I didn’t go to High Ham on Friday.  I did say if it was windy like Friday I wouldn’t go to High Ham today.  Clearly I wasn’t listening to myself…  Besides, I hate to let people down, and I was supposed to be riding with GB and…  OK, I know, he’d have gone anyway, but that’s not the point.

I plotted the route earlier this week, with his input, so as to make sure there were enough hills and absolutely no risk of duplicating any part of the route or retracing our steps in anyway.  And, should you be interested, here it is.  Anti-clockwise.  Or widdershins, which is a great word.

I set off at 10:00am.  Since the course started from my house, and being a stickler for the rules, I discovered that GB was waiting for me outside rather than in the Square.  Which meant, because the rules say so, that he rode back to my door with me too.

It was most definitely windy.  It was, as these things go, relatively warm.  Best of all the roads were dry, which makes a massive difference.  And not just because it means I didn’t have to wash my bike when I got in!  Although that was a bonus 🙂  It means that when the wind does blow you sideways, you don’t crab so far, and there’s less risk generally of slipping, falling off, etc.  All good in my book.

I would talk you through the route, but that would be boring, especially as it’s laid out there for you.  So you can have edited highlights, such as they are.  This mainly consists of the fact that I got up High Ham Hill again without suffering too much and, as that was today’s goal, result!  Oh, and there are some fabulous downhills between there and Fairyland – much fun to be had even by me!  I also got to have two large Americanos and a carrot cake at Heaphy’s which meant that I felt like I fair flew home for the last leg.  Well, I’m on the wagon for the season – so if I want a high for the next few months, it has to be endorphins, adrenalin, and occasional caffeine!  Actually the last leg was slightly delayed as no sooner had we left Fairyland than GB’s back tyre blew out on the roundabout, with impressive sound effects.  We never did figure out what happened, but that didn’t stop the tube from needing changing…however since we were able to pull on to a safe and sheltered bit of pavement to do so, it wasn’t the end of the world.  That just left the Levels and the usual roads to “sprint” home on, occasionally with the wind gloriously behind us 🙂

So.  High Ham Hill – check.  First 50 mile ride of the season – check.  Good coffee – check.  ODO informs me that my bike has now done over 7000 miles – check.  A few more rides like that and I reckon I’ll be set for my first event 🙂

Cycling time: 3:18:48
Distance: 50.32 miles
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 7017 miles

Whilst I was mulling it over beforehand and worrying about the wind, and considering not going, GB argued that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so he’d be out whatever. Having avoided the less attractive of the two options on offer, presumably I am now stronger.  And quite tired.  But in a happy, good, constructive way 🙂