I was up and about early so I thought I would take the dogs out early before it got too warm.
6.45am I was out of the door. We went across to the moorland that is diagonally opposite our house. I didn't need a jacket as it was already warm enough for just a t-shirt (when I say JUST a t-shirt, I mean on the top half of course). We did a route from there that we often do. Down the moor, on a little road and down the other moor. Cross the road and down a track at the side of the farm where we get our eggs.
It's lovely farm, country round this bit until we get to another track. This could be lovely too but the owner leaves the gate at the far end open and it is used as a fly tip. What a mess!
Anyway back to a fair bit of road walking and back into Birkenshaw village. The dogs know where to cross as much as I do so Bear is very quickly showing me the way. We go back through the churchyard where 'my' grandma and grandad's ashes are buried. I say 'my' as they were no relation except by marriage, they were my ex husband's grandparents but even after we divorced they insisted that I should not stop visiting and they always treated me as a grand-daughter and I was more of a grand-daughter to them than my ex's family were.
Then up the main road, winding our way through an estate and we arrive back at the road between the two moors. It was a pleasure to be out so early and it be so warm. An hours walk done before breakfast.
After breakfast I got into my cycling gear. I was meeting Ady and Helen at 10am. I was to decide on the route we were taking today. So I suggested we do part of the route to Hull that we will be taking on the actual ride.
All in agreement and off we went. A lot of the first part is on quite busy roads but eventually we turned off down a big hill. Wheeeeeeeee! Not looking forward to the return journey up there though. We go through lots of different scenarios from here, fairly built up, suburban, urban, farmland. The smells are wonderful today, Rape flowers and May flowers being the main ones.
Eventually we hit Castleford but we go a little further and there is Junction 32. It is a big outlet centre but not an indoor one. When you are out of the shops you are outdoors. We walked round to Thorntons chocolate shop and cafe and chain the bikes together within sight. Helen got us a table and then moved two tables back into the shade.
When we came to sit down Helen realised that she had put her money down on the original table in a little plastic bag. It was nowhere to be seen. Nobody had sat there but the bag had gone. We still got fed and watered. We chatted for a while and then set off back.
Ady said he knew a different way back to the original route that would cut off a mile or two so we let him lead. After a couple of miles he asked if I knew where we were. I didn't and nor did Helen or I. So we cycled on. I noted that the road was heading towards Wakefield so if nothing else I knew my way back from there. We asked someone who confirmed Wakefield was straight on.
So we carried on until we got to a t-junction and suddenly I knew exactly where I was. We worked our way through the maelstrom of traffic in the city centre and found that several times at lights we were next to a white Range Rover. We all thought this was quite funny. The driver and passenger were joining in our laughter too.
After leaving the town centre we joined a long straight A road. Not horrible but constantly uphill for several miles. We chugged on until we came round a roundabout. I knew that the road after the roundabout doesn't look like a nasty hill but it is very sneaky and when I first started riding this a few years ago I had to stop twice on this bit.
Helen and I got up it but then a van started hooting and I heard Ady shouting (he is re-knowned for this so I didn't take much notice). When I looked back I couldn't see him so shouted to Helen that he was 'off the back'. We stopped and waited. He eventually caught us up but had fallen off and that's why the van was hooting.
A drink, a breather and we were off again. This was probably one of the harder bits as we were tiring and it was hot. Another long straight slightly uphill road, Drighlington by-pass and we arrived at a Shell Garage where Helen and Ady bought drinks (I was nearly home and my Camelbak had sufficed) and then we did the hill back to where I dropped out and went home.
45 miles done and dusted.
A few hours rest from exercise and then I was off to aquarunning. Amy, our instructor, was on a mission tonight. It was like a bootcamp in water. That's how I like it though, no point in paying to just have a wash after all.
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