16/08/21
Hello and welcome to part 22 of this blog it is a Monday and it has been a quiet start to the week i have been out for a walk but am currently waiting on boy to com and sort or service my bike meant to be 1300hrs but he just msgd me to say he will be a bit late but cant say how late which is a bit annoying. So i will be around the house for a while mmm may be the whole day but hope not. So was quick walk in ferry and looks set to be a nice day.
So guy came and top bloke and has sorted the Bianchi which is great and now that is going to the Etape with me which i am happy about as it has not really been used for any events and with it being the sprint well it deserves to be used what it was made for so bring it on pity i have 3 days work before this but it gives my legs a break as i intend to take it easy as possible 😂 my shoulder has been sore today so have tried to have as much relaxing time as i can but not really worked. Now in the house and not much time to sit as still few things to do. Not very exciting start to this blog but hey sometimes it is good to be dull ha ha.
17/08/21
Good morning well it is of to stracathro hospital this morning with Helen so she can get her scan don’t mind going here as their is a nice walk up here an seeing as i am still not allowed in with her i may do a wee bit of it while i am waiting. Was having a really good sleep until our fire alarm 🚨 went of about 3am i think and it took me a while to get back to sleep 💤 it is funny actually as Stracathro is not that far from Aberdeen a place where we both had 2 weekends away, the first time we stayed at a hotel and mmm we both got a bit drunk you know the stage where your dancing around the room drunk ha ha well around 4 in the morning the bloody fire alarm went off oh my god what a noise we both had to get up and go outside feeling absolutely shit and it took ages for them to find out what was causing it by time we got back to bed i was bloody shaking as the alcohol was still wearing off, next time we were their in a different hotel well did the same thing not happen! But luckily we were not as drunk 🥴 bloody unreal that now we are headed that way again our bloody alarm goes off fekin thing. Anyway lets see what the rest of the day brings mmm probably a bit more sleep.
Well am up here in Stracathro been for walk it’s a nice wee place yes it’s an old hospital but there are couple of nice walks one in particular lot of private houses here but is ok to walk the path or even drive down.
It will eventually take you to a left or right turn if you take the right turn you get a bare view and I suppose you can walk on from here but as I had to get back for Helen I decided I better get all back.
You also can see some butterflies lots of horses and I suppose if your lucky enough probably deer as well, I am now outside the hospital waiting on Helen seems to be bit longer this time but it’s never a problem as it know if it was me she would do the same she must be fed up of hospitals.
Back home after a nice brunch at the Mill in Forfar was nice had the Cullen skink and a applewood cheese and pickle sandwich not a bad way to end last day of my holiday even though i am off the wknd and am going to Inverness for two days. Shoulder not to bad at moment but am going to try and give it as much rest as i can so my next cycle may well be on Sunday which i suppose its not a bad thing, i shall see i may take it to work on Thursday we shall see. Feeling a bit weary now after being woken at 4am then up again at 8 so I’m off for forty winks.
21/08/21
Hello Saturday and what a strange week it has been, i am now in Inverness and ready to go tomorrow in the etape i have had a few problems with my shoulders especially the right one and must admit to being slightly worried that this might or i may not finish it depending on how much pain i get during this event but i am going to start and am determined to finish so it will have to be bad for me to stop. I am now all registered and my bike is all ready, we are in a lovely B&B nice big room and Helen is having a nap.
So now its a matter of going out for a meal tonight to the Italians plenty of pasta just the job but no beer or wine tonight but i shall make up for it tomorrow 😂. I said a strange week as there has been a couple of things that happened at work and it left me kind of in a bad mood for a while but i then thought na stuff this for a game of soldiers, i cant say to much but i wont be asking anyone to do me favours from now on or asking how they are or if i can help with something, just feel some people really need to get a grip and just get on with life…..enough said. So I will try and take some photos tomorrow but generally my head is down and my arse is up trying to better my last time mmmm but i think i may struggle to do that, weather forecast seems fine though. Right time for a relax and then a quick shower befor we head for a bite to eat.
Back and full of carbs had a nice lasagna with some nice bread followed by some lovely salted Carmel ice cream was nice, took the car down and happy with that as it is now raining hoping this will be of by tomorrow. How am i feeling well apart from the sore shoulder i feel fine and as i have already said what will be will be. Had a lot of support from lots of people on my FB page which has given me a boost. So early night hoping i get a decent sleep clock set for 4-30 cheeeso. Byeeee.
22/08/21
Well Etape is over for another year and we have been quite lucky as even though it was not best start to a day weather wise it improved greatly, had a great day and was doing well until some daft decided to try and pass me on the left on the king of the mountain climb. But first it was a misty start was out and their in plenty of time and it was a bit of a wait before we set off but have to say it was all very good everyone was just happy to be out and in groups and just ready to enjoy the day.
Well enjoy we all did it is one of the best organised events that i have entered and one of the reasons i keep coming back, was good start even though most people were passing me to begin with which is the norm for me, but once i got into my stride i was really flying and started to pass most who had passed me earlier it was i pass them they pass me and same again 😂 but really i felt good even though shoulder was sore i was enjoying it, you go round Lochness it was stunning early morning sunrise with low clouds I really wanted to stop but no push on but i did go back after event to take a couple of photos.
So i decided to push on and not have a break until i got to bottom of the 4 mile climb which was about 32miles in and truthfully i felt strong and was enjoying myself and some of the speeds i was getting to then it came the climb and boy this never disappoints the first part of this climb is one of the steepest i have ever climbed and i must admit i did struggle a bit well i always find it hard so most people do but i did grind it in, this climb is in two halves the second part although still hard not as bad as the first part, so up i went and although slow i got to the top of the first part and scooted on to the second part, this is where it all went a bit tits up, i started the climb and began to feel i can really pick it felt bit stronger but all of a sudden this guy try’s to pass me on left side fk knows why he had the whole road but he needed up clipping my elbow which put me off balance, i had to stop and unclip while calling this guy a fkn prick even though he apologised, so here is the thing i was on steep part of climb so I tried to start on this hil but unfortunately i missed my peddle and could not unclip my right foot so over i went with a bang and it wa sore as my right leg went under the bike which twisted a bit and my hip hit the ground and my kneecap hit the ground as well, at that point i thought ah crap my legs popped, but this girl came over and gave me a hand up and although i was sore i was able to carry on but this slowed me right down and it took me nearly an hour to get to the top of the climb and luckily only bit damage to tape on handle bar.
Anyway pushed on and finally got to the top of the climb and got of bike to check things over, needed up with lump on my leg and bruised hip but was fine. The views from this climb are stunning and low cloud made it even better.
From here the run back to Inverness is fantastic mainly all down hill apart from bit of a climb just before you get back to the city, i tried to make up some time which i think i did but my time was 4hrs 45min which probably longest i have taken to do this but do feel that the fall did slow me down to begin with did take a while to get back into my stride, anyway was a really great back run in and was good to get finished as i do feel i never got enough training in due to shoulder. I have to mention all the volunteers in this event the support and help they give is fantastic and they deserve a massive round of applause 👏 and the people not only of Inverness but all these other small places you pass who go out their way to come out and shout and give you encouragement you are the starts in this show. So out tonight to Johnny Fox bar for food and a few beers to finish of a nice weekend and am so happy Helen has come to it is good for us to get away and enjoy ourselves especially Helen she is strong person and she always gives me encouragement and am sure if she was aloud she would have been their shouting as well. So we come to the end of part 22 and as i always finish I hope you enjoy this part and i shall see you in part 23.. Byeeee
Ged
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