Category Archives: Training

Angels watching over me

Sometimes I am, apparently, a wise old bird. Sometimes, as I think is more than obvious, I am not. This however, actually is. I’ve been meaning to show it to you for a while, but I’m only allowed to photograph things that I ride past, deliberate photography detours are against the rules, and I haven’t quite gone past it so I couldn’t. And yes, there are rules 😉 Wednesday’s ride, with the man from Minehead, aka @gazwagon, took us right past it, so carpe diem, call me Mr DeMille, here’s a very good way to mark the passing of a once mighty tree. Funeral rites for an Ent?

Here’s a quote that isn’t from a Wol, but is from Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh: “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think“. I’m having a tough week; could these should be words to live by? Actually there are lot of Winnie the Pooh quotes I like. And I am frequently a Bear of Very Little Brain, though long words do not Bother Me, I love them :). Maybe I should put each quote on a pretty picture of a sunset or the like and then post them regularly on Facebook, where reading them will solve everything for everyone…but it’s probably already been done ;).

It was a nice ride, mostly. Well, apart from the headwind all the way to the seaside! Rides in good company are always good. It’s a sort of unwritten rule. A head start, a positive handicap, a favourable weighting. Even bad rides are better with friends. And this one wasn’t even bad, it was just quite hard work, for me anyway. I don’t have all those hills on my doorstep to practice on, he does, and it shows! Another MAMIL on form! *sigh*. Mind you, if that was my only option, I’d probably never leave the house, so I’ll keep my Levels thank you very much ;).

You may be interested to hear that The New Castle in Kewstoke is open again – under new ownership. Open all day, new tables and chairs, good coffee, reasonable prices, and a gluten free bar that isn’t a brownie(!), which all adds up to it being a very pleasant place to break up the loop and give me a break without having to resort to the debatable joys of Weston super Mare. We sat inside, to hide from the really rather chilly wind, really rather unsuccessfully since for all that it was nice in there, it wasn’t warm, and I seem to be getting cold rather easily at the moment. Coffee, cake, and time to be on our way again. At least that wind was due to be, and then actually was, behind us on the way home :).

Once again, I was left for dust all the way ’round, but you know, I’m kind of getting used to it, and there’s no point letting it get me down, as that would be counter productive. I don’t appear to be improving, or I don’t feel like I am, which is depressing. Though a couple of my Strava segments, like the climb up that Bleadon Hill, show that against myself, I’m not at my worst, and may actually be showing slight signs of improvement on earlier this year. It’s probably all a question of perception. Gaz thinks he’s slow, and he’s wrong too! ;). I went up a few hills, and that’s the main thing. And I still enjoyed the downs :).

For a change, I wasn’t in pain much, which was good. Well, not the usual pain. With that cleared away for a little while, and riding on three different types of bike of late – winter, summer, exercise – the old pain in my left knee has reared its ugly head again. Well, if knees can have heads. They can have ears right though, grasshopper? I think I’ll strap it up on Sunday, and take the pills with me, just in case. And since I wasn’t in pain then but I am now, I’ll probably be dosed up anyway :). I’m fairly nervous about the day but, with the week I’ve had, the thought of spending all day on the bike just riding kind of appeals, so even if I’m on my own and it takes all day, that might be ok :).

Cycling time: 1:51
Distance: 28.1 miles
Avg 15.2 mph
ODO: 3987.7 miles

Flying high on something beautiful and aimless

There are lots of reasons for riding a bike. Sometimes the only reason is just because. This time it was because it would have been rude not to. Good weather, good company, nowhere else to be, nothing else to be doing. Perfect :).

