Another new post!!

What's with me these last few days, within a week 3 posts!!! must be the ace weather we are having, the heat, the sun, does things to people, it makes them happy, makes them want to get outdoors after many months of yuckness and I'm no different, I love the sun, so much so that after an hour on the turbo yesterday in the sun with no resulting pains I decided that on Sunday with its as warm and sunny forecast that I'm going to have a bash on the road.


Looking at the clubs route for today, it's a 50 mile Cheshire countryside effort with a visit to the Ice Cream Farm Nr Beeston and I'm so jealous as this is one of my favourite and most ridden routes and it dawns on me that I'm missing so much good fun. It can't be helped I know, it takes a good while to come back from broken body bits so the actual 50 mile ride is a few miles and hills too far for me at the mo, but I thought I'd park up at Stretton and get some miles in with my club mates by riding out to meet and then riding back with them.

Parking up at Stretton at approx midday, I thought my plan had backfired as there was only 3 cars parked up. Normally there's at least half a dozen but I'm sure that's Sarah's car and in another car there's a North Cheshire Clarion top so they are still out there. I set off and manage to travel all of 1.5 miles before I meet the 'training' group, a quick how you do and I ride back with them, back to the traffic lights at Stretton, we say our farewells and I reverse route again thinking that the 'social' group will be 30 minutes or so behind so I can get 7 miles in at least before I meet them but yet again at only 1.5 miles we meet up. Again, how you do's and I ride back with them back to the lights where I again turn around and head back the way I came.

I have only travelled approx 6 miles, not nearly enough mileage to make todays efforts worthwhile so my revised plan was to travel the loop through Preston-on-the-hill then Marsh Lane etc but half way around the loop I met up with a road that had been resurfaced with loose chips, buggery, I'm not happy riding on this surface so unclip both feet, slow right down and very carefully carry on. I'm bricking it worrying that I'm going to fall off, the newly resurfaced road goes on as far as the eye can see so I again about turn and head back the way I came, all the way back to Stretton.

I've only ridden 10 miles or so so decide to head through the lights out towards Arley Hall and the surrounding countryside, again another about turn as I'm lost in this area without a pre-planned route stuck into my Garmin. Back to the lights, back up the A49 then back to the car to achieve my target of 20 miles.

My plan today was to meet the Clarion as they headed for home but I mistimed and met them nearer to home than I wanted. A great welcome from the boys and gals then I headed out and about to get my desired mileage in. Last week I was done in after 15 miles but just one week on, 20 miles was very achievable, I could have gone on for much more but 20 miles is enough for now. My arm which gave me a lot of grief last week was very well behaved today, yes it was stiff and slightly painful later on but no-where near as uncomfortable as last weeks effort. My hip was pain free but in saying that there was no hills to challenge it today...

My stats
20.3 miles, 1hr 23 min, Av Speed 14.6 mph, 387 ft climbing (Garmin)