What a Year!

This year is far from over, but it's feeling a bit backendish and so I am going to indulge myself with a bit of a review of the year.

It's been a fabulous year. I started off recovered from last year's surgery, but not fit. I went to Spain for six weeks aiming to improve my fitness and rode over a thousand miles, transforming myself to the point where the first solo ride I did when I returned was my longest for over four years at 67 miles.

Rannoch Moor

Spring came, and Paul and I had a fabulous holiday in Scotland on our tandem with a CUK group led by our friend Gary. We had good company, superb riding and I heard (but didn't see) a corncrake!

Framlingham Castle

I spent a week in the beautiful Suffolk countryside when I went to the CUK Birthday Rides in Framlingham. There I rode with friends most days and I also did a couple of solitary rides, all with only a spot or two of rain and in rolling countryside which won my heart.

Kirkby Lonsdale

Not long after I returned, I found myself needing to be in Scotland again, this time to drive the van in support of my husband's CUK mountain bike tour of the West Highland Way and the Scottish Off-road Coast to Coast. But I didn't drive to Scotland. I rode there, alone and unsupported, with two small panniers and a tiny bar bag. 

Twelve months ago I would never have believed a year could be so good. Being so consistently free from illness was a dream I dare not have. Riding my bike whenever I wanted to, booking onto trips without fear of cancelling, and arranging to meet up with friends were all things I couldn't do.

The year has been great, almost scarily so, and I hardly dare hope that 2017 will be half as good!