Sh1ts about to go down…
Post here if you’re looking to drop some bombs on 9 June, and take people to school (or down to Chinatown).
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Taking you down to Cotswold Town, bruh!
(remembering this is my A race, with 4%, and you are training through, without 4%, for Spamburg)
This is my next race. Hoping to be somewhat more competitive (this is all relative of course!) than I have been so far this year at the Big London half marathon and at the Brighton marathon. Hopefully a few weeks of consistent training can be fitted in.
I will be camping on site and will probably be trotting around Cirencester parkrun (and then briefly around Cirencester itself - I love me a stroll taking in a Waitrose for the free newspaper!) on the Saturday morning.
As for timings, I really just want to get round the course, it’s been a while since I did a half, sub 5 would be nice, but not holding my breath.
Hi Andy. It’s a fast course, although the road surface is pretty poor throughout, so you need to stay vigilant; and the run is a little sketchy under-foot in places. But overall, very flat!
Just read on CTT that the spur road to the Cotswold Water Park has been resurfaced, does this use (any of) that road?
Yes, it uses it extensively. Should be a right dragstrip now hopefully!
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This is excellent news. 14bar tires all the way 
Hmm, that accounts for about a 5km stretch (done 4 times in total) , if they’ve done all of it. We were in Somerford Keynes a couple of weeks ago and no sign of road improvements. Oh it’s called the Spine Road.
ETA - only looks like a 2km section, so 8km in total. But better than nowt!
Yes, the Spine Road.
I’ve found the report now (but I can’t include links in my posts yet!)
[quote]The U41 course actually starts over the border in Wiltshire, taking riders along the spine road north of Ashton Keynes and heading east and over the A419 before tracing the dual carriageway south east to near Cricklade, turning and returning.
The spine road to Cotswold Water Park has recently been resurfaced…[/quote]
I rode most of the loop on Saturday. Aside from the Spine Road improvements there is a road closure between Kempsford and Hannington, not sure what they are doing…but hopefully some resurfacing. Marsten Meysey to Kempsford is still horrible to ride though 
.
EDIT: having just googled it…it appears to be closed due to Badgers!
BBC says they are hoping to have it open by July!
- Can’t seem to include links in my post? - just google “kempsford to hannington road closure” *
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Ducking “unscheduled badger activity”.
(There’s a road up here with the above sign - obviously a repurposed one!)
They dig right under them and can move tonnes of earth. It’s been on Countryfile and everything.
Cull ‘em. Cull ‘em all. Dirty TB carrying rodents
Tupperware - So…is it good, or bad?
Spine road is good, 40kph+ cruise to/from the main A419 roundabout, assuming wind is favourable.
The worst road surface is Marston Meysey through Kempsford until you get to the “hill” 
. Not so bad on the way back as you miss out Kempsford.
I assume Graeme is aware of the road closure. Would be “interesting” to squeeze 900+ through the small gap they have at the moment. As it’s structural I guess they can move the 1ton bags of gravel currently blocking the road to give a bit more room.
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Yes, Graeme posted about the badger issue on the 113 FB page. Should be open race day, but has asked people to avoid it at other times.
Email from Graeme.
Course changes.
The 226 loop comes within about 3 miles of our house; which was particularly nice on lap 2…the temptation 
The 226 Lap would be a bit more difficult logistically as it goes through some towns, which isn’t a problem with 150 starters, but the 113 field would be far too big I reckon i.e. it would need a lot more policing. Plus it’s not as fast as the 113 loop, quite undulating and exposed to the wind. A lot more scenic though.
I’m sure G will have something sorted shortly; I just won’t be able to directly compare times. For the record, I don’t have an issue with Badgers, or foxes for that matter 
I’m not fussed!
Having not done it before, it’s a non-issue for me.
I’ll just follow the cyclist 7m in front of me 
Interesting that you mention the scenery…I’ve been doing my 90km TT bike rides on a super boring local conglomeration of the J-series TT course, inspiring it is not (though I do look forward to passing Jodrell Bank)
However, the 2.5hrs - 2.75hrs have been whizzing by, it feels really short compared to my club runs.
Like @Jorgan mentioned elsewhere, those 5+ hr TT bike rides required for the 180km distance…
…I am not missing in the slightest 
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Aren’t you practically landed country gentry? You should vehemently despise foxes and badgers
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Wave 5 number 635.
Going to chase you boys down. (Maybe)
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Good luck with that!