On Tuesday night there were six of us out for a spin, I wore shorts, and a short sleeve top with arm warmers, as did most of the others, and we were treated to a fantastic almost summer like sunset!
At the other end of the Beaufort Scale Thursday night's spin was wet and wild! But even with driving rain and wind 6 of us ventured out to get some miles in the legs. I think I have quoted this before, "There is no bad weather just bad clothing!"
Saturday didn't start well! I have had a stressful week at work, and not been sleeping well. Going to bed at 4am the night before a club ride and not waking to the alarm to have breakfast in enough time before the ride meant I was rushing to get to Paul's in time! With one eye on the sky, and a rain cape in my back pocket, later than usual we headed up to the Shop.
There was already a big group waiting, which kept growing as we neared departure time. Zel's plan was to go out to Chester Zoo and back, via the scenic route!
23 of us left the shop, heading into Lower Heswall. The ride this week was not as tight as last weeks. There was a wider range of abilities, and the group was regularly stretched and fractured. The pace was nearly as fast as last week, but It was harder to maintain, as we were more spread out. I'm not sure where, but along the way our numbers reduced and when we got back to the shop there were only 13 of us left! It was definitely a challenging ride.
As I said before, I wasn't best prepared for the ride, and the last 20 miles were tough. It emphasised to me the importance of off the bike discipline as much as miles in the legs! However, even with a poor excuse I managed to get back to the shop not too far behind the rest.
I have been trying a new super food this week. I watched a programme at the beginning of the week that showed the benefits of Beetroot juice in cycling, and a couple of the lads have mentioned it before. I started drinking a glass a day on Thursday, and although I didn't have much energy near the end of the ride, when I put the effort in My legs seemed to last longer than usual, and I didn't get the "burn" even on climbs. It is still too early to make any assumptions, but the signs are good.
I'm not sure how many miles I will get in this week, as work is going to be messy. Maybe a week of less miles, but strict diet and sleep can get me back on track!
Ride details HERE
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