A Magpie ride..........

Ok so its always hard when you have fallen off training and dieting to get back on, usually as far as the diet bit goes I never get back on until the next fad or New Years resolution and my wieght has been like a yo-yo for years but ever increasing.........not this time, I decided that I have far to many people to let down after getting raffle donations, sponsorship and so far raising a whopping £1055 its too late for giving in unless my leg falls off!!

OK its not a magpie but this cheeky peacock
was sat on my lawn when I got home!

Anyway hubby came home from the Easter Egg Ride today (about 500 bikers ride in covoy to deliver donations of eggs to children in hospitals and childrens homes) and he said ok so are you off out on your bike then?  Every ounce of me said no no no...........and I knew I  had to so reluctantly I said yes and dragged the bike out...It was cold, dull and miserable which made the ride even more of a bind today, I really didn't want to do it and I was so tempted to turn back over and over, but I didn't!!  I was lonely too after riding with Jean on my birthday I didn't realise how much easier cycling is when there is more than one person and how chatting away the miles makes it so much more fun!!  Regardless this training isn't going to do itself and sitting at home thinking about it is not going to help me achieve my goals.  I rode down to Broompark picninc area, the wind was against me and it made for really tough riding, I decided to take the one route from there that I was yet to take thinking if I spiced up the ride a bit I would maybe enjoy it more........a solitary magpie was sat in the path and if your'e superstitious you know this means sorrow unless you say "morning mr magpie hows your wife and family" so I chanted in my head and continued.........anyway further along the route I suddenly realised I was on the Lanchester route again, I had just joined at a different place, I was slightly miffed it wasnt somewhere new but carried on regardless in the knowledge that it wasnt a bad route and usually there was plenty of people along it..........another solitary magpie so I had to repeat the rhyme and another, and another.........grr I felt like riding with my eyes shut cos this was certainly not helping my will to carry on.........anyway I pushed on and finally reached the point I had turned around at last time so I decided I could only benefit by pushing on a bit more.......I wanted to reach 15km so I carried on and when it clocked 15 I decided to carry on a little more.......but then there was a strange man behind me on the paths and decided that I would turn around and cycle fiercly past him and towards home again...........

For some reason cycling home I seem to be able to clock up kms faster, is it because in my head I'm going home? is it because home is on a slight down incline? or is it because I have broken through my "wall"?  I really dont know but going home is always less of an effort!  As the kms were clocking up and I knew I was nearly home the ride really did get tough my legs were aching and fatigue was setting in, I knew I was nearly home and guess what.........two magpies were sat on the path in front of me, two for joy :-) it was as if the magpies knew how I was feeling, made me smile and gave me the last push for home clocking up 30.8 kms in a not too shoddy 2 hrs 20 mins and 53 secs..........ok, so it doesn't break any land speed records but still an achievement for me none the less!! 

I really looked forward to this!!!  I am sooooo Lucky!

After sorting the kids out I ran a nice luxurious bubble bath to soak my aching limbs in and felt much better :-) Happy that I pushed myself to do it, but I think I will hold at 30km for while until I feel more comfortable on that last stretch because I certainly struggled on today...............however 30km is the first day of Cuba achieved :-)

This is the design of the poster for my upcoming charity medium event :-)  Thanks to Sandhy once again x

14th June 2012 Keep the date in your diary!!