Trying to prioritise...

despite the fact that I don't start work until the 1st September it seems that there is still so much to do....

as well as trying to train for the Atlas trip in October - and I still feel worried about whether I am going to fit enough for day after day of long rides - I am trying to sort the flat out and do some painting, as it is getting valued on Friday. This is good as it will at least give some information as to where I am and allow me to review my options in the next two weeks when I am cat-minding for Gill when she is in Turkey.

The rib is still giving me a lot of cause for concern in that it is getting no better at all - or at least seems not to be. It does hurt a bit less when I sneeze though which is good...

Anyway, did the Tour of Skiddaw on Friday (or at least my 34km version of it) and got round in under 2 1/2 hours which was quite encouraging. I do still feel quite tired climbing however, although I do seem to be able to recover quite fast after the climbs which is encouraging; and I descended better than I have on this route before. This was probably down the new wider tyres I have fitted on Marvin which I will use in Morocco.

Saturday was more a chill out day, with a lie-in and then doing some painting at the flat and listening to the football - groan- on the radio. I rode back to Gill's on the road bike; who I am really going to use a lot more of next year when the Morocco trip is done..

Sunday saw the last training walk for Gill before she goes to Turkey to climb Mt. Arrat (amongst other things). So, we used both cars and decided to go over Cross Fell and its satellite peaks before descending to Dufton where lots of food and beer would be had in the Stag Inn. This plan went very well for the first part of the walk...up Cross Fell, over Little Dun and Great Dun Fells (the latter with the utter disfigurements on top that make one yearn for gunpowder) and onto to Knock Old Man. However from there things went a little awry and we found ourselves descending into Knock not Dufton...oops. The upshot was a 1 mile road jog for me in walking boots to get the car...however I could say hand on heart the Chocolate Fudge Cake for pudding had been earned!!