If at first you dont suceed try and try again .......

This weeks training

Mon/Tue/Thurs - 15 Mile power loops round the black isle
Wed - 2 hours in the gym
and on Saturday ................

Wooo Hooooo we cracked the big 100 !!!!!!!

Totally unexpected, Totally delighted, Totally sunburned.........

Avoch-Ardeseir-Nairn-Croy-Culloden-Inverness-Inchmore-Beauly-Mulbuie-Culbokie-Cromarty-Rosemarkie-Avoch -103 miles


I left Avoch in really foggy, misty conditions feeling a little dubious about the beautiful blue skies the weather forecast had been promising us, however, it was much milder than last weekend so no room for grumbling. I met Richard on the kesock bridge and away we rode to Ardeseir, still no sunshine     ;-(  ....We arrived in Nairn in good time and rendezvoused down at the links for coffee and a quick photo then off we went to the bike shop to sort out a few comfort adjustments..still no sunshine ;-(



Nairn Beach

We headed back from Nairn via Croy and there it was ..... breaking through the clouds like a space ship. Finally, the sun put in an appearance and i could cycle in the heat.......

Somewhere between Nairn and Culloden

We cycled at a good pace back from Nairn then had a quick stop in Culloden, it was lovely to look down onto Inverness in sunshine for a change.
At almost the same moment we both decided that today was the day to give 100 miles another go.  So with that in mind we decided to make a massive extension to our planned route and give it our best shot. So we rode.......

and we rode .................

and we rode .................

and we rode some more...through Inverness to Inchmore, then to Beauly, Mulbuie and then on to Culbokie........I think this was the point i started to get a few twinges nothing serious but a few niggles. Only 30 ish miles to go

6 miles from Cromarty i started to feel a bit ropey, I'm not sure how to describe it really, my muscles felt fine and my legs weren't sore it was more to do with blood sugar i think. I was feeling pretty shaky so we stopped in Cromarty for a bowl of soup, it was also getting much cooler outside so the roaring fire at the Royal was hugely appreciated.

I was 13 miles from home, there was no way in the world i wasn't going to finish...so i layered up and we got back on our bikes and climbed out of Cromarty...surprisingly, it felt much easier than i thought it was going to. We arrived in Rosemarkie and my garmin was showing 94ish miles, Rosemarkie to Avoch is only 3 miles, that wasn't enough miles....so we detoured down to Chanonry Point and around the houses then up one final hill before dropping down into Avoch.

I had just enough energy left to give speedy a high five .... another milestone achieved ;-)

I went to bed happily exhausted.

I woke on Sunday morning and it was another beautiful day, double bonus..... i didn't have a single ache or pain from yesterdays ride. We headed to Glenlivet to watch Speedy and Christina run the Glenlivet 10k. Well done you guys, you rocked, it was a tough one in that heat,  Speedy ....how can you run a hilly 10k in 41 mins after cycling 103 miles ....you're a machine !!

I went for the easy option and had a leisurely 20 mile cycle from Glenlivet to Grantown on Spey. Absolutely beautiful cycling, rolling hills, gorgeous scenery, perfect weather, i could have cycled around there all day ...so stunning and tranquil....we'll apart from the motorbikes whizzing past me at 400 miles an hour ....and why do they have to come so close ?? I don't take up that much room on the road ???

On we went (by car) to Logie Steading where we found a lovely sunny, sandy spot and relaxed in the last of the sunshine whilst Heidi skinny dipped in the River Findhorn. Happy days ..........

Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a fab weekend .... love you guys xxxx ;-)