Saturday - An early morning ride...

After the usual Friday night pub session with Gary and John I had made up my mind to get up early on Saturday morning and go for a shortish ride. We've got various members of family staying over for the weekend and with that all the usual organisation and ensuing chaos. I've been tasked with manning the barbecue for the afternoon - after making a batch of homemade burgers on Thursday night it's a task I don't mind too much. But first I feel the need to stretch my legs.

I set off nice and early - 7.30am. The roads are quiet as Christmas and its already fairly warm - today is forecast for a scorcher. I head along to Barton under the Beans and then turn towards Bosworth - I haven't been along this route for a while and the climb up to the market square is a daunting prospect at this hour. But it feels okay, I take it steadily but by the time I reach the top I'm leaking sweat. I make my way to Cadeby and then Sutton Cheney and on to Upton, but I turn left before the village making my way towards the A444 and Sibson. The sun is powerful already, burning through the clear blue sky and making itself felt on the bare skin of my legs and arms.

After covering 20 miles my back is aching - it's not debilitating; more annoying, a constant niggle that, no matter what I do, remains. I press on towards Twycross and then to Snarestone. From there a few more miles (and uphills) and I'll be home.

Passing through open farmland the fields that were flourishing with crops a week or so ago are now stripped bare. Some have round bales of hay dotted across the surface in the fashion of a modern art installation. It's all signals that summer is on it's last legs; teetering towards winter......darkness..... cold. It seems to be happening more quickly than ever this year, I've already noticed the evenings drawing in and it's definitely darker (and cooler) in the mornings. Its only three months since I was in France where the heat was sometimes overpowering, that three months feels like a year.