Bike ride – Page 3

Widdop bike ride 9th September 2012

Chris and I met up in the top Hardcastle Crags car park on the Widdop road, both getting our free National Trust parking.
We set off along the road and then did the wiggly and very steep bit up to and past the pub. I pushed my bike up that section but Chris stayed on for quite a while.
Then we tootled along to the further Widdop car park where we struck off to cross the footbridge and then carried the bikes up the steps.
We were able to ride for quite a while until the path got very steep. Went through a ferocious 20 second shower which made me cold in that time. But it really did only last that long.
A bit more pushing and then we sailed along for a quite a bit, the path started to go down and we both decided that we would only have to get back up so we headed back up the path and then tried to strike across country, however this soon got to boggy. And although Chris and I rarely walk or cycle without bog, we actually made a hasty retreat. Instead we headed across to Widdop reservoir alongside the big rocky outcrop. This was only a short bike pushing section and so would be possible to do another time. This takes you to the reservoir from where you are then on a great track which is in good enough condition for a relaxing ride so we whizzed along, passing the old scout hut and were soon back at the road.
A great ride!

Scout hut

That a way

Soaking up the rays as per usual!

Not sure yellow my colour! But good on the road.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Widdop+Reservoir,+Calderdale+District,+United+Kingdom&aq=1&oq=Widdop+re&sll=53.632733,-1.945001&sspn=0.01822,0.060339&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Widdop+Reservoir&ll=53.792387,-2.105684&spn=0.01521,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

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Marsden by bike

Chris and I set off from my house along Cycle Route 68, an unsatisfying number as it is neither 66 nor 69. We went through Krumlin and then down the very steep slope to the motorway tunnel. This is a tunnel under the motorway and it’s a bit dark but nothing like the one on the disused railway line that goes between Bath and Bristol and which was so long and dark it was scary. Chris tells me this is now properly lit and surfaced.

Along the edge of Scammonden dam and then up onto a road which took us to Deanhead reservoir. We’d planned to go along the side of this and then up onto the road but as it turned out it was a construction site with no entry so we backtracked and instead took a footpath to get onto the road. This footpath had not seen a lot of feet and was very steep and overgrown and was hard work negotiating bits of bog.

Finally we got to the road which we went along a short distance, helped by noticing that we could just have got to where we were by taking the road anyway! and then off along a great path, the Kirklees Way, which was only great as far as Cupwith Reservoir, all of 500m, and then became a very wet boggy and stony path with big ruts. We spent a lot of time off the bikes but at least it was all downhill.

We got to Marsden eventually, and refreshed ourselves with ice creams, mine a honeycomb one which just had one huge piece of honeycomb crunch in it. Chris had a rum and raisin and a Malteser one!

Then it was back along the canal to Sparth reservoir and Chris quickly got in and had a swim round. Then back on the bikes for the big hills home. Somehow there seemed to be an awful lot more hill to negotiate on the return than we had noticed on the way. We took a different route keeping to very quiet roads but it was hard hard work and a lot of bike pushing. Some of the places we went through were very pretty and just a few miles from home. We picked up route 68 again at Wilberlee and then it was pretty much down all the way home. We needed that freewheeling reward! 5 hours of very sweaty work but really great too!!

Looking back to Scammonden

Bathing Belle

Chris swimming to the steps at Sparth

Helmet hair

Nearly home

OMG!

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Deanhead+Reservoir,+Metropolitan+Borough+of+Kirklees,+United+Kingdom&aq=3&oq=Deanhead+&sll=53.798766,-2.051529&sspn=0.018148,0.060339&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Deanhead+Reservoir&ll=53.63273,-1.945009&spn=0.015268,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

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Diet, fasting

Diet and fasting

About 2 weeks ago I decided that I couldn’t continue just eating anything and everything and being very greedy and that I needed to get some control or else I would just expand to Michelin man proportions.
I was also given the sight of my cousin who has lost loads of weight and is now training for a marathon by doing lots of running. She looks fit and is eating healthily. She is in her 20s but this was a bit of a catalyst for me. Or just envy!
So I went back to calorie counting and portion control but this time with a difference. Instead of allowing myself to eat bread and pies and cakes and chocolate because the calories only added up to x, I would eat much more healthily and in fact cut out all those things except for a square of chocolate and a 100 cal energy bar if I wanted them.
This strategy has been working well and I’ve lost a few pounds and am enjoying eating nice tasty food more slowly and not needing to stuff myself of an evening.
Then on Monday I watched Michael Mosley on Horizon and the research seems to stack up in favour of incorporating fasting into one’s lifestyle. MM looked into ways to do this and go to work full time and came up with 5 days of normal eating and 2 days of fasting (limited) on work days.
MM’s reason for wanting to do this is because he doesn’t want to die young like his father did and he wants to be alive for his family and reduce the possibility of diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke. In particular he mentioned getting rid of abdominal fat which is a factor for most of those.
Summary of Horizon programme.
Yesterday I tried my first fasting day. I had breakfast of muesli and yoghurt and lunch of soup followed by a fruit yoghurt with fruit juice and later an apple. And apart from a half pint of beer that was it for the day.
Chris and I have also did a bike ride which involved a lot of up especially on the last bit after the pub. Whose idea was that? Enormous hill down to the Hinchliffe! But we probably sweated the beer off!

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Chris doing Martian look

Last big hill to do

Stoodley Pike

Last dregs of sun at Blackstone Edge reservoir

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Hiking and biking

Sometimes you have to change things around a bit, so I got the bike out and cleaned it up and sorted it out. Then I cancelled the gym membership because I’d got so bored, and made sure that the same day I was out on the bike.
I used to go to the gym first thing in the morning which was good because it meant I got a decent car parking spot at work, I’m only actually getting up quarter of an hour later so I still get this anyway. My new routine means I get home from work, have a little snack as I’m always super hungry at this time, quick change and then out for half an hour. Just sticking with half an hour at the moment, but doing this most days.
At first I was a bit wobbly on the bike and couldn’t even remember how to change gear, it seemed very fast as well! Now I’ve got a bit of confidence back and it’s all just like riding a bicycle!
The roads around where we live are fairly quiet and I manage to go just a little bit further each day and because the outward journey is nearly always uphill, I can roll back very quickly.
Yesterday I put the bike in the car, met up with Chris at the White House on Blackstone Edge. We managed not to become part of a sponsored bike ride for the British Heart Foundation and instead continued on our ride around the reservoirs on the top of the Edge. It was cold at first in the wind but we soon warmed up and had a nice little off road ride. No photos, well maybe one from my phone a bit later on…

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Blackstone+Edge+Reservoir,+Littleborough,+United+Kingdom&aq=3&oq=blackstone+edg&sll=54.447057,-3.063918&sspn=0.017492,0.052314&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Blackstone+Edge+Reservoir&ll=53.660509,-2.044058&spn=0.015258,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.