It was one of those sunny Spring days where your layering strategy will never be right and zips go up and down and layers come on and off but at least there are layers to do that with, and the novelty of not being wrapped up like the Michelin man stops it from being annoying. Thanks to the nasty cold fairly annoying wind going up hill may have been rather warm, but the rest was anything from quite nice to verging on chilly and then as the sun got a little lower later on, actually cold. None of that stopped it being absolutely blooming’ gorgeous out there though – just look at it? :D.

lumpy hill ahead

It be nice around Somerset, and this wasn’t my turf, so I got to see whole chunks of it that I hadn’t seen before, which made a really nice change. Being unfamiliar, our route seemed longer and further than it actually was, but that was ok. There were more hills than any route made by me would probably have involved, and that was ok too. Because it was just so nice being out there, on it, in it. I really, really enjoyed it which, as my Dad pointed out to me the other night, is supposed to be the point! There was definitely a lot of smiling going on :). Having persuaded Chris to check it over and make sure it was in working order, I was on my summer bike for the first time this year, and I fell in love with it all over again. It’s SO beautiful. Not just to look at, which it is, eye of the beholder ‘n all that, but also to ride. Oh yes. For the first time in however long, there were entire minutes of zone. That urge to kick off and sprint a bit, I’d forgotten how much it almost begs to do that. Also to swoop downhill at mad speeds. It’s no wonder we get on so well together ;). Even plodding my way up the hills felt good – slow but smooth and steady. Me and my bike were feeling pretty good…

So I rode again. I seem to have gotten away with it – no painful consequences. Definitely another step along the road back. I do love riding my bike. It was part of a really good weekend, and I’ve been trying to carry that happy feeling with me through today – it’s definitely made Monday more bearable :).

Cycling time: 2:12
Distance: 30.1 miles
Avg 13.7 mph
ODO: 3959.6 miles

On Sunday I have the Endura Lionheart, and I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet. I think I’m riding on my own, which could be interesting. I could do 100km or 100miles, and I guess I’ll see how I’m feeling, and how the weather is, and play it by ear on the day. Be nice to do the whole thing though…*fingers crossed*.

Can’t stay on your morphine, cause it’s making me itch

On Sunday I rested. On Monday I did a wattbike session + workout. On Tuesday I did half a wattbike session because that’s all that I could manage – I kinda bonked. Yes, I know, but there’s no telling me, as many people will tell you ;).

But I’d rearranged my schedule so that I could ride on Wednesday morning. The forecast was good. And I was feeling ok. On top of that, I was to be riding on my own, with no-one to keep up with, no agenda but mine own. No pressure, in other words, whether actual, perceived, or imagined.

Which is the best way to go up hill. Or up hills. On top of that, the sun was shining and I fancied enjoying it from the top of the Mendips instead of the bottom. What better way to do that than to go up Cheddar Gorge?

I pottered my way up happily enough, without pushing, chatting to the goats/sheeps as I went. However the nice weather was rapidly disappearing now, as was the scenery, behind what could have just been low cloud, or maybe it was fog. I’m sure there are lots of ways to tell the difference. All I knew was that by the time I reached the top there was s*d all visibility, I only had three tiny lights with varying degrees of not a lot of power, and was wearing a light blue jacket – not precisely high-vis. You’d think the traffic hurtling around the bends would, considering the conditions, slow down and drive with caution. Ha, ha, ha…

It was, quite frankly, scary. I felt very invisible and very vulnerable. I headed across towards Burrington Combe debating whether to take the more main roads – wider, more space, straighter but with traffic going faster, or the little back lanes – quieter but narrower and nowhere to go if something comes either way without seeing you, which kept happening. I went for the latter option, and carefully cycled the Charterhouse way across the top, slowly, listening out for traffic, and finding usually very familiar roads oddly new and frightening! Yes, I’m a big girly wuss :).

I stopped at the top before descending Burrington Combe to put my overgloves on, since I was getting cold. In that I can’t tell whether it was cloud or fog, I probably can’t tell whether it was freezing fog or not either, but there was fog and it was freezing! Flying downhill for a while is not known for making that any better, and so just for once I did the sensible thing. Stop, take a break, drink, and put those gloves on. And take a photo of course…I’m sure this sign has featured before, but since everything looked different, maybe I can be forgiven? 😉

It was a relief to get back down t’other side of the Mendips where everything was much clearer. It was also quite a lot of fun getting down there too *grin*. Why do I always forget it’s colder over there though? It always is, by a good couple of degrees. Chilly! Still, I pushed on, warmed up, made up quite a nice little route as I went along, and even finished up by going up Winscombe Hill. Go me! Well I’m impressed, neither Strava not anyone else is or should be ;).

