SPRING HAS SPRUNG.....

SPRING IS IN THE AIR - GREAT WEATHER

 This week we have been seeing some great weather...Yes I think that spring has really sprung. Obviously with all this good weather staying at home was not an option I just had to be out on the bike. However before I could do that I had an early morning appointment at the hospital to check on the possibility of 'exploding eyeballs'. Good news....No high pressure in the eye..everything reading normal...even better I don't have to go back to the eye unit and they have signed me off. Yippee...another medical problem sorted!

CORFE CASTLE IN THE SPRING SUNSHINE

ONE OF THE HILLS THAT MAKES THE PURBECKS GOOD CYCLING COUNTRY

 Anyway having had the good news at the hospital you would have thought that I would have had a good ride but that is not how it worked out. I just didn't seem to have the legs for it..I seemed to struggle up the hills..On the ascent of the 'hill of death' I really felt that I wasn't going to make it to the top. I just couldn't understand why it was so hard - when I got home my muscles ached really badly. I had a rest day and thought about what had happened..On reflection.the answer was simple.Over the weekend I had been a bit wound up thinking about my appointment  with Mr Morris the Eye Surgeon  and I had not eaten enough. There I was trying to power myself along on an almost empty tank...no fuel..! Anyway- one rest day and plenty of the right type of food (no cup cakes this time) and then the next time out on the bike and no more problems. Today I even managed to get a ride with JD. It was the first time that we have been out cycling together since about October last year. Our plan now is to ride at least once a week together right up to the ride back from Gibraltar in September. JD was riding really well...powering up the hills and on the flat he was managing between 25 - 28mph. He was riding his new bike and today was only the second time that he had ridden it so more power to him. Tomorrow I am planning to head off on a short cycle packing trip with Mike & Chris. They are part of the small group cycling in France with me in May and they too have new bikes, so they want to try them out with panniers and all the gear that they will be carrying in France. The weather forecast is not looking good for tomorrow with heavy rain promised but once it clears we are told that it should get back to the 'spring has sprung' kind of weather. Anyway, when I got back from todays ride I covered up the Tifosi and checked over the Tourer as that is the bike that I will be riding for the next few days. When I get back I will tell you all about the trip and hopefully have a few photos to share with you...........