Bonked !

It required quite an act of will to get up early this morning to meet up with the Earlybirds, and I was greeted by a group of a good dozen riders. Considering the 7am start, with people no doubt having been up early and working hard all week, this is really rather impressive. So, it was a good social start to the ride, going out via Askwith to Otley, Farnley, and up Norwood Edge (that first climb in the WRC), at which point, having got widely spread out, we regrouped. We then split into two groups, those doing a longer ride and those doing the normal Saturday morning short ride. I have to admit that I was already stuggling to keep pace with the quicker lads and it was therefore a little disappointing to find that only four of us were up for the longer route, El Cid, Gizzajob and JR - so nobody to help ameliorate the pace. I knew then that I was going to have a tough ride. The good news, though, was that the calf actually felt much better than yesterday. Perhaps it just got really well stretched, removing some of the tightness, but I was very happy to know that I didn't do it any harm.

From the top of Norwood, a convoluted route to Greenhow, then Grassington, where the decision was made to head out to Arncliffe and over to Malham. I could easily have opted out at Arncliffe to loop back home down the valley, but I wasn't going to be allowed to get away with that! As the ride went on, I found myself struggling more and more on the climbs. There was just nothing in the legs. For a change, we took the eastern descent into Malham and then on to Gargrave, Broughton and Carleton before El Cid led us a merry tour back into Skipton, then out to Bradley. I have to point out that it was considerably merrier for the others than it was for me, for I had now seriously bonked - and there is undeniably a perverse pleasure in seeing someone suffer on the bike! The climb out of Bradley is a bit of a bitch at the best of times and I had to endure some serious pain up there, digging deeper than I've had to in a long while. I told the lads to go on and leave me to twiddle back, but the team ethic is so strong that they were having none of that. With the engine delivering no power at all, I was climbing at what felt like a snail's pace, and the lads came back down to pick me up and tow me across the tops to Cringles. By now the forecast rain had arrived but it was only drizzle. Still, it was really good to know that we were almost home. I haven't felt so happy to finish a ride in many a year. Thanks lads for looking after me so well. You were great. The Garmin gave me 73 miles in 4.38, and about 7,000 ft of climb.

Forgetting all the pain, without which I know there is no gain, the big plus is that the calf survived without a problem, and I've clocked up 145 miles within the space of 24 hours. The down side is that this is what I'm going to be doing next Sunday in just one ride. Odd that I'm looking forward to it so much!

PS The rain decided to set in for the rest of the day, so (very selfishly) it's been good to be able to work and watch the rain lash against the windows, knowing that, but for this calf injury, I'd be out in the wet and clag, flogging up Buckden Pike right now. Holding that thought, I'm finding it much easier to put a positive spin on the events of the last week.