Finally The Training Begins!!!!!

So after a while of intermittant training at the gym, I have finally got around to doing a decent training run in "Real Life" opposed to sitting and staring at a wall!

A journey from Derby to Lincoln was the route, 55 miles of fairly flat road, on my mountain bike, equipped with fully laden panniers.

I set off from Derby at just after 11am and headed towards Nottingham on the Nottingham road (Shock). Passing through Borrowash and the very busy Risley, which had an easter egg hunt at Risley Hall, I joined the A52 just after Stabo. Continuing along the A52 until the QMC island, I headed towards town and through Lenton and onto Castle Blvd. Travelling out of Nottingham on the A612 I took a break at the 25 mile mark just on the other side of a small village called Lowdham where I stopped in a layby with a picnic bench. There, after not having any breakfast, I consumed what seemed to be my entire body weight in bananas (3 to be exact!). My stop was only about 10 minutes long which gave me enough time to eat and text! I felt mildly re-juvinated so continued along the A612 passing through Southwell where I made a mental note of the Hearty Goodfellow (Camra pub of the year 2009). At the junction with A617 I headed east towards Newark before taking the A46 to Lincoln.

All was well until just outside of Newark where it seemed my bike had been replaced by a space-hopper. I stopped to find I had gained a slow puncture. After pumping the rear tyre up to what I deemed was maximum pressure I continued on my way. However, half way between Newark and Lincoln, on the A46, the space hopper had returned so again I pumped the tyre up and continued on my way. I was now a mile outside of Lincoln and could see the cathedral so pulled onto the pavement to make a call to Claire (to make her aware of my arival) when my tyre deflated completely.

So, I was stuck outside the Walkers crisp factory with Lincoln city centre in view - but still, 54 miles aint bad in 3 and a half hours!

Safe to say I will carry a spare inner tube on a longer ride but as this was a brand new one fitted the day before I thought it may last, but riding over broken glass and an abandoned head of a rake didn't help.