SAD FACE :(

Just went for a wonderful ride through Sutton Courtney, Steventon, Blewbury, Cholsey and home via Whittenham Clumps but arrived back with the unwelcome addition of a saddle sore :(

New Shoes.........

My new - yes, I can now actually walk in these - cycle shoes have arrived! So exciting!! (Little things please my little mind :) )

Was planning to go out tonight and try them out but it's raining so I'll pop to Tesco instead and buy yummy food to entertain the girls tomorrow!

I've been trying really hard to eat well and healthily over the last couple of months but failed completely today as Nicky kept feeding me Maltesers - still they are mostly air - and MK and Katherine made me eat chocolate pudding and chocolate sauce at lunch! Tomorrow is another day.............

(ohhhh, just remembered the girls are coming round for eats- another day blown!)

Superwoman!

Judy is incredible - she runs 5k and then comes round and we go for a 31 mile cycle - the woman is a legend!

HACKPEN HILL - 17% or for those of us still working in old money 1:6!!!!!

Ian definitely looks more comfortable going up hill than I do. I was taking my mate Gemma's advice of singing songs from musicals when the going got tough - can anyone guess the song????

One Big training ride down...

Great Western Shortie

The Great Western Sportive... Lovely countryside but arriving late meant that Sam and I were a tad behind our co-intrepid explorers.  After about 20 miles Sam's cleats got stuck in his pedals which necessitated a roadside stop to inspect the problem. I used the opportunity to inspect my own shoes in an attempt to discover why they wouldn't clip in at all. The answer: I'd forgotten to put my cycle shoes on and was still wearing my trainers (I was even marvelling at how comfortable 'my new cycle shoes' were...)!  So... back on the road, but by this time we had the mop-up-the-stragglers man hot on our heels taking down the signs as we passed them! He did tell us not to rush, but when we got to the first checkpoint it was bucketing down with rain and we were advised to take a shortcut. We followed this sensible advice and joined the course further along and completed 50 miles, equivalent to the short route. Not bad though, having sustained a broken shoulder on a scarily similar route two months ago!  At the finish, we confessed to our shortened race and gratefully accepted the hot drink. We had warmed up a bit when Kate and Ian came in to finish the middle distance of 72 miles. Respect! What a Grand Day Out  - bring on the next!

The amazing pacemaker - Ian was a star! The first of the 8 'wee' stops one or other of us had to make over the course of the ride!

The Great Western Sportive

Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllll - we completed it! Some of us did slightly more miles than others but we all rode up the mad almost vertical hill! I can't remember the name of it but it was very steep. Ian was a star and paced me all the way round the 72 miles and only ever left me when I was travelling so slowly up the hills that he rode on and waited for me at the top. Can I please order portable loos every 20 miles on the ride from LE to JOG? Hiding behind hedges with 4 foot high stingy nettles - is not my idea of fun!