More than 1000 miles in training and only a few weeks to go

Once again I have been incredibly busy and not updated the blog for ages.  The training distances are increasing every week and it's getting harder and harder to fit it all in.
However, sheer determination is keeping me on track (call it pig-headedness if you prefer, so long as I don't hear you!).
I had managed to get to the point where 50 miles felt okay (!) and then took a weeks holiday in Crete, with no training.  Arriving back home, a bit too relaxed and rested, I was not looking forward to a 60 mile ride on the first day back in England.  Let's face it - which would you prefer?

However, I rolled out of bed at 6am and pulled on the padded lycra before I peeped out of the window and discovered the pouring rain.  The temptation to crawl  back into bed at that point was almost overwhelming, but knowing I'd already missed a weeks training forced me out of the door and onto my bike.  However, the sense of achievement was amazing when 2 hours later I arrived in Bournemouth to join Jenny for breakfast, before cycling the 30 miles back again to complete my first 60 mile trip!  Mind you, I was extremely grateful for the hot shower and change of clothes.  No such luxury will be waiting for me at my food stops next month....

Two days later and I was out again, this time to do a 50 mile round trip in the New Forest.  With my muscles still protesting from the previous ride I thought I was never going to complete it, but the weather held out and the forest was so beautiful that somehow my poor tired legs churned through the miles without stopping, and in just under 4 hours I had done it!
Another days break and then an "easy" 11 miles with the family made me realise that my muscles were starting to really suffer, and not recovering between rides.  Even the small hills were painful.  So, alien though it is to my nature, I had to ask for a bit of help....
To the rescue came my wonderful husband and his sports massage skills.  An hour or so of painful but very therapeutic ministrations, and I felt like I could get back on the bike again, and so, a little nervously, Jenny and I prepared for our longest ride yet - 75 miles if we could make it!
Life got in the way a little, so we couldn't set off until 3.30pm, but we packed our panniers with dry clothes, tool kits and plenty of snacks and drinks, and set off for the first leg (Southampton to Winchester and back - 25 miles).  We made good time in nice weather, but cycling back past the house knowing we had another 50 miles to do was very depressing, and making a quick stop to refill water bottles had us very tempted to collapse on the sofa and not continue.
We hit a bit of a wall at 30 miles, but we were fighting a strong wind and cycling through the city at rush hour, so I think we were a bit despondent.  We soon got through it and picked up speed as we headed out towards Lyndhurst. The next 10 miles were pretty good but then poor Jenny started really flagging, and was struggling even on the flat.  We couldn't work out what on earth was wrong, until we did some quick calorie calculations and realised that she was a very long way into minus energy ( and those of you who know Jenny will know that she doesn't have a calorie to spare anywhere).  A big guzzle of a fortified energy drink and suddenly she was flying along again -  a good lesson learned for next time!
Arrving in Brockenhurst as our odometers clicked over the 50 mile mark was fantastic, although the smell of all the restaurants preparing dinner, and the fact that it was now 8.30 pm with another 25 miles to do made us seriously consider staying the night....
A short food stop and we were ready (?) to go again, although suddenly it felt very cold, and we had to put on jackets to  stop the shivering.  However, a few miles of hills and we soon warmed up.  55-65 miles was really amazing - we felt full of energy and powered our way across the stunning landscape lit up by the setting sun.  We saw rabbits, horses, donkeys and even some deer and finally felt like we were actually enjoying the training.
We got back to Lyndhurst at 9.30 pm, and the last 10 miles in the dark back through the city was less fun, but the sense of achievement when we got home at 10.30 having done 75 miles in 7 hours - well that was incredible. And thank you Vaughan, the muscles held up brilliantly!

We are certainly working hard for our sponsorship (1200 training miles so far) but the personal achievements along the way are brilliant.  It is definitely starting to feel like London to Paris is achievable.........