I’m busy, so today’s ride was not going to be about hours or miles.  I still wanted a challenge though, and there’s not a lot left around here that fulfils that criteria.  But there was one that sprang to mind…

Many years ago, I went on a ride with GW and RL and they took me up what was, to me, a hideous hill, that I ended up walking up.  Not that they noticed because they were so far ahead.  As it turns out that hill, the one that goes up past Ebbor Gorge, is called Dear Leap Hill.  Having not even tried to go up it since, it had achieved somewhat mythical proportions in my head.  Recently both GB and GH have been up it, and I was starting to feel a little left out, so I knew I wanted to try it, but on my own, so I could do it my way and deal with it, rather than with the added pressure of keeping up with someone else.  Or them laughing at me if I had to walk of course!  So I plotted myself a circular loop to include it and set off, rather earlier than planned because I couldn’t sleep, a bit after 8.00am this morning.

And as it turns out it was fine.  Yes, ok it was hard work, but it was fine.  It was wet and a tad gravelly so if I had had to stop, getting back on again would have been troublesome, so apologies to the cars that wanted to get past me.  Yes, I’ll let you past when it’s appropriate, but I’m not stopping!  So I plodded my way slowly and relatively happily to the top.  What a difference a few years make.  Setting yourself a challenge and achieving it is a nice way to start the day 🙂  I know it’s not an Alpe, but it’s steeper than many of them! 😉

I came home via Charterhouse and the fun that is descending Shipham Hill.  Not the longest route, but one that worked perfectly for today.

Cycling time: 1:40:34 hrs
Distance: 25.56 miles.
Avs: 15.2 mph
ODO: 9988 miles

It was lovely just to be out on the bike.  The summer holidays mean a distinct lack of head space so it was nice to have some of that, to get some fresh air, and not to hear a single voice going “Mum…?” *grin*.

It was a relief to discover, upon pulling into the Square after our ride, that today’s average speed was a fast one, because I was feeling a tad on the worn out side, without a lot left in the tank.  However if we were doing that kind of speed, that it’s no wonder I’m tired!

As I’ve probably mentioned before, I’ve got a lot coming up in the next few weeks, getting between me and my next sportives.  It having been a month since my last sportive I was starting to wonder if I could still do the miles, and it was definitely time to get a longer ride in while I could.  This combined happily with hubby and the mob going motor racing, so I wasn’t even inconveniencing anyone.  Not only that, I managed to rope GB in, and even better, he planned us a route.  Result!

It being a longer route, it was a bit like taking two of the normal kind of loops and tying them together, including hills and some roads that he knows and I don’t. The first loop was the seaside one, and the second the Chew Valley variety.  I’m dying to say something about a game of two halves…  There was the first half, where it was early, grey, occasionally damp, and quiet because the rest of the world hadn’t woken up.  Then there was the second half where we found a head wind, the sun started to come out, and so did all the traffic.  I think I preferred the first half, but neither of them were horrible.

I did start off like a bullet out of a gun – definitely one of my coiled spring days.  Only it had been so long since I’d had a decent ride, and I’ve been stuck in the gym all week, so being let loose on the roads on my bike was just a beautiful thing.  I assured GB it would wear off, and I guess it did later on, though I’d like to think I did my fair share at the front.  Having said that I realise I’m probably only saying that in the hope that he will reassure me that that was the case when probably it wasn’t at all!  We kicked ass all the way around the seaside, including a very juvenile display of rabbit chasing around the Kewstoke road.  Oh, and coming out of Wells.  And down the Wedmore road.  Well, it had to be done…*grin*.  I’ve also invented a new charge for those cars that pull out on you when you’re going downhill – they’re committing crimes against momentum!  Don’t they know how much work I’ve put in to get to that speed in the first place?  Darned inconsiderate I’ll have you know 😉    And when it comes to going up, I continue to enjoy the hills – Brockley Coombe was nice, as were the other nameless ones.  GB still leaves me behind, but I definitely still go up them better than I did, at my pace, and my descents are noticeably better.  And more enjoyable too.  There was a lovely long descent down into Wells, and I managed to pretty much keep up with GB, even with my cornering caution :).