As I turned onto the bypass for the final cruise home, the sun came out, the clouds/fog vanished, the temperature rose, and suddenly it was beautiful out there again. Bl**dy typical! Still, to be honest, the sheer predictability of it actually made me giggle. And there are worse places to be than riding down a road in the sun, fairly fast, while laughing :D. It was a pretty good ride all in all really. I did some hills, I did some miles, and I wasn’t hurting particularly. Amazing how nice that is…gotta love it when the drugs do work 😉 And yes, I know, I should still be resting….

Cycling time: 2:10
Distance: 30.2 miles
Avg 13.9 mph
ODO: 17351 miles

I was supposed to be riding with George today, but having woken up to fog outside, and informed by all the above, we bailed. Since it hasn’t cleared all day, that was clearly a good decision. And the not clearing away is also better than it cheekily doing so just in time to be gorgeous all afternoon once riding is no longer an option of course ;).

Sadly my wattbike went away yesterday…but I have bought a lovely replacement (works out cheaper than a year at the gym), so I resorted to working out at home instead. Better than nothing by far :).

When the whole world is on your case

I am a bit behind. But there are good reasons for that. I’m led to believe that reasons are better than excuses, although it’s kind of hard deciding which is which, and probably involves some splitting of hairs.

On Saturday I went out with 8 of the ACG, including a newbie, Chris. The sun shone, the headwind blew and really sucked, and we did one of my loops which I suppose made me nominally in charge. However it’s easier to lead from the front, which sadly is not where I was. Newbie Chris and I took turns to be at the back. However he’s new to the cycling game as well as to us, so that’s understandable. I’m just, well, you know, same old same old? And that’s the problem. And the reason I was reluctant to write – because you’ve heard it all before and I know it’s tedious. I’m bored of myself! So if you’d like to skip forward a couple of paragraphs…rather than join the pity party, or risk being likewise bored to death? Or maybe just look at the pictures for a bit? Why not just skip to the next entry, and save yourself the next 10 minutes of your life which you’ll otherwise never get back? 😉

So, for anyone fool enough to have stuck around, I had a mad busy week last week – with lots of work, travel, driving, drinking, not enough sleeping or resting… Neither big nor clever. But work is work, and life happens, and it doesn’t stop happening just because it would be easier if it did. And it turns out that, with the wonders of 20/20 hindsight, deciding to ride on Saturday morning was a seriously bad idea. Of course I didn’t know that at the time, now did I? The sun was shining, I was in good company, the route (being one of mine) was fairly easy, so why wouldn’t I ride?

Ah well. It was hard work. Constantly trying to keep up just pushed me too hard. It really doesn’t matter whether it’s because it’s only around 8 weeks since my op and I should be being more careful, or if the op didn’t fix the problem and it’s still here. Either way, as the ride went on, the odd twinge I’ve been having turned into plenty of proper pain, in the same place as usual. And it’s always made worse by cycling, which clearly is what I was doing. I didn’t have any pills on me, not that I’d have wanted to take them if I had, because when not habituated, they tend to space you out a bit. To compound things I hadn’t eaten all day, so I really hadn’t done myself any favours. Yes, yes, I know, I know…! Still, I did my best. I even enjoyed some of it. I got to chat to some of my mates, enjoy the tailwind on the way back, and laugh at the testosterone racing up Mudgely Hill. All of that and more. But by the time we got back to the Square I’d been knocked onto a slightly different planet, mentally and physically. Spaced and wiped out.

