Take Care (or should that be directed at me lol) and God Bless

Vez