We had coffee at Chew Valley Lake – where they don’t take cards (be warned) and I didn’t have cash – so had to rely on GB for a scone and coffee.  It was a slightly longer break than usual since not only was the scenery gorgeous, but I needed a bit of a breather to regroup and get going again.  I’ve not done a long run for a while, and I’d been pushing it – that’s my excuse.  Besides which, it’s not all about the ride, some of it’s about the talking, and you can’t do too much of that when you’re going too fast, because there’s breathing to be done!

Cycling time: 3:57:01 hrs
Distance: 67.62 miles.
Avs: 17.1 mph
ODO: 9948 miles

Just look at that speed.  Man we rock! *grin*.  That would be why I’m tired – because we were pushing it!  I am now drinking my Torq Recovery like a good girl, though I’m thinking that a nap may be an unavoidable option.  *yawn*.  4 sociable hours riding the bike in the (semi) sun  – not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning :).

Well it’s that time of year isn’t it?  The time when we all head somewhere else in the hope of better weather and a change of scenery.  Up until shortly beforehand, I’d been faced with the prospect of two weeks in Cornwall without my bike.  However during negotiations of one sort or another, hubby performed a volte face, and I was allowed to take it with me.  *phew*.  To be honest, having been facing the spectre of over-training, even given that concession, I contemplated leaving it at home.  And I’m so glad I was encouraged not to.  Well, having it there and deciding not to use it is a whole heap different from not having it there and wanting to use it!  I was kinda hoping to get out a couple of times a week.  This nearly became three times a week, and ended up being five rides in total.  Not bad…

Monday 1st August
Something inside so strong
When life gives you lemons you make lemonade.  When life gives you a Sunday, a Grand Prix and a pass, you go for a ride.  Or at least you would if you hadn’t left your cycling shorts at home!  Doh!  Scuppered…  Or #Fail as my son would have it…

On Monday morning, after some net searching, ably assisted by a tired but recovering GB, and some old school telephoning around like a Yellow Pages advert, I tracked down a pair in a LBS 12 miles away.  Gotta love the wonders of modern technology.  And the new shorts aren’t bad either.  Beggars can’t be choosers so…Monday afternoon rolled around.  Time to ride.  Not without a certain sense of trepidation, but in a weirdly good way.  As we’ve been driving around here it has been very obvious that Cornwall is not flat. However rather than dreading this, I found myself wondering what it would be like to go up those hills, and quite fancying the challenge.  Very odd *grin*.  And shall I tell you something about the hills?  So far I like ’em!  Ok, this may not last but…they’ve been long, slow, push your way to the top hills.  In short, my kind of hills.  My legs felt strong, as did I, as they pushed me round tiny traffic free back lanes to Liskeard.  Even Lodge Hill there, which seemed nasty in the car, was oddly enjoyable.  And even more so in descent!  I had to retrace my steps a bit after trying and failing to find the way out of town that I wanted, and not enjoying a brief stint on the dual carriageway that is the A38.  So I came back through Duloe, with some mad wiggly wet roads instead.  Green tunnels that haven’t seen the light of day in a while and where the road surface is probably always wet.  Slightly hairy from time to time on the mad descent there too.  It wasn’t the longest ride ever, though arguably from a resting point of view that ‘s good – same intensity less time.  It was however lovely to have that sense of exploring again, of novelty.  A ride that doesn’t involve the Wedmore road!
If I lived around here I reckon I’d be a really good cyclist. It’s mostly up or down so I’d have to end up better at either, if not both, of those. And then imagine what I could do up mountains… 🙂

Route: Cornwall 1/5
Cycling time:1:33:53 hrs
Distance: 22.44 miles.
Avs: 14.3 mph
ODO: 9720 miles

Wednesday 3rd August
Come fill my little world right up
Today’s aim was to go to Lostwithiel, but it all went a bit pear shaped, and I got lost, and I kept changing my mind, and it was windy and getting progressively more miserable, so I kinda botched a loop and came home again. The big climb out of Looe towards Pelynt was as long as it had looked by car, and as much fun as it was going up it, it’s 10 times that as a descent!  In fact by the time you get back into town you’re breaking the speed limit and the cars have stopped bothering to overtake you *grin*.  You have to be a tad careful at the bottom as the car park and bridge traffic tend to back up though…but luckily I was prepared for that.
Route: Cornwall 2/5

