Early season 2-up events

The early part of Team Grumpy's season has taken shape in TT planning. Our first 2-up of every season is traditionally the Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up '25', which this year is to be on the 1st March. This is held on one of the Neath valley courses - in the past it has used the ultra-fast "cheaty course" - the one that has the massive descent that doesn't have to be scaled on the return leg. In a previous outing at this event, Team Grumpy experienced massive wind chill as we pedalled out of revs in 57x12 going down this monster descent. More recently, this event has been held on a realistically testing course in which riders are on the main dual carriageway for the first half, then on the old road (which might be described as "severely undulating") for the second half.
These early season events often make Team Grumpy grumpy because of the sometimes harsh weather - either bitterly cold or pounding rain.
Unusually this year, Team Grumpy won't be seizing the opportunity for further early season 2-up practice at the Team MK 20 mile 2-up at Astwood (18th April). This isn't because the organiser failed to supply a lovely sunny day for this event in 2008, rather it reflects other commitments by "Grumpy" Art Vanderlay. The alternative we chose was to ride the Icknield RC 30k sporting event on 29th March. Art Vanderlay hasn't, I think, ridden this event since it switched course from the version that led us both to disaster via serious prangs at Slapton a number of years ago (in the solo event).
In the meantime, here in grumpy-land I am alarmed by the reports of extreme fitness emanating from "Grumpy" Art Vanderlay (although to be fair he has raised the possibility that his turbo is defective and is giving out erroneous data as an alternative explanation) and worry that I will spend these events grovelling along and hanging on his back wheel.