Well it's just past midnight and we are finally at my Mom and Dad's house and the kids are in bed! What a journey! Very wet and windy, huge spray from lorries, closed motorway, diversion, stop at 24 hour Tesco for cough medicine, late, tired! Maybe this isn't ideal preparation for a long ride!
Put the Zym in the fridge and decided not to set the alarm - though the kids wake me up at 7ish anyway! A good breakfast, porridge, toast and jam, fruit juice and time to let it go down! I'm not rushing off today. I say hi to my Mom - she was in sensibly in bed when we arrived (earlier this morning!). Clare gets a lie-in!
I have planned an 80ish mile ride, from Burntwood to Hendesford, Rugely, Stoke, Leek, Ashborne, Sudbury, Lichfield and back to Burntwood! Agree to meet my family half way round for a bit of a rest and some lunch - a good support team practice for my Mom and Dad! A few photos are taken and Clare and Amy wave goodbye from the upstairs window! My Dad follows me to the end of the road...
It's very strange riding through Burntwood! Past Rochester Avenue where we used to live, up Redwood Drive - my old walk to school (past the lamppost I walked into once!), past the Pugh's, Sally's new house, the fire station, my old primary school, Sankey's Corner (where we used to play snooker in our 6th form games lessons!). But there are also lots of changes, new buildings, pedestrianised roads, new roundabouts (or is that islands?)!Up to Heath Hayes, past the end of my Nan's road, the shop we used to walk to from her house to get sweets/comics from when we were little! On to Hednesford and fast down through Slitting Mill - past many routes I've taken on my mountain bike in the past! Out past the Wolesey Arms the venue for a few family meals in the past! It's all been into a very strong head-wind so far!
I'm now out of familiar territory, on the way towards Stone - take a right towards Cheadle to get off the main road - some good hills, a brief stop for malt loaf and text progress! On to Stoke and up and down many hills towards Leek. Leek is at the top of several hills! Brief call to Clare and Dad to agree where to meet up. I am passed by Clare in the car with the kids waving! We stop at a layby for lunch and a chat! It is lovely to see everyone and the food is very welcome!
The last 20 miles were with a very very strong cross wind (though it felt like a head-wind!). My Dad smiles when I talk about the hills I have done, and say's you haven't seen anything yet! They have just driven the route I am about to do going home. The family head off to DoveDale as I head off for the 40 mile homeward ride!
The first 10-15 miles after my stop I have a tail wind! Just to the south of the peak district, some long gentle climbs, and a couple of long fast decents :-) 46mph at one point! Out of Ashbourne I am presented with one of those hills! You know - the ones with a crawler lane!The A515 from Ashbourne to Lichfield is a great road - some steep hills, but some long stretches of rolling hills enable me to pick up some decent speed! The "best" hill being the one through the National Forest - certainly required getting out of the saddle! I get to the top and pass a cyclist smiling going the other way - he's going to have a cracking descent!
It's tough going from Yoxall to Lichfield - wind has picked up again - almost finding it impossible to pedal forwards on flat roads! Mad! From Lichfield to Burntwood via Pipehill, my family pass me about 2 miles from home! Clare runs me a bath - lovely!
84 miles and it felt hard work at times, but in that wind - must have been worth 100 miles! Wonder how Tim and Iain got on this weekend?
1 comment:
We can confirm that this was a really tough ride. Lots of very steep (and long) hills. As you say, worth at least 100 miles. This was a terrific achievement at this stage of your training. Well done! We had a great time with Clare and the kids at Dovedale, one of our favourite family places. Shame the stepping stones were under water! But the hot chocolate was legendary! Also good support team practice - sandwiches were great! Keep up the hard work.
M & D.
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