Sunday 27 May 2012
Start 0957
Time spent riding 3h38
Mileage 42.14
Climbing 4928ft
Average speed 11.6mph
Max speed 44.7mph

A beautiful, hot, sunny day. Met the Glow girls at The Bay Horse in Fence at 9.30am and my mum and dad came to see us off. My mum had ice for the girls' drinks bottles. My dad had his camera. Sue had prepared a historical tour and we stopped frequently for historical input about the Pendle witches, the suffragists and the independent labour party. I surprised Heather with the number of teeth on my front ring causing her to cycle off the road into the verge not once but twice - however, when we actually counted them when we stopped I had overexaggerated by 4...!! We set off into the hills and climbed straight away. Higher, higher. Getting hotter and hotter. The route took us from Fence to Barley, Roughlee, Blacko, Barnoldswick, Rimington,Downham, Chatburn and we stopped for lunch at Waddington. We refilled our bottles and set off again. We cycled to Stonyhurst college. The afternoon was hotter still. We took a slightly amended route at the suggestion of Martine only to be faced by a monstrous hill which was very hard. We still had the significant climb over the Nick of Pendle and then a fanstastic descent into Sabden, before a tortuous climb towards Sabden Fold. Ouch, that hurt. Then back to the Bay Horse where the girls stopped for a drink. I went to mum and dad's to have an ice cold drink and collect the car before my return drive to Manchester and a birthday party in the evening.

Fuelling today was porridge and a banana for breakfast with coffee and a cherry lite lucozade. I consumed a carb drink on the ride - 800ml and 3x 600ml of water. Two cereal bars, another banana, an apple pie, an energy gel after the Nick of Pendle and a tuna sandwich for lunch. Post ride was an immediate half pint of milk and a pint of ice cold cordial. Then birthday party buffet tea of pasta, salad, sausage rolls, potato salad, hummus, pitta and birthday cake. Washed down with an ice cold beer.

I have cyclists sun tan lines - on my legs and arms. It can't be helped. I was wearing high factor all day, all over. But it was wall to wall sunshine - not a cloud in the sky. I protected as well as I could without completely overheating.

A great day was had by all 11 cyclists, many of whom will be cycling the Coast to Coast next weekend. I will be one of those. And I can't wait.