All of which explains why when I got in, took the pills, put the stronger patch back on, and had had a quick shower, I went straight to bed for a non-optional nap… And didn’t write my blog. Oops…

Cycling time: 2:00
Distance: 30.7 miles
Avg 15.2 mph
ODO: 17320.7 miles

On Sunday the sun shone. It was, not to put too fine a point on it, glorious out there. And I had nothing else to do. But depending on whether or not you believe in fairy tales, resting on the seventh day is de rigueur. So I did. Totally. Well, unless you count a short walk up to the reservoir to feed the ducks with the mob and my folks and back home via The Crown as exercise ;). It probably counts as medicinal though 😉 And I still didn’t write my blog… *grin*.

And eyes that judge on actions alone

I rode Sunday, and then accidentally had a rather late night. Rather than taking it easy and recovering, as would have been wise. You know how it is, good white wine, rubbish film, blah, blah, oops… 😉

On Monday, even with a bit of a lie-in, I was tired, and due to various life stuff arriving on top of that with its usual immaculate sense of timing, I was not in the greatest of moods. So rather than have the rest day I should have been having, once I’d made it to the evening I resorted to wattbike therapy, with a workout thrown in on top. Which worked a treat in that it wiped me out far enough both mentally and physically that a decent night’s sleep was guaranteed.

An enjoyable but busy day at The Food & Drink Trade Show yesterday, spent mostly on my feet in surprisingly comfortable killer heels, totally wore me out. That, plus some rather lovely free single variety “Somerset Red Streak” Severn Cider, sent me to bed early by my standards. Even so I completely failed to wake up this morning, and by the time I finally made it out of bed I’d had pretty much 12 hours sleep! Blimey!

sand bay sign

So I doubt the sensible thing to do today was what I did. That won’t surprise anyone, right? ;). But the sun was shining, and, well, carpe diem and all that. Instead of listening to my increasingly communicative body, I took it to the seaside on the bike. As you do. To be fair, both of us pretty much enjoyed it. I even went up the odd lump, just because I can’t avoid them forever and because I know I can get up them, so I might as well do the training. I do actually quite like climbing, though no-one ever believes me when I say that now. It would appear I cried wolf one too many times ;). However there’s something oddly therapeutic about slowly plodding up there, and besides how else do you get the views from the top that I love so much?

What can I tell you? The sun shone. I got to listen to waves crashing on the shore. The grockles have yet to take up residence in Weston so no-one was too busy looking at the sea to see me. I went up hills. The headwind became a tailwind on the way home, as planned. It was a good ride. And the good ones help get you through the bad ones :). Here’s hoping this Sunday’s Mad March Hare Sportive is one of the former. Wish me luck, I may well need it!

Cycling time: 1:56
Distance: 28.1 miles
Avg 14.4 mph
ODO: 17197.0 miles

Ride done, I came home, ate, and had a nap. I guess I’m still tired! *grin*.

Those were the days my friend

I spent all day yesterday doing as little as possible to try and make sure I could ride with the ACG today. No wattbike, no walk, nothing but the usual household stuff, and a couple of trips to the tip. Even though the sun was shining and it looked lovely out there, I resisted temptation. I even made myself sit down and spend a couple of hours watching the sunny world go past the window while I read my Kindle instead of getting out there in it.

Just as well I did really. Because yes, I managed to ride with the ACG. Well, I went for a ride with the ACG. I just wasn’t always with them ;). I bet it would have been even worse without a rest day! Predictably the weather, having been lovely yesterday when I couldn’t ride, was wet and properly windy today. But not cold, which was the silver lining to the clouds above.

Guy had put together two routes – both heading out for coffee at The Strawberry Line Café in Yatton, and then diverging on the way back at Wrington to allow some people to do 70+ miles rather than the usual 30 or so. Well the first half went as billed. A posse of 9 or so of us (I never did count), including a newbie who rocked up looking quite clearly as if he knew what he was doing (hi Clive!), went out with an impressive tailwind to Winscombe, Sandford, and then Congresbury before a loop round the flat bits there to our coffee stop.

