"I'm not sure what will become of this blog, or what direction it will go in? I hope to capture all the exploits of the new Vita Cycles Team, the training, bikes, kit, Sportives and races, and also my personal challenge of loosing the extra pounds, and raising my overall fitness level.
So here goes, buckle up it could be a bumpy road."
136 posts, over 20,000 page views and a New cycling Club named after the Blog and here we are!
I won't go on about the past though, time to talk about the present.
After last weeks disappointing lack of miles due to illness, I was looking forward to a better week back up to the target mileage of 100miles per week. Once again, things didn't go quite to plan!
My daughter came to stay this week, and as a homecoming gift she brought with her a very nasty cold bug! I woke up Tuesday morning with a sore throat and streaming nose, Thanks love!!! There was no way I could manage the ride that night so already my miles were in a negative position to the plan.
By Thursday I felt well enough to get out, and enjoyed the ride with the crew, which ended up a good pace and we managed to get a few loops of the West Kirby Hill in too, but I don't want to hear any calls of "Man Flu" from the wings please, I'm not moaning, just saying!!!
I picked up my wheel from The Bike Shop in Moreton on Friday. I was like a kid with a new toy as I rolled the bike out this morning. I haven't ridden the Kuota for two weeks, so I was looking forward to putting some miles into the new spokes!
It wasn't a promising start though. Although quite warm, even at 7am, it was raining! I dithered about whether to put my rain coat on, and decided that it would probably be for the best as the aforementioned cold is still here and I would really quite like it to go away as soon a possible.
Anyway, 6 of us headed out into the rain and off to meet the others joining us in Birkenhead. As we descended into the Town the sky cleared and the sun came out. At the meeting point there were 5 lads waiting, all in short sleeves with frowns on their faces as to why we were in rain capes and overshoes!!
I had decided to try a new route today, riding up from Birkenhead and zig zagging through the lanes that cross the M53, then out to Stanlow and round the back of Chester and up the Dee Path to Eureka Cafe. I managed to navigate, with the help of my Garmin 500, and we didn't get lost once!!
We also had an incident free ride, the only mechanical's were Paul N's chain dropping a couple of times.
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| A bit warmer and dryer than the last time we were in Chester! |
After we had refuelled at Eureka, Alan, Mark and Scott headed back to the East side of the Wirral and the rest of us headed back via the lanes to Neston and Lower Heswall, where Richard, Paul, Steve and Carla left us and we then dropped down to Caldy and round to West Kirby, Hoylake and then through Pump Lane back to Greasby. And to welcome the remaining 4 of us back, just as we reached Greasby Road the heavens opened and within seconds were soaked to the skin! At least home and a warm shower were not far away!
I was pleased to get a longer ride in, although the last 15 miles were tough as my chest tightened and getting the air in became tough, which led to the first leg ache I have had since I started drinking Beetroot Juice!
I need to ramp up the training now as the Asthma UK Loch to Loch ride is only 3 weekends away! I am half way to my Sponsorship target, and if you would like to donate you can HERE or via the link at the top of the page. (thanks)
Next weekend the Club is travelling across the water for its Sunday ride! The plan is to do a loop around the lanes of Sefton and Lancashire, starting in Formby, with a stop at Costa Coffee in Ormskirk. ( I am reliably informed that there is a treat awaiting us at the brew stop) HERE are first draft details of the route, Ken is kindly going to ride it for us this week so there may be some tweaks to the final one.
If you would like to join us, the details of timings and travel arrangements will be posted on the Club Facebook group page. We hope to see you there.
It has also been a Fantastic week at the Olympics for the Team GB cyclists. First Bradley Wiggins wins Gold in the TT, then the Track team have dominated and broken world records along the way.
One of my son's even wants to change his middle name to Wiggins?!?!?
It is certainly a good time for Cycling in the UK and I have noticed more people out and about on their bikes, more potential Palefish Club members perhaps??
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