Miles racking up and new currency in Southport

Made a comment last week about the spring weather, a little too early as I spent 2 hours in the rain on Tuesday night. Got in some hills in the dark and for some reason it is easier to climb them in the dark. I think it must be the fact that you can't see the incline or the top, just the bit of the road lit up by your lights. Still, by Thursday the weather was brighter again, out before breakfast and took this photo of the sun rising over an Ormskirk landmark. For those of you not local, that is not a UFO landing just above the tree line, just the old water tower. (It could be an extra from War of the Worlds).

Saturday was a bright sunny day, if a little too windy, but I headed out to Winter Hill again, climbed it twice, then a climb called Angelzarke and that was enough hills for the day. Headed into the wind across to Southport where they seem to have invented a new currency, see the picture for the local Park & Ride. I remember Wilmslow creating their own local credit card a few years ago, perhaps Southport has declared independence and is starting to use the Poung! Stopped in Southport for a reviving coffee before heading off with a tailwind, got in 92 miles altogether. Wonder what Sundays run will be like?

Sundays run with the club was manic! I was looking for a steady ride after Saturday but got manic pace all day. For the 2 hours before the cafe we averaged 19mph in windy conditions. I needed oxygen more than a coffee! Great ride but with very little conversation, nobody had energy to waste talking. Like a lot of things, it was great when it stopped. Average speed for the day 18.5mph, Saturdays solo ride was 16.3mph, a bit of a difference! Still, another 68 miles to give me the biggest training week so far - nearly 219 miles.

Final thought, in 2 months time I will have completed 9 days out of the planned 10 day end to end!