Synchro

Easternholiday. Spring is in the air? I hoped to do several endurancetrainings on the hilly roads of the Ardennes, but it started snowing! For a whole week weather was bad. Though on Belgium's highest peaks (Hoge Venen, EASTBELGIUM.BE, 630m) people were verry happy. For once one didn't have to go to the Alps for some ski- or snowboard fun. A Belgian Championship Langlauf was rapidly organised as well. I had some intentions, but finally didn't participate. I had a heavy work-out on the Technogym Skier in stead. http://www.geocities.com/bomer_bvba/fitness.html

Starwalk

First full day on the mountain. Just went for a short run (30min) on the Starwalk trail, which takes you from the hotel to the summit. It's pretty exposed: 2500m altitude, 0% humidity, and no other life forms, just desert.

James Bond

The next 2 weeks will take me to Paranal, Chile for 6 nights of observing on the VLTI. The only training facility there is the tropical pool in the hotel (it's real function is to regulate the humidity in this otherwise desert-dry environment, but you're allowed to swim too). On the upside: the new Bond movie is being filmed there right now, so there might be some Bond girls joining me in the pool...

Manflu

My 2 weeks in Austria turned out pretty bad, at least as far as my physical form is concerned: I caught a nasty version of the flu halfway through, which put me in bed for just about 6 days. The only thing close to training was 2 hours on the ice skating arena at the Rathaus in Vienna.

Mileage

Managed 2 good rides this weekend: 85km flat(ish) in the Cheshire plains on Saturday and 122km hilly (1500m) around Saddleworth on Sunday. Next week is rest week, which I'll spend working in Vienna, followed by a week of skiing in Zell-am-See.