Cycling time:1:32:21 hrs
Distance: 23.65 miles.
Avs: 15.3 mph
ODO: 9744 miles

Saturday 6th August
I am not yours I am mine
One of the problems with staying by the coast is that you only have a 180C radius to explore.  Throw in a few rivers and a lot of hills and planning routes, even on the OS map, gets a tad tricky.  So I decided to take Monday’s route and embellish it.  I managed not to get lost this time!   I also went up some of the nice downs I’d done, and vice versa, which made for a little variety too.  I even saw a couple of other cyclists who did try to catch me but I wasn’t having any of that!  Which might explain why it turned out to be quite a fast ride…
Route: Cornwall 3/5
Cycling time:1:30:56 hrs
Distance: 25.25 miles.
Avs: 16.8 mph
ODO: 9769 miles

Monday 8th August
Run to the hills
Time to go east for a change.  To see the sea.  To get right to the edge of my OS map without falling off, because if you fell off, there would of course be dragons.  I was continuing to love the climbs, and the little black arrows on the map intrigued me.  And to add icing to the hilly cake, this time around I even found a hairpin bend!  It was a ride of interesting hills, and interesting names:  Seaton, Downderry, Portwrinkle, Crafthole, Antony.  Little wiggly country lanes going down to go by beaches, and up to along the tops of the coast.  With plenty of stunning views thrown in for good measure, as you can see below.  Once I’d reached Antony, it was home by a long run along by the river on the swoopy and rather more main road before climbing over the hills and down again to get back to Looe.  And man, there was a glorious descent in there somewhere – my max speed was 40.5mph!  I felt all proper professional, and may actually have been showing off *grin*.
Route: Cornwall 4/5

Cycling time:1:50:28 hrs
Distance: 28.85 miles.
Avs: 15.6 mph
ODO: 9798 miles

Thursday 11th August
I won’t be twice shy
When I redid the seaside route in reverse. Which made some of the wiggly ups into less attractive descents, and some of the long straight descents into steeper ups.  But hey, I proved I could do ’em both ways round :).  The big climb out of Seaton turned out to both the biggest and steepest of the whole week, and I still managed it.   Since I wasn’t getting lost and knew the route, I had time to ponder many things as I rode along, as you do.

For example, let me address Mr/Mrs Motorist.  If you are over-taking me, then let us presume you are not being fool enough to do so when there is not much space due to traffic coming in the opposite direction, right?  And you are not doing so where there is a solid white line or other highway code hindrance preventing you from doing so either, right?  Of course not.  Well, in that case, would you like to explain to me why you can’t leave me more than 6 inches when you go past me?  And, incidentally, whoever told you that <that> was 6 inches was lying to make you feel better…  To all those drivers who do in fact pass me considerately, with space to spare, and to those who do not hound me narrow country lanes, may karma bring you the rewards you deserve.  I have suggestions as to what I’d like karma to give to the rest of you…

Whilst not mulling over the idiocy of motorists, I came to the conclusion that my cycling goals are the 3 Cs.  I need to sprint like Cavendish, descend like Cadel, and climb like I’ve had a particularly tasty Spanish steak… 😉

Route: Cornwall 5/5
Cycling time:1:51:41 hrs
Distance: 27.36 miles.
Avs: 14.6 mph (max 39.3)
ODO: 9826 miles

Riding in Cornwall seems to be a good investment.  If you put the effort in to climb up, you will be rewarded with a lovely down.  They’re also my kind of hills, and I reckon they’d make for great training for some of the things I have pencilled into my cycling future.  Round here our hills have names, whereas since you always seem to be going either up or down down there, I’m guessing that for the most part they don’t bother naming them 😉  I’m also very proud of myself for getting up them all.  Last time we were down there I looked at those same hills and was glad I wasn’t cycling up them.  This time I couldn’t wait to get up them, and had a blast doing so :).  Taking my bike turns out to have been a very very good idea *grin*.