CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[MattBLancs]

Maybe I need to eat more sausage rolls to cure that Anaerobic Shortage

I thought "anaerobic" was basically sort of "without oxygen". So a shortage sounds like a breathing issue.
At which point I feel compelled to ask you to check you've no sausage roll inadvertently stuck up your nose?!

Although it may just be for the best if I stick to diagnosing car problems over the internet!

[Citroenmad]

Nice to see you still updating your blog, Jim! I think mine last saw activity in 2019 ... I should try and get on here more often.

[CitroJim]

Maybe I need to eat more sausage rolls to cure that Anaerobic Shortage

I thought "anaerobic" was basically sort of "without oxygen". So a shortage sounds like a breathing issue.
At which point I feel compelled to ask you to check you've no sausage roll inadvertently stuck up your nose?!

A good call Matt! Gave me a good giggle

It is indeed lack of oxygen but not a breathing issue. All it's telling me is that I'm not pushing myself hard enough to enter an oxygen deprived state... Muscles mostly work in an aerobic state using oxygen to burn their fuel but can use up all available oxygen when delivering their maximum power. This is when you go anaerobic. It's a useful thing to train for as it can give you a lot more power for a short time to help sprinting... A bit like a blast of Nitrous Oxide can do for a high performance car

To get to that state takes some doing. You have to dial everything up to 11...

And you suffer for it It hurts...

Nice to see you still updating your blog, Jim! I think mine last saw activity in 2019... I should try and get on here more often.

Great to see you on here again Chris This one gets updates regularly now and I'm hoping yours might now be too ~:D

[bobins]

It is indeed lack of oxygen but not a breathing issue. All it's telling me is that I'm not pushing myself hard enough to enter an oxygen deprived state... Muscles mostly work in an aerobic state using oxygen to burn their fuel but can use up all available oxygen when delivering their maximum power. This is when you go anaerobic. It's a useful thing to train for as it can give you a lot more power for a short time to help sprinting... A bit like a blast of Nitrous Oxide can do for a high performance car

To get to that state takes some doing. You have to dial everything up to 11...

And you suffer for it It hurts...

I just self-identify as being thin and fit. Saves an awful lot of time and effort that way

[CitroJim]

I just self-identify as being thin and fit. Saves an awful lot of time and effort that way

That did make me giggle

Sorry Bobins!

[CitroJim]

Took Bluebell out for a joyride today She really is fun to drive...

During said joyride I stopped by to visit a most gorgeous bundle of joy and her parents

She's now just over 5 months and full of life and fun... And she's growing like Topsy!

Whilst I was there I looked at their dead power shower pump... It had mains and the fuse was good. I could goad it into some sort of life by giving it a good thump but it ran like a diesel with duff big ends... It would only start with a big thump and then... I noticed it was sparking when thumping it. And not only that, under one end a considerable pile of carbon dust had gathered. At that point I wrote it off, isolated it and told my SIL to order a new one and I'd fit it as soon as it arrived.

Back home and I tried a little of the Bilt Hamber Auto Balm on Bluebell... It's certainly good stuff and brings up a shine like Bristol bacon

Speaking of bacon, I renewed my subscription to the Vegan Runners club this morning

And bought a pair of tyres for my bike to replace in stock the ones I fitted on Monday. I always have a stock of essential spares to ensure my bikes spend as little time off the road as possible if something fails... This includes chains, chain lube (wet and dry), cables, cassettes, tyres, tubes, brake pads, cleats, valves and tubeless sealant. I could almost set up a bike shop with my stock!

I find a pair of tubeless bike tyres now cost about the same as a pair for my cars And they last nowhere near as long...

Tomorrow I'll be up early and off to Huntingdon to ride the Cambridgeshire Classic Sportive... It's a sell-out so it'll be big... If you are in West Cambridgeshire, East Northamptonshire and a bit of Central Beds and see hundreds of bikes impeding your progress that'll be us

I' checked Sally my Saxo out for the trip and as usual she's absolutely as good as gold

[CitroJim]

A most awesome day yesterday riding the Cambridgeshire Classic Sportive

80 miles of sheer bliss

It was cold and windy but it kept dry for the whole event... It was a big one, the season opener...

The route was really quite lovely... And Cambridgeshire does have quite a lot of hills!

Feed stations en-route were busy and lively...

This one was in the grounds of one of my favourite cafes. I often ride out to it on a nice day when I fancy a decently long ride...

