PGT Days 8 to 11 - Phew, the end of lofty ambition!

Wow, that was a run of busy days, hence the no blog, but I've managed to keep riding and so will do a brief re-cap of events since the commencement of the second week of the People's Grand Tour II.

Finn and I rode into Wolverhampton on Saturday morning to collect the penultimate piece of ""Sun" Lego and headed home via the slightly more scenic route trough Telford. After a brief pit stop (replace the "t" in pit with a  couple of "S" if you wish) Finn asked me for the time. After I'd told him that it was 9.43 he said "well I'm not going to my guitar lesson then?" After silently screaming at myself for forgetting that weekly appointment we TTTed home in just a few minutes, climbing Bullmeadow Lane at about 22kph, and Mom readied the car enabling him to get to school for his tuition only 5 minutes late. The rest of the day was then lost in a steamingly hot haze of loft clearing (new insulation to be fitted tomorrow as I write), an evening bar-b-q at friends, followed by loading the cars up with the "good" but unwanted loft junk at about 11pm. Still, at least we got our drive back!

First thing on Sunday was lost to the utter displeasure of a car boot sale. It amazes me that people spend weekends visiting these things and that they are such an integral part of the lives of so many. For us it was an opportunity to monetise some things that would have been thrown or given away, but there are times during the unpleasant four or five hours when you wonder if it's worth it. Fortunately people watching and a game of "Porky or preggers" with Paula helped to pass the time, and it really did seem worthwhile that evening when we were eating the Chinese meal our booting had afforded us.

By the time I got home Finn had ridden his quota for the day having done about 8km back and forth on his BMX and didn;t fancy any more cycling, so I just headed out for an hour loop around some of the lanes around Highgate Common, Enville and Bobbington before collecting tea from the Chinese take away (and worrying about the plastic bag handles breaking on the ride home). I'd have to say that after a couple of rides, a loft clearance and a car boot in 25° temperatures I was properly knackered on Sunday night and slept for 8 hours and even then had to force myself to wake up.

PGT day 10 was a simple out and back medium length commute followed by the short out and back commute after lunch followed by two short blasts to school and back sandwiching a Governor's meeting. Finn was tired and is still coughing and so decided to entirely opt out of riding today.

And then it was day 11. Just under 5km on the BMX for Finn and another medium commute in, followed by a longer one home for me. Riding home across the Roller Coaster Ridge it was very noticeable that the fields painted a beautiful yellow by the Rape Seed Oil plants were not fading towards green as the leaves drop off and the plants bear forth their seeds (it's amazing that they can get any oil from those tiny pods). As I turned homeward at Patshull Park Golf Club (once part owned by Peter Alliss I believe), riding up the hill into Pattingham that the old boys know as "The Staircase", I was struck by how the fading beauty of the yellow sea on my left was being supplanted by the ever growing wash of lilac to my right, the flowers of Linseed plant coming to the fore in the sunshine.

Sadly the riding was followed by the final bit of loft clearing, the removal of the doors and boards previous owners had laid across the joists to enable safe walking. I once again lost half of my body weight in sweat in the cauldron roof space and was so glad to have the job finished. Paula and I both hope that the putting back of the surviving "junk" will be quick and easy although with 250mm thick insulation to contend with after tomorrow I suspect it wont be straightforward at all.


Finn totals so far;
Days ridden - 9
Total distance ridden - 171.0
Total time in saddle - 10.16
Longest ride - 41.5km

Steve totals so far;
Days ridden - 11
Total distance ridden - 455.8
Total time in saddle - 19.13
Longest ride - 83km

Steve Day 8
Steve Day 9
Steve Day 10
Steve Day 11