No.8 Injury, missed e-mails and rollers.

The last couple of weeks haven't been the best :-/ I'm not going to dwell on it once this blog is done as there are people in my life who are dealing with far more right now. My issues are insignificant in comparison but the blog is what it is so let the therapy begin!

I haven't ridden on the road for 2 weeks! A mixture of bad weather, chances and injury have scuppered all my plans. Not great timing when in just over a week I'm supposed to be cycling 77 miles - my furthest ride yet. I have no idea how but I've injured my neck and shoulder, was in serious pain at first but my yoga sports coach :-) has helped me enough to get me on my rollers to keep the legs spinning. For those who are wondering why I'm using hair rollers to help with cycling. These are rollers.

Yes that's right the bike isn't attached to anything

Had a highly amusing chat on Twitter with others who were in their early stages of rollering. Comments range from 'most frightening thing on Earth' to 'HELP GET ME OFF NOW'. I honestly wish I had filmed my first encounter. It would have put a smile on a lot of faces. It involved Graeme being the 'super calm I believe in you ball of positivity' as I released a tirade of negativity whilst steadfastly refusing to let go of the hallway wall. Repetition of I can't do it, I won't do it, I just can't, I won't let go, I'll never do this, I'm going to fall, Stop telling me I can, I can't - followed. There were a few more things but my mum reads this ;-) Anyway, you get the drift. Once I took the leap of faith and actually let go of the wall (scariest thing I've done in a while) I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Achievements are just so satisfying :-) Including working out a way to change channels without stopping! Check the picture below lol.

                                       

Sellotape rules!

Rollers will always scare me but they will become a key part of my training and just as I sadistically enjoy the pain cycling causes I also enjoy the fear of rollers!

One of my last outings was pretty good apart from lack of preparation with food (again). The weather was just gorgeous and the route was built for some speed. I can't wait for another day like it soon, to enjoy injury free. Maybe the Brum to Oxford stint? Wishful thinking? Keep those fingers crossed.

Happiness is .......

The last recent cycling disappointment was finding out I had been picked as one of only 50 to ride with Sir Chris Hoy on a section of his tour of the UK. What's disappointing about that?? Finding out about it 6 days after the event :-( Gutted - what an opportunity. Salt - rub - wound.  

Other aspects of life really have affected cycling recently and I need to pick myself back up, stop complaining and get back on it because I have to, because I need to, because I want to and most importantly, because I can.

No.7 Setting goals and having fun!

Can't believe it's been a month since my last blog. That sounds a little like a confessional but I don't want forgiveness, I have nothing to repent. It comes down to having too much fun which I'm sure no one would begrudge me :-)
Me and Graeme are working towards our next mini!?! challenge. We shall be cycling to Oxford in July covering 77 miles all in one go!!!! I'm excited and worried all at once. At the moment it's a fine balance between pushing myself to get more miles under my belt whilst not doing any damage or dealing with too much pain. Currently a lot of my dreams are focused around completing my first century and the Oxford challenge will be bringing me a step closer.
Last weekend brought an opportunity to spend time enjoying being on my bike for no other reason but fun. My lovely friend Claire (who suffered by joining me on my first bike challenge last year) wanted to complete a mini cycling trip and very quickly a spa hotel in Chipping Campden had been chosen as the destination.

Yes really all our luggage is on those bikes!

Maybe it was having no responsibilities (with no little ones to consider) or maybe it was the knowledge of a hydrotherapy pool waiting, but our ride was so so so enjoyable. Fish finger sandwiches and a half a cider for lunch obviously helped too. I would say our style of riding was on a par with that Friends episode The one where Phoebe runs. Find it on you tube if you're too old or too young to have seen it. It's a great reminder to do things in life that make you feel good and never worry about what you look like - important when lycra is involved!

Cider and Fish Finger heaven

Everything was pretty idyllic on our way there, beautiful weather, amazing scenery, lots of giggles and an abundance of fresh air. Nearly 27 miles in we saw the sign for Chipping Campden 3 miles - bigger smiles all round :-)))) They were short lived though as 1/2 mile later we saw this sign!

*!@$*!

We had just passed a packed out beer garden. No doubt, if we'd listened carefully enough, we'd have heard the sniggers of locals knowing we hadn't got a clue what we were about to encounter. On seeing the gradient my initial tongue in cheek thought was "this is going to be fun!" When you're on a hill there is no stopping, you'd never start again, you simply have to keep going. There were a lot of choice words leaving our mouths up that hill and for me a wish that I'd taken more painkillers at lunch. We literally propelled ourselves with profanities! 

A mile later we were at the top and neither of us could believe we had made it. We cycled the last mile and a half in slight shock. Thank goodness for great hotel staff and complete relaxation given at Cotswold House Hotel. They were fantastic. The bikes were given preferential treatment under lock and key in the conference room and we even had our bottles filled with squash and ice for our return journey on yet another scorching day :-)

Room with a view :-)

We took a slightly different route on the way home taking in a few more miles. Zooming down THE hill was a definite highlight. Nearly being taken out by a huge truck in a small village wasn't so exciting and lets just say riding on the A46 was ........... interesting! 

It was definitely an experience doing two consecutive rides covering 68 miles :-))) My legs resembled steel (in weight not strength) about 20 miles into the 2nd day. Guess there is still a lot of training to be done ;-) Impressive stuff, very pleased and proud of both of us! Wonder how many 16% (and over) hills there'll be on our JoGLE next year? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. 

Right got to go, need to start the hill search on the Birmingham to Oxford route. Fingers crossed the route planner will be lenient!!!