I am not sure we can really call ourselves the medium paced run at the moment - we have just done 2 very quick weeks compared to our usual speed. Last week we did a variation on the reliability ride- and managed a pace of just under 18mph, and I thought that was a fluke....but maybe it wasn't...

Met at the clock tower as usual today - nice to have the extra hour in bed/getting ready today! We had a couple of newbies - Ian and Kevin, and Pedro who had been out once before. The rest of the ride was made up of Dave B, Dave D, Matt, Rob and myself. Dave B has requested the Stokenchurch route, so despite the brisk southwest wind, and knowing it would be in our faces on the return, we decided to do that.

A bit of a delay to pump up Pedros tyres, then straight into the wind towards Twyford. I was feeling quite strong so Matt, Rob and I took the front all the way there before regrouping and heading up Playhatch. A short wait at the top, Pedro was struggling a bit - but Ian and Kevin were strong - Kevin has only just started on the road and has a background in mountain biking...and you could tell Ian was fast just by looking at him. Wont be long before he is out with the Bird Hills group I reckon! The wind came behind us as we climbed up through Sonning Common and through Nettlebed. Whilst we waited at the junction near the Sue Ryder place we saw the Bird Hills group zooming the other way - looked for Daniel O Connel and Tom who were out with us last week and couldn't see them - turned out they had split off from the main group and gone home by then, but it sounds like they had done really well and kept up for a fairly long way!

Anyway the pace was still high - taking turns on the front (although Matt, Rob and Ian did the lions share of it if we are honest!), and we really went for it through Christmas Common - a great run through there. A regroup at the dog walker corner then down the hill to Marlow. I managed to stay near the front for a change, and Pedro seemed to be getting the hang of it and also kept up much better. The wind was in our faces, but actually it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

In Marlow I checked my Garmin and we had averaged 18.3mph for the 40 miles. At this point we decided to go back up Quarry Hill Road and I knew I didn't have the legs to attack it so I stopped the Garmin as I was proud of that average! Ian did have the legs and whizzed up, the rest of us looked like beginners as we ground round the switchback! A gentle run back home followed and the average for that 5 miles was 14.6. its amazing how much we have come on as a group - that felt easy, but only a few months ago that would have been our average for the whole ride.

Well done to our new riders today - it was a fast ride for our group, so you did well...although for some of you I think you could have coped with even faster.....