My trusty steed. The new tyres proved themselves very good

And me at the end of it all, very happy indeed

Looking forward to riding the Suffolk Classic next month...

The new Power Shower pump has arrived so this afternoon I'll be fitting it...

[CitroJim]

And hot on the heels of yesterday's fun, I ran a good and most enjoyable 10 miles this morning to complete an event I missed last month due to illness... It's a series and I'm keen to run them all this year. Happily, the organisers allow it to be run as a virtual event if you cannot make the real event for any reason

I have the 10K Cattle Creep to look forward to in June and then in late October the Cattle Creepy 10K ran at night in the dark and having a Halloween theme

[MattBLancs]

I could goad it into some sort of life by giving it a good thump but it ran like a diesel with duff big ends... It would only start with a big thump and then... I noticed it was sparking when thumping it. And not only that, under one end a considerable pile of carbon dust had gathered. At that point I wrote it off, isolated it and told my SIL to order a new one and I'd fit it as soon as it arrived.

No expert in shower pumps, but wonder if is a motor with brushes, either worn down and/or sticking in their sliders? In which case a clean out, new brushes (and fine sandpaper the commutator too) then might live to fight another day?

[CitroJim]

I'm just about to fit a new one Matt, I'll bring the old one home for a bit of forensic examination...

Watch this space

[CitroJim]

Shower pump changed and family very happy

I brought the old one home and found it impossible to successfully dismantle it without destroying it

I did partially get into it and found it was chock-full of carbon dust - it had worn its brushes away to nothing... Hence it would only start with a big thump and make lots of sparks in doing so...

Needless to say, the commutator was well past its best!

I was faintly surprised to find it had a brush motor given what it does... I was expecting it to be engineered in much the same way as a central heating circulation pump...

One mystery was a loose small Nyloc nut rattling around inside it... I know it was not a result of my disassembly efforts as I could hear something rattling around inside it during the work to change it for the new one.. How much this contributed to the failure is unknown. My view is that the pump motor was simply worn out.

One of the inlet filter screens was not far off being plugged and I'll check the screens in the new one regularly...

it yielded a useful collection of various screws for the junk box...

[CitroJim]

Yesterday was absolutely magical I spent some 14 hours of it in Salcey Forest firstly volunteering at the Big Bear Elephant Challenge where runners ran as far as possible in 6 hours. Some managed 40 miles and one small Pug dog did 31!

I was there to help set up and serve behind the counter of the aid station and keep the runners fed and watered... That was after helping build the gazebos and running half the course to check and reset signage which had been tampered with during the nigh

I did get to run one lap of the forest during a break from my food and drink service

We were exceedingly fortunate with the weather... Dry, cold and sunny at times... At total variance to the forecast of a couple of days previously...

And I was delighted to meet up with many, many good friends, especially Kaz who popped this up on Insta! I lover her hair

Big Bear events are always very social...

In the evening I ran the third in the series of the Gato Head Torch 10K races around the forest. It was truly magical with a full moon, clear skies and owls hooting

I now have the full set of these medals

It was a very late night for me but I was able to get to Tesco for 6AM and then go for a recovery run in the light falling snow

[MattBLancs]

found it impossible to successfully dismantle it without destroying it

I was faintly surprised to find it had a brush motor given what it does... I was expecting it to be engineered in much the same way as a central heating circulation pump....

it yielded a useful collection of various screws for the junk box...

I hate "un-dismantle-able" stuff, really annoys me!

I'm not surprised it was a brush motor - cheap and finite life. Wrap it in an un-dismantle-able box and hey presto= constant customer base for new shower pumps!

Washing machine drive motors also commonly brush motors and guess similar power rating, would not be surprised if common ancestry

Always saving bolts here too! They do come in handy!

[CitroJim]

I'm not surprised it was a brush motor - cheap and finite life. Wrap it in an un-dismantle-able box and hey presto= constant customer base for new shower pumps!

I guess it makes some sound business sense on one level Matt but the sheer disposability and concomitant landfill and environmental damages does not sit well with me at all

[MattBLancs]

Absolutely agree Jim, it's appalling really. "Built-in obsolescence" is the sort of thing you'd think a government interested in sustainability would see to legislate against. (Instead we get such as the "scrappage scheme" where I think the cars pointlessly scrapped had to have a current MOT. Make of that what you will!)