Footie legs :(

After the 162miles on Tuesday I think I could have carried the miles over to my commutes but since I was starting at 3am getting up at 2/2.30 I was too tired to get the bike ready and my mind was too tired to ride. Didn't ride once to work.

Played footie on Fri which seems to be a mistake and ruins my cycling legs and I would find out how bad on Sunday.

ROUTE

Sunday was possibly the hottest day of the year but it was also quite windy. I set off at 8am to meet up with the Wheel Guru gang at Mossley for a testing ride. There are some very quick guys in this club but today only 2 others turned up. Glyn and Dunc said they'd do a very lumpy course as they were in the hill climb TT around Greenfield/Holmfirth on Wednesday. I wanted to enter but totally forgot. As soon as I got on the bike today I knew I was in for a hard one as my legs were aching from football and they didn't feel fresh at all, as if I had already done 100miles.

Started off doing a loop around Denshaw/Delph/Diggle, some small roads but big climbs to Rochdale rd to Blackstone Edge, down to Littleborough and then some really hilly route to Hebden bridge via the Long Causeway. These 2 were annoying me a little as on the flats/downhill they were going really slow with a belting tailwind but made up for it on the inclines as I had to put alot of effort to keep up. Had a cafe stop in Hebden and listening to the accordion player in the background/across the road I felt I was in Belgium or France.

Set off towards Blue Bell Lane? which was climb after climb after climb and quite steep ones in places. Glyn is a right skinny racer type guy and floated up, he didn't look like he was putting any energy into it but I kept up valiantly, with Dunc a bit behind. Ended up leaving Dunc as we weaved and climbed up some country lanes up to Rochdale/Rippondon Road where I descended Cragg and they went back towards Mossley.On the way down Cragg, hitting 40mph I was 1/2 mile from the bottom when I saw someone I thought I knew so chased up Cragg only to find I didn't have a clue who it was. I carried on up Cragg and down the Edge back to Littleborough and through Milnrow and Shaw back home. Wind was hampering my pathetic efforts as I had to stand most of the way again and when I eventually did get home I found it difficult to use my legs for anything. Ughhh, happy with my climbing, considering there were loads, but not with the strain.

Distance 85miles

Average 17.5mph

Ascent 7000ft