50 miles

Yesterday's 50.6 mile bike ride along the Trans Pennine Trail Route 62. We went a bit further following signs towards Birchwood. It wasn't as hot so it didn't feel that bad. I thought it was a nice ride unlike last week which was horrible and sweaty. The route is so unpredictable as some of it you'll be going through a forest/park then the next you will be along the traffic on the path. Really enjoying these weekend bike rides they're a lot more run that running as you get to appreciate and see more on a bike. You can take stops where as when you're running you don't want to stop as you won't be able to get back going again!

We left at 10am which is a earlier than we usually do and stopped off outside the Catalyst Science and Discovery Centre where they have this zip line. We've been going past it for weeks and been wanting to go on it but every time we go past there's kid on it but there was no-one there as it was early so we finally go to go on it. It was so fun I love stuff like this. We got a couple of boomerangs on it.

Then we just carried on with our ride. Not really having a clue where we were going just following the path.

Not quite convinced strava is working properly on my phone as at no point did I think we were going 117 mph?? I was going faster than a car?? No way with a bad knee for a start and even if I didn't I could never go that fast so something isn't right here... I think the average could be right but the max definitely not. I thought we were going faster last week but still not fully convinced with last week's speed either. Let's see if we manage to go on a ride next weekend as the weather isn't look great!

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42.5 miles

Running is so 2019. 2020 is all about the cycling.

With all these pop up cycle paths, the government prescribing cycling for obese people and the government's repair your bike voucher scheme (which I didn't manage to get as it was like trying to get Glastonbury tickets) cycling really is getting pushed. I think we have caught the cycling bug - swapping our weekend long run for a weekend long bike ride. I don't think we'll be doing any races or competitions though. We might have clocked 42.5 miles today but I am fully done in and don't think I could go further. The weather didn't help as it was so hot and humid, I was just so sweaty and sticky it was horrible. It was draining me as well, I just don't do well in the heat.

We decided to go the same route as we did on our 27 mile bike ride so we went under the new Mersey Gateway bridge rather than going along the Runcorn Widnes Bridge. We wanted to go further to see where the path took us.

They're doing resurfacing through Hale Bank but this week the foot path was closed so we couldn't carry on but happened to be behind this couple who were really nice and said we could follow them as they knew a way around to get back on the cycle path. These two were dressed in all the cycling gear with racing bikes and shoes. We didn't know if we were going to be able to keep up with them but they rode slow and kept turning round to make sure we were keeping up. Felt like we were doing the Tour De France as we were cycling in a line along. We didn't fit in though as we weren't dressed in all the gear. We were definitely slowing them down though but they got us back onto the path. So we carried on and they went a different way but ended up behind us which was awkward! But then we lost them and don't know where they went but they definitely couldn't wait to get rid of us.

My Strava says my max speed was 81.6 miles/h that must have been to try and keep up with them but I definitely don't believe I was cycling that fast at any point as you don't even drive that fast on the motorway! But the only thing I can think is maybe when we were going downhill we were flying after we got up the steps and towards the Runcorn Widnes bridge. There's no way my legs would have been able to push me that fast!

We followed the Trans Pennine Trail - National Cycle Network Route 62 all the way to Warrington along the Manchester Shipping Canal going towards Birchwood. We got to 20 miles and decided to call it a day as we knew we had to make it back. I'm so tired now and aching all over. Gonna sleep well tonight!

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Biking

Another sunny Sunday which meant another adventure bike ride.. Today we did 30.9 miles in 3 hour 37 minutes. We rode across the Runcorn Widnes bridge which meant we had to take a tourist selfie. Back in the day you wouldn't have been able to get one of these! 

We went along the bridge then through Runcorn town and just followed the canal. We didn't actually know where we were going but just followed the 82 route. We got to the end of the Bridgewater Canal and headed back home as the further we went we knew we would have to get back home. We came prepared this week, we had some yogurt rice cakes to keep us going and I had some granola before we went out. It wasn't as hot today so it didn't feel as bad as the last bike ride we did. It was a nice little ride and adventure.

