Sunday 7th December

Four handsome chaps

My family was amused at my muddy state

Even the close up doesn't do it justice

Well we went for another muddy, soggy, cold and windy Sunday mystery tour courtesy of big Steve. There's no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes so today it was bib tights, base layer, seal skin socks and overshoes,  buff and the best bit my C&DCycles  winter jersey. These are pure genius from Andy with a warmer fleecy fabric,  long sleeves and partial weather proofing meaning you don't need a jacket unless there's a proper downpour. My other bit of kit was altura gloves which are nearing the end of their life and I really haven't found anything I'm happy to replace them with. A look through the catalogue at the shop is probably required. 

The ride started great bit we had a tailwind. The only problem was Mark's squeaky shoe!  Well predictably for me there was a couple of issues. I'd forgotten to charge my phone and my cateye bike computer. Luckily for me the garmin virb is more than just a camera and I uploaded to Strava at the same time as editing the video. 

When we turned into the wind my legs just died.  By the time I got home I felt dreadful and was convinced I'd ridden poorly. A load of PRs says different. For me I started to feel as horrendous as when I did the circuit breaker sportive. It was windy that day too but I was also recovering from a cold. This week everyone I know had been suffering. Niamh went into school on Monday won the indoor athletics and then promptly came home for a week. So at the risk of sounding like baron von munchausen, I'm sat here with a sore throat and stuffy head and everything makes sense. 

As ever with Steve it's a mystery tour. I know we went out to Thrapston via Warkton, headed into Cambridgeshire and back to Oundle via Polebrook then we went to Benefield,  Brigstock, Grafton and Geddington. By then the others were waiting for me a lot.  They waited at the top of the bumps and again at the cross in Geddington. I just wanted to get home at this point so I left the group and went home via Newton and Rushton.

Big kudos to Steve Duke today on his longest ride ever and even more on being the last man in the club still in shorts.

I'm hoping to do my usual and throw this cold in a day or two then at least it's back to sufferfest on the turbo. It might amuse you to learn that in the video I did, "the hunted," has a bit where you get a puncture.  Typical I thought, I puncture even on a training video! 

Today's recovery lunch was provided by my Mum and I'm currently quality controlling dad's cider! 

Happy pedaling