A Bowl Of Fruits!

Hello blog lovers.

It's Panagua Ladies day today!  I do love going out with the ladies. Ok I'm slower than most of them.....all of them....but Mhairi tells me off if I say so!  Eleven mph is not to be sniffed at! Mind you, today there was an awful lot of sniffing, blimey was it cold today!  I am surprised I'm still getting my sorry ass out on cold days like this!

There wasn't that many today, just three of us, Mhairi, in her orange Panagua top, Lynne in her bright luminous lemon (yellow) top and me in my Raspberry top, hence bowl of fruits!  Apart from the fact that we are all completely fruit loops for being out on a day like this, a day after the snow I might add, is proof that we are all fruit loops!  Some of the other ladies had things to do today, and couldn't make it.

I was first at the shop and waited for my riding buddies today.  First it was Lynne and then Mhairi.  We didn't hang about too long as we didn't want to get to cold after cycling here.  We were just going to go on our little loop around Downe today.  The long haul up to Botely wasn' even mentioned! Phew!  Cycling in the cold really hurts!  My muscles just don't want to do anything, my feet were getting colder, even though they are wrapped up in thermals, shoes and rubber overshoes!  My hands, oh don't even talk about my hands!  Actually, they weren't as bad as my feet!

We all know the way to Downe, Mhairi lead the way, but as soon as those inclines started, I was over taken by Lynne who was bring at the back.  She was flying today, I mean literally flying.  I know how hard it is to cycle up hills. It hurts me, my breathing is all over the place, my legs just can't seem to pedal any harder, and it is a slow steady slog.  At times like that I just look at my fellow cyclists just going on up hills with ease or so they make it look.  Mhairi just rides next to me chatting all the way like we are just sitting at a cafe chatting over coffee!  She reminds me of Wendimoo, from Petts Wood Runners.  Wendimoo just chats and chats, and sings and chats and has been know to dance along one of our runs.  Although Mhairi might find it difficult to dance, her chatter does keep my mind off my hurting legs, and less chance for me to moan!  It especially helps when she is encouraging me to go, keep pedalling, and deffo "no coasting!"  Not in this weather, got to keep everything moving all the time especially the big engines, my legs!

I was feeling a tad bad that Lynne had to stop and wait for me to catch up at the usual catch up points along this route. We made it to Downe Village, the tree in the middle, without me having any extra stops, unlike last week!  Lynne gave me her water to drink, I had forgotten mine, again.  I had forgotten to bring a lock, again, and I also forgotten to bring my reading glasses too!  At least I had remembered to put some wet lube on my bike chain!  I must say, it did feel a bit smoother, or was that just my imagination?  My bike is due for an MOT, an over haul, som TLC.

We rode on along Single Street, an uphill climb, so there was Lynne ploughing the way for us.  If only I could stay in her slip stream!  I am sure with practise and practise, and training and practise, I will get there.  I really want to be there.  So, train like I want to win!  Get as much cycling done as possible!  Lynne and Mhairi took the left turn, down then hill, then the sharp right turn to go back up along Berrys Hill.  I took the easy route, along the footpath, although Mhairi had forgotten my aversion to hills as she waited for me acting like a traffic cone at that right hand turn!

Going up this road, and yes it is up, with some flat bits, I caught up with the two ladies, I giggled and said "Oh look I am overtaking Mhairi!" and laughed like a small child as I passed her by!  I think she let me have that! Of course she did, she would only need to kick up a gear and would just leave me in her slip stream......spinning around and around..... if she wanted to.  I must admit it felt good to see the car park of the Shampan today, because that meant it's not too far now till we head down that lovely long down hills stretch,  Cudham North Lane.

But that didn't happen today, oh no, the girls decided that turning right heading towards Knockholt was the order of the day.  No long ride down to the A21.  Oh well, it's nice to take different routes.  It's not as if I have not done this route before.  There were a couple of extra little inclines to do but, still, I'm hard core,.......in my head I'm hard core......I just need to put it in practise and make it happen!

The A21 was the next road, just one or two more little humps before we get to our final destination, the cafe at Farnborough!  I was looking forward to my hot chocolate!  I needed to warm up.  Lynne led the way and Mhairi stayed at the back to nag me all the way up, make sure that I didn't stop my legs spinning!  We turned towards the cafe when we got to the right road and climbed up and up.  Mhairi rode side by side with me now, chatting away.  I am so glad of her chatting, just to keep me going.  Every now and then I let out a "ugggghhhhhh" when I struggled with a particular hill, but always Mhairi came in with "Just keep it steady Old Girl, don't over do it" and then she was straight back into the conversation we were just having!  Brilliant!  A passer by heard what we was talking about, I think it was to do with weight and fitness and stuff like that, and she shouted out to us "Pedal harder then".  Yeah, that is what I need to do, and I will, You wait, this time next year I shall be first at the cafe!

So, Cafe Americarlos was a welcome sight, hot chocolate beckoned me!  We were told firmly by Lynne not to have cakes, have eggs instead!  We did try to get away with the fact that cakes have eggs in them as well as carrots!  Lynne wasn't having any of that, "I don't want to see any pictures of cakes posted up" she said jokingly!   Well Lynne, I didn't take any pictures, but I did have hot chocolate.......with just a smidgen of marshmallows on top!......and toast! Thats what I had!

Thanks for a great ride ladies!  I do enjoy my time with you all.......hate those hills......but getting to love the fact that I did them.  I guess that's a start!

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