Best week so far

It has been a really lovely week of spring weather, sunny and starting to get warm.  I’ve been adding an extra mile or so to the route to/from work.

Thursday afternoon we were both off, so we rode out on the solo’s to Scorton.  Friday was another nice day so I decided shorts were in order plus my lighter weight jacket.  It was very pleasant in the morning but I arranged to meet Jayne at the pub after work.  By the time we left, the sun had gone down and it was freezing!  I could barely feel my hands and feet when we got home.

I rode over to Simon’s on Saturday morning to help put his bike back together.  He had a nasty crash last week, trashing his fork, bars and saddle.  We did what we could but struggled with the crown race.  I spent the afternoon fettling mine and Jayne’s road bikes.

Sunday we decided to head out to Chipping on the tandem, but after the first two hills felt a detour to Scorton and less climbs would be a better bet.

All in all a very good week

173 miles for the week

1065 for the year to date, still 315 miles down though

Spring?

It seems like spring is practically here.  Daffodils are out, blossom starting to appear on trees.  Thursday was really quite sunny and warm.  Unfortunately I was in Bristol on a last minute trip for work.

Monday to Wednesday was the normal work week.  I did get the 3/4’s out and my thinner rain top.  It was still a bit chilly on a couple of evenings though.

Yesterday Jayne and I went over to Arnside to ride across to Kirby Lonsdale and back.  It is a very hilly but nice quiet route.  Five or six climbs got us into the granny gears, but we rode everything and felt pretty good.  Weather was sunny and cloudy with a cold breeze blowing on the exposed fells.  A good day out though.

We went into Kendal, supposedly to get me some new full finger gloves, cos I’ve gone through the end of mine.  An hour later, £20 worth of books and £100 worth on gloves for me, gloves for Jayne and a rather nice pair of Gore 3/4’s for me.

Was hoping to wear my new 3/4’s today but it was raining and horrible this morning, so we went for a run instead.  We’ve been doing 2 mins run 2 mins walk for 30-35 minutes for the last few weeks.  Tried today to up to 3mins running, 2 mins walking.  We managed two lots of 3 mins running, then had to step down to 2 lots of 2 mins running.  But we did then step back up to 3 mins for the last two runs.  Getting better, going faster and breathing easier.

Only 67 miles for the week though

892 miles total, 373 behind my target

Cheers

Tim

Knackered

I am totally knackered.  I did my normal riding to work in the week, apart from Thursday when it was blowing a gale.

Then I got an email from Nic asking if anyone was out at the weekend.  Ian responded saying he and Simon were planning a big ride Saturday morning.  I tentatively said I was in.

The guys arrived at mine at 8:40 Saturday morning.  We hung about a bit for Nic, who was coming by train from Manchester, then riding from Preston.  We eventually set off at 9 ish, heading to Longridge at quite a pace.  By Broughton, 8 miles in, I was suffering.  Then the climbing started  Out of Longridge up Jeffrey Hill to Bridy Brow and the fast drop down the other side.  It was a bit too gravelly to go fast though.  Then on to Waddington and up over Waddington fell.  I suffered some more before the 45 mph drop down the other side.  Again we couldn’t go too fast due to gravel and cattle grids.

By this time, 35 miles in, I was really struggling and the small hills into Dunsop Bridge were hard work.  Then we were faced with the 1:4 climb over Boundary Hill.  I managed to keep going, but it was very hard.  We stopped in Scorton for a cup of tea and a teacake, but were greeted with a heavy rain shower upon leaving.

Then it was a long slog into the wind back home.  Just over 65 miles and three of the hardest hills in the area.  I could barely walk.  Nic came back to mine, got his bags then rode into Lytham to drop Ian’s Brooks spanner off and rode back to Preston, I would guess about 110 miles for him!

This morning we were rudely awakened by the phone at 9 o’clock, Alison asking if we were coming to Beacon Fell, they would be with us in half an hour.  So we stuffed breakfast down and headed out.  We were OK on the flat but as soon as the road started to rise at Broughton we were suffering.  A puncture just before Inglewhite was a bit of a relief and gave us a breather.  Then there was the 1:4 climb up to the Fell.  We rode it but were knackered at the top.  Bacon and egg buttie and a hot chocolate gave us just enough energy to stagger home.  Coming off Beacon Fell there is a very steep road and I could feel the rear wheel of the tandem locking up, something almost unheard of.

All in all a very good but very tiring week.  Both Jayne and I have done some running as well.

Miles for the week – 156

Year to date – 825

Still 325 short of where I should be though.

Cheers

Tim

Better week

Finally, I’ve got some decent miles in.  I have been home based all week and ridden every day.  Weather has been cold but sunny and looking more and more spring-like.

Jayne and I went out on the tandem yesterday, heading originally to Chipping but the wind was strong.  Instead we went to Barton Grange and had fruit tart and a cup of tea.

Today I went out to the Cafe de Lune with Alison.  Headwind all the way there and all the way back!  How does that happen?  We were knackered.

But all in all a very good week.  More miles this week than in the previous four combined.  Still about 300 miles down on my target though.

For the week – 144 miles

Year to date – 669

Cheers

TIm

Shedded

I was away again last week.  I did get some runs in and felt pretty good.  I’ve progressed to 3mins run 2mins walk, but on Tuesday my watch had died, so I couldn’t time myself properly.

I rode in Thursday and that is it.

Friday was a day off, but we had been offered a shed for free.  Our shed is a bit rotten and needs repairing.  The free shed also needs some repair, so I thought we might get one shed out of the two.  When we got there, the shed was in much worse condition than we first thought.  While trying to ease up the roof to see how it was fixed on, I managed to pull a huge chunk off.  In the end we took the whole thing apart. It did make it easier to move, but was a lot of work.

There was a second smaller shed as well and we got that put together on Saturday, then spent the rest of the day tidying up the planks from the other shed.  We didn’t finish, so Sunday was spent doing more of the same.  By the evening the backs of my thighs and my hamstrings were killing me.  Jayne’s arms were the same from moving the cleaned up planks.

So another very poor riding week, only 13 miles.

Year to date – 525 miles, way down on my target.

Cheers

Tim