Before we set off today we had a bit of a 'what we're going to look like' meeting... This is Quick Ceri and Beagle Nik modelling (beautifully, dahlings, thank you sooooo much) the soon-to-be-patented 'get changed under a towel coverall essential for mud runners'. They look like rather colourful Harry Potter Dementors. Friendly Dementors, then... Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dementors?
Sadly Beagle Nik and Quick Ceri took them off to run in. Might have slowed them up a bit. Cusses, foiled again...
And Quick Ceri has made us all bows to go with our wigs - how cool is that?
They have Friesian ribbon, and ice cream ribbon AND cow ribbon - udderly brilliant! I wish I had hair then I could wear all her bows... She is a VERY talented Cow - have a look at these... (it's a hyperlink - go on, click it!)
Eventually we decided we ought to actually do some running, and off we went, including Ice Cream Sian and Mini Moo - from the parlour to the cycle path, then along to Machen Mast Mountain and (no, not up it) along it then a bit of road, the bramble scramble, garlic wood, river and into Draethen. And just look at this for a view (and a sky!):
I found myself saying 'yes, fine, view admired - now lets crack on'. I seem to have turned into Fit Mark without noticing. Although even he doesn't have Jedward hair... (Of course I'm not going to point out he has no hair at all. Would I?) Anyway, I cracked the whip and off we went. Up the Tardis where I was last by some way, and then along tracks, down the Tardis' Vicious Little Brother (shorter and steeper), back into the forest, down some very bumpy tracks and then a 1.2k race to the parlour - it was a fiercely competitive finish between Quick Ceri and me, and she just beat me. Again. Still, I did achieve a top speed of 33mph...
And look - no Jedward hair this time!
You're absolutely right. That is indeed a bicycle. And I am indeed on it. I was riding it. And your point is???
It seems the orthotics have caused some back problems so I saw the physiotherapists (I have them on speed dial) and they've advised no running this week. However, this presented a teensy weensy problem... Not one of the other Happy Cows has a sense of direction that will get them beyond the parlour entrance. Seriously! So today was a case of cycling as far as I could then pointing them in the right direction and saying something along the lines of 'straight along this path, over the metal fence, turn right at the ruin', crossing my fingers and pedalling like stink back around the roads to meet them where they should come out. And they did - every time! And staggeringly quickly too... I had fondly imagined I would arrive in early, take off my helmet, stretch my toes out in the sunshine and maybe even tackle that old Baby Bel in my rucksack... Not a hope! No sooner had I arrived at the meeting point than they turned up...
And the Tardis was hilarious - it's so steep that once I'd got off the bike to lift it over the steps at the start, there was no way I could get it going again. I'd try, skid and fall off sideways. Or the front wheel would come up and I'd fall off backwards. After several completely fruitless attempts I walked it up the Tardis and only cycled the flattish bit at the top. And all the Cows STILL beat me... On the plus side, they were so far ahead they didn't take any photos of me falling off. Hah!
And the reason I know we went on bumpy tracks was because I hit most of the bumps. Boy, that saddle is bony. I had padded trousers that gave me a bum J-Lo would have been proud of, but I still felt every single bump, stone and tree root... On one particular stony downhill I decided to 'whizz on ahead' so that nobody would see me careering and ricocheting down the track, only to realise I could hear breathing and Wee Gill was absolutely smack right behind me. How? How??
Near the end I pointed them all in the direction of the parlour again and went the opposite way on the roads. I had jokingly said 'race you!' thinking I would be safely sitting down with an ice cream sundae before they even hove into view. And Quick Ceri BEAT me! I got overtaken by two road cyclists too... I'm not called Slow Sarah for nothing.
I have no idea what the Happy Cows have all been taking - but I want some of it. And being on the bike brings me to one very obvious conclusion...
They're way quicker without me!
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