Another Audax and couple of runs

Spoils from the ride 

 What good weather it was last week and this weekend ! The weather has been very summer like with temperatures well up. With the 100 k Grid Iron  Audax round the New Forest at the weekend, I needed to get a ride in to top up my miles and make sure legs were working ! So a 26 mile ride round the Somerset lanes testing bike and body, pleased to say they were both working well. I also was determined to keep the running miles so a 4 mile run down the seafront and another 4 miler up to Berrow church along the footpaths were just the job.

As it’s quite a way to Lymington from Burnham I booked into the caravan club site at Bransgore, driving over on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The site was extremely busy, I was given pitch 13, was this a sign 😊 soon pitched, tea and relaxing , the site is very nice, superb facilities, but a little open, pitches have no surrounding hedge etc, apparently an old WW2 airfield. Pasta for tea, followed by fruit cake and a beautiful sunset 

After a good nights sleep in the van, gear all sorted for the next day, I was up early, and away from the site before anyone else stirred. Lymington was only a twenty minute drive over the New Forest, mist rising from the low areas, the sun breaking through the clouds, a magical day ahead. By 7:45 I was ready for the off, so van locked I was away to register, the start was 8:0 but with 1000 riders we were allowed to go early. Shorts, short sleeve jersey with arm warmers was the dress of the day, bit chilly to start but knowing I would soon warm up. Pressed go on my Garmin and was off, on my own for a few miles before being caught by a small group, who sat on my wheel for the next 15 miles, without speaking to me ! Very odd, they finally came past as I stopped to look at the text informing me Grandson George had broken his collar bone tripping over his shoelace ! I next saw them at the first control after 25 miles, a superbly run control by the local scouts, tea and cake and a stamp on my brevit card, a short 15 min stop before heading out again. It was getting hotter now 

Donkeys, horses and pigs were lazing on the roads in the sunshine, most road surfaces were really good 

 I felt really good today and was shocked to see I was averaging 14.7 mph so the miles went quickly, a couple of busy roads for very sections, otherwise lovely quiet New Forest minor roads, hills were ok, all rideable, not steep, but some were quite long. The hill upto the second control was steep, but a well earned cuppa and few biscuits helped to forget it, brevit card stamped, water bottle topped up, time to move on. The scenery was spectacular and for most of the ride I was on my own, peddling and lovely gear and slowly grinding up the hills , but I was enjoying myself, one of the best days out this summer( my cycling buddy Lisa had jetted of to Spain to avoid another day out with me 😂😂) 

I was making good time, topping up my energy reserves with jelly babies and hot x buns and soon found myself cycling back into Lymington to the finish. Card stamped 66.2 mikes in 4 hrs 41mins, 2779 ft climbed, ( it seemed more hills than that) averaging over 14 mph for the distance, well pleased with that.

Got my goody bag which was a musette, cycling cap and a wooden medal, lovely at the end.

A quick cup of tea and more biscuits it was back to the van, change and head for home. Traffic was very heavy and it took me 3 hours to get home .

After a days rest the weather was still good so another 25 miles in the sunshine on Tuesday to test out my winter bike. I had my Ultegra crank checked by the bike shop after a recall by Shimano about it delaminating and failing! I had mine 7 years and have done over 20000 miles on it. It was found to be ok😊 

So a good last week😊