A nice week, if quiet...

Ran for the first time since London on what felt like quite recovered legs last Monday - just 8 miles, and not terribly quick (although I think I was probably bobbing along at about 7:20 pace on the canal).  I actually felt fairly light on my feet, which shows the amount of time it's taken to recover, and shows how much the combination of London and the Peaks took out of me.

Did another steady 5 on Wednesday night in Newcastle, then nothing until Sunday, when I ditched the Etape du Dales (thankfully - it sounded horrendous) and went out with Herb and my new cycling club chums from Ilkley CC.  The "A" ride (which the Afterburner reckons me and Herb should just about be able to hang on to the back of) was cancelled, as all the fast boys would be up doing the Etape, so we hooked up with the "B" group, leaving the Old Bridge at 8:30.  Out to Askwith, and up to the moor, which reminded up how much fun riding in a group can be - people to talk to, people to draft, and no need to cower in the gutter every time a car passes.

We dropped down to the reservoirs on a road that's new to me, then headed over to Harrogate and Pannal before turning for home at Kirkby Overblow.  The pace was very comfortable, and Herb and I were always somewhere near the fron, which suggests to me that we'll be about "A and a half" standard - which for me means the B group for a few weeks whilst I get some more stamina.

We came back via Castley and Leathley, with an encounter with a mad old woman at Farnley who objected to us stopping on the edge of the road, and would prefer us to be right out in the middle where we could get run over.  A blast back to Ilkley saw us do a really nice 38 miles at an average speed of 15.5mph, so not blistering but respectable.

Rick came round shell-shocked from the Etape, having taken 9:30 (Herb and I were 8:12 in much more clement conditions last year).  Tis confirmed our decision to pootle.

Then today I took my posh new Garmin 610 out for a run for the first time - 6 miles on the canal with the middle 4 as an effort.  2 were into the wind and were 6:42 and 6:33, then I turned at Riddlesden and came back in 6:28 and 6:23.  A mile back saw me do 6 miles at an average of under 7min pace - the first decent effort for a couple of weeks.