What an epic week...

It's way, way, way past our bedtime and I'm only just starting the blog now so forgive me but it's going to be brief. Today Tom and I rode the furthest either of us have ever been - a whole 160 Yorkshire hilly miles!!! We left the house at 6.15am this beautiful Easter Sunday morning and were back in Meanwood at 8pm tonight (having had a few hefty and much needed nutrition stops on the way.) Wow!!! 160 miles, that's not bad and we both felt uber strong for the last hour home, pushing it to the very last metre. It was a great way to what has been an awesome week.

The usual training took place on Monday (5km easy swim am/90min turbo pm) and Tuesday (3km hard swim, 40min tempo treadmill & run club.) Then we left Meanwood and entered the world of Milton Keynes for Wednesday & Thursday where we were wonderfully looked after by the O'Neill family. Our good friend Jevon was awaiting us in Stewkley early on Wed am and we set off with a few other members of team MK (great bunch) and we enjoyed a 50 mile ride in the sun. Home to Old Thatch for a late lunch and to see the rest of the family and then off for a 13mile off road run. Dinner couldn't have tasted better :) And as always we were made so welcome (see above pic taken in Old Thatch's doorway which says it all.) I tried to keep my eyes open for the end of the footie (I promise!) but I couldn't seem to manage it and so with a swim and a ride scheduled for the next day off we went to bed. Thursday am came round fast and with more breakfast than Humpty Dumpty could manage off we went to hit the pool for a brief and perfectly timed set of 10 x 200's then out on the bikes for a 60 mile ride before Tom and I came home. Perfect two days with such a loving and wonderful family, thanks to you all. x

So that leaves Friday & Saturday before todays 160 epic ride. Friday was fairly easy with a 16 mile run and that took care of that days training. Saturday was pretty hardcore. A 55 mile ride which consists of 17 miles (easy) to our choice of hill in Ilkley (Langbar) then 10 reps of said hill and 17 miles (with jelly legs) home with a 2.5mile run off it. I was amazed how good my legs felt on todays ride to be honest, I had envisaged pain, pain and more pain. Maybe it was the fact that the sun was out, the sky was blue and we were out on an adventure. We hadn't planned to ride that far but we were enjoying it so much thought why not. Now I'm sitting here typing with closing eyes and the fourth finger of my left hand completely numb. Out on my time trial bike (I'll be racing on it in Lanza) always gives me cyclists palsy if I'm on it for a long time (especially if I don't use the tri bars very much.) So I've probably got about three or four days with a useless fourth finger (who needs it anyway!)

What a great week of training under my belt & with 3 weeks of the hard stuff left I'll be ready for that taper but will be in the best shape of my life hopefully :)

So friends, it's time to say goodnight, hope you all had a fab Easter. Here's Week Ten in pix...are you still looking at them? Are you enjoying them?

H. x