Will I ever learn?

The weather hasn’t been good here in the NE of the U.K. when it hasn’t been wet , it’s been really windy.

I didn’t feel like riding in the late afternoons after I had finished work so this week that only left Friday and Saturday. Thursday was spent at my quilt group.

So , we always check wind direction and Friday it’s from the SW and gusting over 30 mph. Even with electric assist , it was still a push as I don’t like to use too much of the battery. Stupid I know , but that’s me.

We rode to Northallerton and almost flew back with a following wind. At Deighton, we took a different route ( for us) which took us through East Rounton and Hutton Rudby.

Stupidly, I didn’t drink enough . I know this can cause me to have leg cramps but I thought I had made up for it when I got home. Nope!

Just going off to sleep when BANG , both legs from inner thighs to ankles went into severe cramp. I had to get out of bed and drank more and took my salt under my tongue until it subsided.

Still , Saturday dawned sunnier than forecast. Well, you can’t stay home if it’s sunny. My left inner thighs still felt a bit sore but off we went. The wind direction had switched to NW so we decided towards Eppleby where there’s a lovely cafe / shop that we like.

I took plenty of water with metabolites with me. DH said we could turn back anytime but when I get an idea, I go for it.

In Blackwell, I came across the postbox with a new topper. It’s something to do with football.

Football boots in black

Combining crochet and knitting

We got across the main road easily for once and were soon in Cleasby. My leg was reasonably ok at this point and I used more e- assist to climb the hill and over the A1.

Along through Manfield was a bit tough but I needed the loo as I had been supping my water. So at the cafe we had a stop and enjoyed the lovely home made scones.

Then back through Piercebridge, I had the idea to go a slightly different way home. Well , this resulted in a detour haha.

We did see this beautiful field of poppies and a white flower that could have been cow parsley.

Zoom in to see the poppies

Eventually after climbing further, we stopped to review the map in a very rural part of the county.

Plenty of cows

This was a tiny village called Morton Tinmouth that I had never heard of. A chap in a white van stopped and asked if he could help. He told us his dad is about our age and has run every Tyneside half marathon. He was interviewed on local TV and I remembered him.

He gave us directions and told us to backtrack until a signpost for Killerby turned us left. He had very kindly stopped until we got there. It was one of those tiny roads, with grass up the middle. It wouldn’t be wide enough for a car , especially the newer wider ones.

Then we joined the Staindrop road and along to Cockerton where we stopped to eat again – and drink a lot more.

My inner thigh was a bit crampy but I managed to ride home . I was knackered when I got back. So a warm shower and cold water on my legs, a lot more to drink along with salt tablets I bought in Norway, and a bit of massage.

Fortunately, I didn’t get cramp but was asleep by 8pm. So I got sorted but need to realise I’m 73 not 17 haha.

Still a respectable 115 miles in the two rides