Another 100 up!

Having spent time last night getting bottles ready, hydration backpack ready and recovery drink ready, I feel unusually prepared this morning! Three weetabix and some toast and some sun cream before I leave the house at around 6:20am.

Today's plan is to meet up with Tim and do about 100 miles - not sure how much of that Tim is going to do - guess it depends on how his ankle is feeling.

I head off up towards Newport where we usually meet. Tim , however was out earlier than me and had headed north for a while before returning south. Even with a few extra miles under his belt he managed to get back down to Ugley pretty quick, where we pass each other almost without realising (both of us wearing different kit to usual!).

Tim needs to get back to Saffron Walden by 8:30am to take Josh to footy, so we adjust our planned route and head off back towards Bishops Stortford and then out east to Great Dunmow on the old A120 (a good quality, quite road). Its a lovely morning - clear, warm, sunny. My bike, however, is still creaking. We debate whether it is the saddle for a while, but as it still creaks when I'm out of the saddle I pass on that idea for now!

At Great Dunmow we head north up to Thaxted, a great route, a couple of little hills (nothing like what the guys from Guildford are tackling every week though), and we make good time. Tim takes me on his training circuit round Wimbish Green and Radwinter and we make it back to Tim's house for 8:29am! I gratefully make use of the conveniences, munch an enery bar (after 35 miles) and then head off for the rest of the ride on my own.

I head out of Saffron Walden over the hill to the London Road and then headed out to Great Chrishall and Barley - taking last week's route in reverse. I then head south to Hare Street and Buntingford before re-joining bust A10 towards Puckeridge.

There was a nasty accident on the roundabout joining the A10 to the A120, someone had ploughed straight through the roundabout and had a nasty head injury. There was plently of people around who has stopped to help, so I just carried on down the old A10 towards Collier's End. A short climb at Wadesmill before a gentle decent into Ware.

I decide to take a slight detour at this point and head out to Hertford before returning to the A10 and the A414 to Harlow - a good run on dual carriageway, but against the wind today, so not as fast as usual!

I stop for a rest after 78 miles near High Wych, exchange texts with Clare who is with Joe at footy, and then head of on what I think will be about 22 miles back home on my usual training circuit Harlow, Hatfield Heath (I stopped again briefly for a sandwich - my stomach was rumbling and it was past midday!), Hatfield Broad Oak, Takely and back to Stortford round the A120 by-pass.

I get a call from Clare 1.5 miles from home letting me know she and the kids are down by the river. I finish my ride (99.5 miles, I'm calling it 100!), put my bike away, shower, make some lunch and head off out to the park to meet the family.

We are out this evening at Rachel and Kevin's, and I hope to do another ride tomorrow morning. I plan to leave early and do about 50 miles before getting back to get things ready for Amy and Isobel's Ballet Show in Haverhill in the afternoon.