....the miller's are not happy!

...the miller's are not happy with the lack of blogging! and you can't blame them really i have been a bit remiss!

the problem with blogging is that when you have the time to blog you're not doing anything so it seems pointless and when you are busy and have loads to write about you've not got the time to blog... so over the next few days if i've got nothing to blog about i will blog about events over this summer... it seems a shame not to tell you about camping, agricultural show, running, visitors, the sage, and my birthday ....oh and exciting baby developments ....but onto today ....for now!

after a thursday of two wiseguys music (the third gig in a week) ending in a pizza, and a friday of home made pizzas, and a saturday of home cooked chinese with the millers i found myself on the sunday on the start line of the durham big ride - "the beast". now, you may remember i did this last year and hated every minute of it.... essentialy 'cos i wasn't fit enough.... and while today wasn't exactly a breeze it was a lot more confortable. i think i don't take on enough fluid and food when doing these things. about half way through the first 30 miles (we were stopping of at the 30 mile point in tow law) i was really struggling to find energy and my thighs were absolutely on fire.

we got off to a good start heading for witton gilbert and then up to burnhope and then on the "top road", disaster! got me a puncture. the wheel was off and fixed in a decent time and off me 'n' nik went ...right at the back of the field but we quickly started picking people back up. it was a good ride but into strong headwinds at times. but, as the course twists and turns, we kept getting the wind behind us. the designer of the course is clearly a sadist taking you over as many hills as you could conceivably find in the area; but, the scenery is absolutely lovely and taking in villages that you only know the name of but have lived near for years is lovely. passed through a few places that we'd walked through on our early 2011 walks with the millers.

we finally got back to tony at tow law where he was patiently waiting at the villages greggs! bacon and sausage butties and coffee refueled us and with some haribos and a mars bar and some lucozade we headed off.... this is how i know i need to eat and drink more because with some food in me and regular nibbling on sweets and drinking lucozade i managed the last 20 miles relatively easily if a little slow at times (but hey i'm dragging 16 stone up the hills!!)

it was much easier this year in the main because i'm much fitter... the marathon is only 4 weeks away! flippin' heck!