Spring makes all the difference

Cycling on beautiful Sunday mornings really does make all the difference.

Last Sunday we had six of us all out at 7am for a 40km ride (shorter as lots of people needed to be back for mothers' day duties), including guest appearances from Dave 'Blimey I'm feeling too old for this' Martell and Matt 'I might have big guns but I'm not bike fit' Phillips.  It was a lovely day and Ian and I who were so far at the back that we ended up carrying on to Aldbury rather than following the rest of the group and as a result did 45km.  I think the fable of the tortoise and the hare tells you all you need to know about our extra efforts...

This Sunday; Barry, Ian and I had a more leisurely 55km ride on a glorious April morning,  deer roaming in Ashridge, daffodils on the verges and then Barry (having decided not to go for a loo break in any of the remote woodland parts of the ride) decided to spoil it all by peeing in behind a hedge in the children's playground in Ivinghoe Village - the shame.

I'm delighted that I can do 55km without really feeling it is a big effort now.  Still that is only a bit over half distance, so I'm going to need to get in a couple of 70km - 80km rides to keep pushing my fitness before the 100km ride itself.

Also delighted that (inc Gift Aid) I've now raised over £1,700 - thanks everyone who is supporting me, it means a lot.