Since my last update I have been in to hospital to have a few checks done on my heart. This is the result of a scan I had done through work at a discounted price, fully expecting to have a clear result I was a little perturbed to discover the scan found signs of heart disease.

I was immediately referred to my GP and then on to the local NHS Hospital for them to run some tests. These have now been done and have confirmed a small amount of heart disease which as it turns out sounds worse than it really is.

Still, I am now on asprin and another drug for life but other than that and trying to be a little more careful with my diet, nothing else needs to change and exercise is positively encouraged ( I gave up the ciggies 4 months ago which was the one big thing they would have been concerned about)

Anyway, back to the biking. So on the 10th I was back out on the traditional Wednesday night ride and leading the group all over Leith and Holmbury hills before eventually settleing for beers in the Plough.

I also managed to get a trip up to Coldharbour and back on Friday evening which was a bonus ahead of the Nirvana Saturday ride.

Come Saturday morning I set off from home feeling full of beans and as I joined the short section of duel carrigeway near Beare Green I bumped into Brian. This was a very unusal place to see him but it turns out as part of his 'South Downs way in a day' training he decided to cycle from home in Crawley to the start of the Nirvana Saturday ride.

We carried on over to Westcott together bumping into first Andy and then Simon and Huw on the way, just past Dorking. By the time we left Nirvana I had been very reluctantly volunteered as ride leader of the 14 strong group. I did my best taking in a very winding and singletrack route over Leith and Holmbury Hills eventually ending up at Peaslake shop for a lunch stop. I was however feeling exhausted from my efforts and called it a day and headed off home alone over Holmbury Hill and then on the road via Forest Green and Ockley.

Despite Saturdays efforts, the opportunity to ride again on Sunday evening was too good to miss. Still feeling tired I decided to do a loop from home through Ockley and Forest Green, up Leith Hill then back home through Redlands which is about 50% off road and has a killer climb up the hill from Forest Green. And well worth the effort it was too with me arriving home feeling very satisfied with my efforts over the weekend.

Roll on to Tuesday and yet another ride was on the cards. This was a short evening jaunt, once again up on to Leith Hill but this time with the camping stove and food to cook myself a pasta dish up near the tower overlooking the Dukes Warren. George joined me for this and then having eaten we retired to the Plough where we were joined by Huw fore a pint in the evening sun - marvellous.

   A trail in Redlands

Getting ready to cook my pasta supper.