M is for Mountain Biking!

After months slowly going through my alphabet challenge I have injured myself. Not badly enough to require hospital treatment though - so I count myself lucky. This injury only left me with a bruised and cut knee, leaving me unable to wear skirts in this nice weather we have been having. The cause of my suffering? Mountain biking at

Ashton Court

.

Joe is a very keen mountain biker - having numerous bikes and taking part in competitions. He is even going to France to hurtle down the alps on his trusty bike. I have never seen the attraction myself, but as the good girlfriend I am when M came up I suggested mountain biking. I thought it would be something nice for us to do together. Please remember that the last time I suggested doing something adventurous left me in A&E for three hours, and off work on crutches for 2 weeks. I am talking about the dreaded climbing wall incident, which saw me fall from a pitiful three feet and dislocate my knee.

With this thought resounding in my head and armed with my trusty falcon bike (which I have had since I was a teenager - the rust proves the age) I headed to

Ashton Court

with Joe.

Ten minutes into the ride and I thought history was repeating itself, as I wobbled and made a spectacular fall off my bike. Luckily I was wearing my helmet, so my head was protected when it smacked into the ground. I will never again complain about Joe making me wear a helmet - even if it does mess my hair up! So with a bruised knee, hand and elbow I got up, gritted my teeth and carried on, ready to moan to Joe at the end how much I hated it.

However, I was surprised to find that I actually quite enjoyed it! Once I got used to the track, and gained more confidence I found that I didn’t do too badly. It is actually quite a thrill, and the track at

Ashton Court

is made especially for mountain biking. Joe told me that I may actually enjoy mountain biking, and I insisted I would hate it. In this instance I am happy to be proved wrong! So....same time next week? Though this time I may invest in a full body suit - including knee and elbow pads, and a pair of stabilizers!