Nothing ever goes according to plan, I got up early ready for my early morning ride and the daughter was up getting ready for work………….well at least I thought she was getting ready for work, when she saw I was up she asked me if I would give her a lift to A&E (she has a suspected fractured left arm\wrist again, long story). When she went to A&E yesterday morning they put a back slab plaster cast on her arm\wrist. This morning it was very tight on her arm\wrist (probably swollen) so she had to go back to A&E. So dressed in my cycling garment (looking like an ageing ninja all in black) I drove her to A&E. Once there she only expected me to wait for her (she is 19), not for morale support but so that I could give her lift to work when she had been sorted out!! I told her that what public transport is for.
Back home I finished getting ready, I picked my rucksack up and it weighted a ton, I carry spare inner tubes, pump, puncture repair kit, multi tool, air shock pump, latex glove, knee support and I had the gel seat cover from yesterday (when I changed the saddle I did not put it back on but carried it yesterday just encase). I decided that I got through yesterday without the need for it so I would be alright to leave at home. Three miles into the ride and my butt is aching (like it did the first time you got back in the saddle after years of not riding), I was wishing that I had the gel seat cover with me, next time I will leave it in there for a bit longer. After a few more miles my butt subsided into a dull ache. So to make up for the lack of pain my knee started to ache. It was only when I got back later that I realised I had not made any changes to the saddle height like I mentioned yesterday, so that on my list of jobs for the next ride.
I did my normal ride along the river at Throop, out past Hurn Airport into Hurn Forest, down past Oakdene Caravan Park and then onto Parley Common. This route bring me back onto the Hurn Airport road but I normally go in the opposite direction and head for home. But wanting to add a few more miles to my route I headed back toward Hurn Airport and then back down towards the river at Throop. When you cross the river by the weir there are two way you can go, my outward ride I took the route down past Hurn Court school, so on my return I went the other way (which is my normal way) down across the fields at the back of Merritown. To say it was muddy was an understatement at one stage the forks were rubbing the mud on the front wheel (I have fairly narrow tyres). By the time I got home I knew I had done a long distance but I did not know how far, once I had regained some composure I hooked up the GPS to the PC and imported the route so that I could check the distance (I probably can do that on the GPS but I wanted the route on the PC anyway), 21 miles!! My longest single ride to date and I am well chuffed, this give me a total of 35 miles for the weekend
