Due to illness, family commitments and the generally crap weather of late I have to admit to doing very little riding since crashing at Afan nearly 5 weeks ago. I had been out once on the hills last week briefly and all of the sudden they felt a lot steeper plus the comming of the rain had turned them into muddy, slippy wet nightmare so it wasn't all that enjoyable ride.

However, seeing as I've signed myself up for my first ever forum ride and I can't really hibernate till the summer ( if we get one that is!) I decided that today I would go out what ever the weather!!

So got up took the OH to work and then came back and went out - nearly passed out half way up church street but eventually made it to the top of the wyche and gladly it didnt feel quite so much as a chore as last weekend! Due to the ever increasing wind I decided to stay off the top of the ridge line and opted instead for the some what muddy side path

Blimey have I forgotten how much harder work the gloopy mud makes peddling on the flat let alone up a malvern hill! Sill carried on, being on my own meant that I could go at a speed I was comfortable with and I could be a girl over things and not hold anybody up, which at the momet I think I need a few sessions like that as my confidence is still feeling somewhat battered after comming off at Afan plus I'm not so keen on the slippy mud, wet roots etc

Anyway as I got used to the slippy conditions I started to enjoy it abit more untill I was much happier in the mud, splashing about and getting throughly caked from head to foot in the stuff!!

Aware of the time I decided it was time to make my way home so took a path downwards - wasn't completely sure were it came out but down is always a good option in malvern!! I popped out on to the road just as its started to rain, making my way home the rain starts getting heavier and heavier till just as I'm coming down at a fair old pace it turns into a deluge, I couldn't see a damn thing and the windy was trying its best to blow me off, which it very nearly succeded in doing!! As I get to the bottom of peachfield common it starts to ease, soaked to the skin, covered in mud but grinning from ear to ear - the people in the cars looking at my strangly like I was some mad women on the loose!!

Maybe it was because I was on my way home but I oddly kinda enjoyed the rain, made me feel more alive, may not of felt like that if I'd been on my way up the hills but still!!

Thankfully due to the deluge the bike wasn't to muddy, but the same couldnt be said for me - really must find where I've hidden the crud catcher!!

Planning to repeat todays session on wednesday and friday so hopefully come saturday's forum ride the hills wont seem quite so steep!!