Too good to be true

I am not sure I should be feeling this good !

I had a couple of days off and was pretty good about staying off my feet, plus Molly looked after me and spoiled me rotten. I did my excercises, kepy the knee elevated, iced it regularly and the big bandage came off Wednesday night. I got a lift to work on Thursday, but I worked with the leg on a chair, iced it some more and managed a few hundred yards at lunctime. I walked into work on Friday and managed a stroll at lunchtime too.

I was supposed to start 'squats' on Saturday and presumed this meant that the (three) cuts would be healed well enough. Squats involve supporting one's bodyweight and bending the knee to a right angle - surely that is just like pedalling, but a bit harder ? I did a few squats (a few times) and pulled off the plaster and steri-strips and cleaned myself up. So far so good!

So .. Sunday came and I thought I should give Golf a miss, but thought we could squeeze in a few easy miles and see how the knee was. I had been on t'Internet in preparation for this moment and bought some fat flats from DMR so that I could ride un-clipped (just in case). We did a level, easy, twelve miles from Withyham to Java & Jazz and back, for a coffee. The incision above the knee bled a bit, but no real problem. I cleaned it up again and iced the leg before dinner and retired a happy and half-mended man after only six days.

Monday I am up North for the week and undecided whether to take the bike. Shouldn't, but I did in the end. I drove close to Llandegla (daren't stop) and even closer to Cannock Chase where 'The Dog' was howling at me. MUST NOT STOP. Memo to self "no hills, no falls".


My B&B was a farm next to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Flat towpath for forty miles in either direction and I couldn't resist.

I didn't go mad, but managed 25 easy miles, a latte stop and witnessed Spring bursting forth at some pace. Curlew, Oyster Catchers, nesting Swans, nested Ducks (above), Canada Geese, Heron, Buzzard and hundreds of lambs on the low fells. What a fantastic evening out and finished off with, hopefully, a 'calorie neutral' dinner !

No bleeding this time, but I shall take a few days off now to rest completely, but we may do our little road circuit on Friday evening, complete with hills.

Saturday .. I have entered the Spring Cup. Sunday .. may ride again :-)