Opportunities to ride during the (dreaded) summer holidays are few and far between.  For various reasons, and thanks to my folks, I was childfree this morning, so that would make this one of them.

However if it had been any other normal morning, I think I’d have bailed.  After 7 hours cycling up a mountain I had, astoundingly, no physical after effects at all.  Take one gym session where I add 3 sets of lunges on the right leg to those I already do for the knee on the left, and thanks to the wonders of DOMS, two days later my right calf muscle is painful enough to keep me up all night.

I was up at 6:15am, having given up the uneven battle to be asleep.  Even with the application of caffeine and pink pills, I was not feeling human by the time Mim arrived at 9:30am.  In fact, annoyingly but predictably, I was feeling like going back to sleep might be a good idea!  That’s after 3 hours spent (admittedly constructively) doing other things.

Still, a ride is a ride.  The sun was shining, and my new Etape jersey was begging for an outing.  Mim had kindly sorted a route, since I’ve been way too busy just lately, and apparently it was time to do some hills.  These days I don’t balk at those anymore.  I’m willing to give them a go.  Which is a good starting point, no?

This meant it was time to go up Shipham Hill again.  I tried (wo)manfully to beat my record, as you do, but ended up 10 seconds slower than on Sunday at 15:25.  3rd best time ever.  Still, at least Mim wasn’t left waiting at the top for me, as she would have been back in the day.  That’s definitely progress.

Following on from that she managed to find some nasty little hills ’round Nempnett Thrubwell – which we both agree is a fabulously named village.  One of which was a proper stand on the pedals, pray the end is nigh, cuss when you go ’round the corner and it isn’t, one.  The other was a long slow slog up under a baking sun, no wind, greenery turning the road into a tunnel type hill.  With a complete lack of relieving mountain streams.  Not, it has to be said, very pleasant.  I may have used rude words under my breath…

We had a coffee stop at Chew Valley Lake.  Well, more of a diet coke, add cold water to your bottle, stop.  I was feeling a bit pooped, and could cheerfully have sat on the grass in the sun for a while longer but that wasn’t going to get me home.  It’s very pleasant there, but I haven’t been in ages since they charge for parking which I object to.  Well, I’d rather park, have a nice walk, and spend money in the café.  Now we do neither.  Just a brief aside for you.

Time to go home, with the Mendips between me and there.  The only way is up, as someone once sang.  Today’s ascension of choice was via East Harptree which is a long slow slog with steeper wiggly bits thrown in just to make it more interesting.  If you’re Mim, you get near the top, and go back down again to see if you can do it in a bigger gear.  I liked my gear…it got me to the top, what more do you want? 😉  By now the sun had been clouded over and, though I was on my own in feeling this, I was quite pleased, as it brought the temperature down a bit.  Definitely makes going up easier.

Sometimes when I’m slogging up a hill, feeling the effort, and looking forward to the top, it beats me how I ever got to the top of a mountain.  Make that 3 mountains.  It feels like such hard work.  Then I realise that if I pay proper attention, nothing is actually really hurting, my legs are pushing ’round ok, I’m not massively out of breath, and I’ve almost mentally made it feel worse than it is.  OK, sometimes it really is that bad.  But it’s not an Alp, right?  And I had the jersey on my back to prove that I did indeed do that, which was motivational.  Bragging rights :).

From there it was across the top of the Mendips, via Charterhouse, to go down Shipham Hill, it being a more pleasant descent than the Gorge at this time of year.  A very inconsiderate lorry got ahead of me and stopped me having what should have been a blast.  Just not cricket!

Cycling time:2:31:19 hrs
Distance: 36.53 miles.
Avs: 14.4 mph
ODO: 9664 miles

It was a hot hard and hilly ride.  It was necessary, as I need to keep doing those hills.  Was it enjoyable?  Well, kinda…  Considering how I was feeling first thing, it went surprisingly well.  However I’m proper tired now.  Do you think that means I’ll sleep?

The general consensus of opinion out there appears to be that I may be over doing it.  Over training.  However I’ve been ignoring them, probably because to my mind there’s a very good reason that can’t be true.  Because over-training is something proper athletes do.  Not an amateur, bumbling along, not very good, and wouldn’t know a training plan if it bit me, cyclist.  Plus the more numerous the people (especially better than me male cyclists) telling me to do something – like rest – the less likely I am to do it.  I know I know, not very mature *grin*.  Maybe I’ll sleep on it and see how I feel… 😉