North Hampshire Training Run

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We started off at 8:30 in the rain but ever the optimist I promised Fr. that the rain would stop by 9:30. We hoped to do around 90 miles today, so we set off through Otterbourne,Hursley and then over Farley Mount towards Little Sombourne, by now it's well after 9:30 and it's still raining, but I did reassure Fr. that it would stop before we get to Stockbridge. Anyway, we had coffee in Stockbridge, and by the time we got there we were WET, and I mean properly WET! As we left I'm sure I saw someone put one of those warning signs down that warns of slippery floors!

After Stockbridge we headed for the road towards Andover. It is still raining, and now we were both very cold, and did I mention, very wet! I asked Fr. what would he do now if he was on his own? "Would you abandon the ride and head home?" "No" he said, "I wouldn't have left home!"
Again I did say that the forecast is good and that the sun will shine later, - eventually.
But a few miles on the rain did start to ease off. There was a glimmer of hope for better things as we started to warm up a bit.
By about 11:30 we arrived in Andover, still raining but we are in a much better mood, so we decided to have an early lunch. I was going to promise Fr. that the rain will have stopped after we have had lunch, but wisely I thought better of it.
But I shouldn't have worried because after our sausages and mash (apparently Fr says rugby players recommend mash) we headed off in the SUNSHINE towards Tadley.

Now the sun is shining we headed off in the direction that the little lady in my bag tells me to go in. No the rain hasn't got to me, I have sat nav! She was programmed to take us on quiet routes and she took us on some fantastic roads. We have seen more of Hampshire today than we ever would have in a car, but it was hilly, very hilly!
Here is Fr. overtaking me again on another hill.

This is one of the last hills near Upham (appropriately named!) and Fr. Michael is getting away again and this is after 80 gruelling miles! His level of fitness has got so much better in the last few weeks.
We finaly completed 90 miles and arrived home for around 7:00pm