Feeling tired now though and of course when I come back I had a white Magnum.. Definitely not how to get rid of this lockdown weight even if we did burn 900 calories!

We're enjoying these adventure bike rides probably the only good thing to have come from lockdown but we probably would have ended up doing something else. It's mad how much things have changed because of lockdown and really hope most things can go back to the the way they were before but things will never be the same again. Mad how it's August already it's been the quickest year but also feels like it was ages ago when I read all the Harry Potter books!

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Bike Ride

It's been a while since I've posted and it's not a recipe! I'm currently on a baking ban so if you do see a recipe it's from a while back and not made on the day the post is out!

I've got a bad knee from back in April which hasn't healed so I've not been running. I've been doing daily walks near my house or going on bike rides with Jo borrowing Rich's bike as I don't actually have one. We've been doing rides most days just down the Ralla and on the weekends when the weather has been nice just down to the prom to town and round Sefton or Calderstones park but today we thought we would go on an adventure and go somewhere new.

We went on a long 27 mile bike ride with Jo this morning/afternoon which took us 3 hours. We weren't actually sure where we were going or what the route was going to be like. We knew we wanted to go near the Runcorn/Widnes bridge and knew you could get to Chester but didn't know how to get there. We've been going on the Liverpool Loop Line also know as the Ralla to scousers which is an old train line that got abandoned by British Rail in 1964 which was derelict until 1986 when they changed it into a walking and cycling route in 1988. It links South Liverpool from Halewood to North Liverpool - Aintree. It's a nice flat traffic free route part of the Trans Pennine Trail. It also connects you to the Liverpool to Leeds Canal.

We found a way onto the path but wasn't sure which way to go and thought we would just go and hope for the best we were going the right way and would ask people along the way if we were lost. So we did ask a fellow cyclist if we were going the right way but he was so rude and snotty there was no need for it. We just asked him if this was the way to Runcorn and he was like "I'm from Manchester. Just follow the blue signs". Alright mate no need to speak to people like that, if we knew we wouldn't be asking! But we managed to follow the path and get there on our own without his help.

You'd think we were tourists and never seen the Runcorn bridge before even though we've been on it many a times before back in the day before they opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge.

The path was pretty smooth and easy to ride with a bit of "forest" where you have to dodge some branches.

Until we got to this part... Not ideal but you have to get off your bike and walk it with wide steps. Each section has a bit of a maze where you either have to steer your bike around it or we just pushed the bike through it. It wasn't fun going up or down it. 

After this bit we just carried on going not sure where we were going to end up but ended up stopping when we got to Warrington as we were hungry. We hadn't eaten anything before and didn't have any snacks with us. I was tired and done in knowing we had to go all the back as well.

We left before 12pm and got back at 3:15pm. A long ride with no food so I was starving when I got back and was a hungry hippo! This was what I ate...

Left over rice, char siu, steamed baby corn and tender stem broccoli (I like to call it posh broccoli but it's actually from my garden which my mum and dad have been growing) and some sun dried tomatoes. It was so nice oh and I had a treat as well.. An actual real white Magnum not a fake one!

It was well deserved as we burnt 701 calories. To be honest I thought it would have been at least 1000 calories. Getting the bike up and down the steep hill was a workout in itself but I was tracking it off my phone so it wouldn't have taken that into consideration unless I was wearing a smart watch and taking my heart rate.

We're going to aim to go further next time might even make it to Manchester but will be more prepared with some snacks next time! If you're looking for a day out and have a bike I would definitely recommend going on a bike ride. Most of the route was on the cycle path but going through Hale Village we did have to go on some country road which was scary but it was quiet so not many cars. I'm glad I was wearing a helmet as I did bang my head a couple of times and got it caught in branches so that saved my head!

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