I decided to crank up the training yesterday and get out with the Club after 3 months of slow tapping on local lanes to repair a knee injury. It was –7 degrees overnight and –4 degrees when I looked outside at 7.30am. I was fine with the temp because I had my new thick winter riding gloves to wear. I grabbed them from my drawer and threw them on the cupboard top as I walked past the back room, they fell short and toppled onto the top of the laundry basket – no matter, I’ll grab them in a second. Can you guess what happened next? – Returned in 10 mins, laundry basket was empty,…I glanced across at the washing machine and there they were in the window doing somersaults in the soap suds!! – I could only laugh. I donned the Summer gloves and headed out…discovered that the actual freezing process of the fingers is excruciating, but once all the feeling in the fingers has gone, you cease noticing the pain – like having a bunch of bananas attached to your palms. Anyway, thought that story was worth sharing.
Turned up to a dozen or so riders in the Square, all wearing balaclavas, headbands, ear-muffs, helmets & sunglasses – difficult to recognise anybody! Three of us, Shaun W, Ian K and myself decided to jump onto the Intermediate ride to Ripley Castle, believe it or not. Had to fight hard to keep up with Shaun and Ian in the hills above Markington and Clint Bank where I’m sure a bunch of moths flew out of my lungs. It was an absolutely gorgeous Winter’s day, roads were dry and almost sticky with salt crystals. Blue cloudless skies, sun was out, probably could have done with another 5-10 degrees. Ripley Castle tea rooms are always good - bike in full view outside and plenty of tables and heater-drying space inside. Shaun and Ian led things superbly all day, even when my condition started to give out in the last 5 m’s. 75-ish miles covered, great pace, nicely knackered at the end...and no knee soreness next day!
A quick plug…I’ll be out for the next couple of months on the Intermediate ride trying to crank up the fitness, enjoying some typical January suffering. No-one on the Inter ride has a Winter Tan Hill in their legs so we’re all starting from a low base. It would be great to do the hard yards together. Obviously if you’ve had a long lay-off it may be better to start with the K-ride, but anyone else requiring some ‘quick-ish but steady’ miles could do no better than to join the fun and frolics of the Inter ride at 10.00am on a Saturday. I’ll be there again next week, with or without a hangover from the Clifton dinner the night before!
BTW, for those that do want to subject themselves to some serious battering and butt-kicking, as well as anything else that turns you on, feel free to turn up to the Square an hour earlier at 9.00am for the training ride where the big names will soon sort you out.
See you soon!
D.
