Spring Ritual

It's become a ritual on the first warm day of the year to cycle my favourite middle-distance Dales loop out to Wensleydale. Shorts and a short-sleeve shirt are obligatory. It's most often in April, although sometimes not until May or even June. Two years ago it was actually in February and just as it had to be done then, so it had to be done today - even if the legs weren't quite ready this early in the season. 

It gets more daunting every year and part of the thrill is not knowing whether I'll talk myself out of it or not. I very nearly did heading out towards Lofthouse, north of Pateley Bridge. But then once over the climb and down into the next valley, there really is no turning back. The commitment has been made at the point. Coverdale was a slog into a freshening wind but once at the top of Park Rash, pictured here, it was a lovely run back home. 

I don't fully understand the reason why I can't just sit in a deckchair and enjoy the sun like most people. My body has different demands and there seems to be nothing I can do about that. I'm determined to keep this up for as long as I can. The bonus of getting slower on the hills means that I seem to have more left at the end. The last climb was nothing like as painful as I was expecting it to be. 

My bike computer gave me 74 miles, 8,000 ft of climb and 4,500 calories consumed. That feeling afterwards of putting my feet up to relax and eat a huge plate of food, reliving the hills, up and down, makes it all worthwhile. And for six hours I was able to turn my head away from everything except the road ahead and the glorious views. I think it's the ultimate meditation.