Where has the month gone and where has the weight come from??

Saturday 1^st August

Two things came to mind this morning, I couldn’t believe it was the 1^st of August and secondly, jumping on the bathroom scales I was horrified to find I was 12 stone, only last Saturday I was 11 stone 9lbs???? especially this week I have cycled 117 miles, run 10 miles and been spinning for 45 minutes once, if the calories used don’t come to more than I have taken in, then I am doing something wrong? I have revisited the 'My fitness Pal App' to check on my eating habits compared to my exercise.

The week started with a very wet day on Sunday, that saw us trundling down to Trago Mills at Newton Abbott for a ‘ferret’ around, some things down there are very cheap, others not so! At least it was a morning out with our daughter, unfortunately it also coincided with Tragos 50^th birthday event, so children were everywhere, very busy indeed.

Monday wasn’t a lot better, so I went for a run around the town, trying to get my legs used to running again 4.2 miles, Ham strings were tight next day, but better than before, but Tuesday looked promising, Mrs Ian B and daughter went off to Exeter whilst I cycled off to Langport for coffee with the Blackmore Vale CTC. Very pleasant sat next to the river in the sunshine. We all duly departed our separate ways, I decided to have a look at Moreland village, the village that was on the news a year or so ago with all the floods, the village being evacuated. The road across the levels has only just reopened, after much expensive work to avoid the scenario in future, however, I am sceptical that you can’t hold back nature! Cycling though the village, there was little or no sign of any of the devastation shown on TV, people were mowing lawns, very few houses had skips or builders in etc, I cycled on to Huntworth and crossed the M5 before riding round through North Petherton and back through North Newton and Maunsel Lock, a very busy place even midweek, situated next to the canal, lots of holiday makers in the café etc. on to climb up to North Curry and back through Ham, Slough Green and the final three climbs over Crock street a good 45 miles, I nearly ran out of drink as the day turned out much warmer than expected. I even went spinning in the evening!!

Wednesday was an outing for the BLRCC in other words a run with Rachael up the lane, this was the first time we had run together since the Grizzly in March, I chose my 6 miler over Neroche woods, we chatted all the way round and tried to convince each other to enter the Herepath Half which is a 13 mile off road event around Neroche at the end of October, we ended up agreeing to enter [I think!!] that gives me 2 months to prepare. It was a good run and it was nice to run with someone else.

Thursday I met up with the Blackmore Vale CTC who were doing a Yeovil to Portland Bill and back which was 90 miles, I decided to cycle over to Yeovil to meet them, a good 18 miles, and then peel off at Dorchester to follow the Roman road back over to Bridport, and back through Shaves Cross and Tatworth to get home.

The pace over to Dorchester was quite fast after my leisurely ride over to Yeovil, several climbs took us over through Halstock, Cattistock and Rampisham before descending to Maiden Newton, some beautiful South Dorset countryside. I left them at Bradford Peverill after 40 miles  and continued an 8 mile climb into a headwind up to Eggerdon Hill which gave fantastic views over Dorset, and along the coast. A very steep descent down to Powerstock had me using my brakes constantly,  as it was very narrow in places, fortunately it was quiet and I didn’t meet anything coming the other way. I continued on through Bridport etc and by the time I got home I had done nearly 5000ft of climbing and 74 miles, I was tired, and glad to get out of the wind which I had as a head wind for the last 34 miles!!

Friday it was nice to chill out and visit our favourite café in Sidmouth for egg, Chips and peas! But, when we got there is was folk week, so it was very busy with stalls and buskers on the sea front, very pleasant in the sunshine.

I have just read 'John Kynastons' report on his blog of his lakeland 100 ultra run, 100 miles in less than 30 hours, i really dont know how you can run 100 miles, it made interesting reading.

I now need to try to get out two or three times a week and run a short distance to build up the running legs again, before I enter the half marathon.