My ability to fall off the back of the pack was not aided by my chain doing its usual job of falling off going downhill, in Sandford, at which point I nearly lost them all completely and would have if Jon hadn’t waited for me, and we hadn’t just managed to espy the group heading off around the last visible corner once I did get going again… And then there were more things that seemed like hills to me but not to anyone else, and I fell back behind everyone and pootled, and did what I could. But I wasn’t downcast. Hey, I was still riding the bike, right? :).

We bumped into another group of cyclists while wiggling around the flat bits, which turned out to be Helen and her mates. It got quite confusing for a bit remembering who to keep up with and who was going where! Eventually we disentangled after a bit of a catch up, and went our separate ways in the drizzle. Coffee was definitely called for after slogging into what was by now a quite unpleasant headwind, and the café was as lovely as ever, though they probably won’t all that impressed with us totally steaming up one of their rooms! I was proper tempted by the gluten free lemon polenta cake but the way I was going there was no way I’d have worked off the calories – unlike the lads who quite justifiably decimated their stock of chocolate marshmallow brownies! Dad rocked up and joined us for a bit too, which was nice, especially as I’d forgotten to remind him beforehand ;). Mind you, it was very nearly the most expensive coffee stop ever…! 😉

So, how to get home? Well Guy’s long route was never going to be for me – just not quite there yet. But the short route would have been a bit boring, and I hadn’t done a hill and I sort of wanted to just to test the water, not just ride through it, as it were! 😉 There was debate and discussion and the weather conditions and…well, we all ended up heading back the same way. Back through increasingly damp lanes to Wrington, though I had as usual forgotten to restart the Garmin, so it wasn’t quite as direct a route as it looks! I did however realise my error before the hill we’d opted for – Burrington Combe. Well, I was kinda curious to see precisely how badly I would do it. Actually I quite enjoyed it, even in the drizzle, and on my own. Apart from the odd twinge, it went just fine. Slowly as predicted, but then why push? I did my “in the now” thing and just sort of enjoyed the fact that it was all working. Even with the wind pushing me sideways from time to time nearer the top. I was so pleased once I’d made it to the top – look at me, I did a hill! :D. And I wasn’t the slowest either, there were even a couple or riders behind me. Not gloating, honest, more astounded! *grin*. I’m still putting faith in the twinges being post op, I’d rather not start considering the alternative just yet…

From there we slogged our way across from Charterhouse to Tyning’s Farm, benefitting from some unexpected shelter from the trees and hedges there. The very top last exposed bit at the end was…interesting…but then there was the fun of going down Longbottom and then Shipham Hill. That I can still do, and I did, and it was fabulous :D.

Due to my technical ineptitude my stats are a little off, but these will do:

Cycling time: 2:05
Distance: 35.0 miles
Avg 14.6
ODO: 17168.9 miles

I used to be able to keep up. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to do so again :).

I’m not your anchor anymore

There’s a contingent of folk out there who think I’ll never learn. And they’re quite probably right. But when the sun is shining, the air is clear, and there’s company to cycle with…well, the fact that it’s the third time in a week that included two less than successful wattbike sessions, and only 5 weeks since surgery, seems to fly out of the window. Cyclists; mental right? ;).

So Mim and I did a couple of easy hours around the Levels. My muscles are fine, but the power behind them, not so much so. Let’s just take it easy and spin round, said the lady due to be racing tomorrow. As if I had a choice! But even so, how could it not be nice to be out there? I mean, just look at it! OK, so we could both have lived without the rather chilly and rather irritating wind, but I don’t think anything could have slowed me down any further, and besides, it was nice when it was behind us on the way back :D.

We played with an escapee bullock, tried to inform its intellectually challenged owner, speculated over the fish out of water (see above), and put the world to rights whilst scheduling a previously unplanned coffee stop at Sweets. Without which I’m not sure I’d have made it home. It wasn’t the nicest coffee in the world, but it was up there amongst the most essential I’ve ever imbibed!

It wasn’t all that warm in there, even with all the gassing we were doing, so we didn’t hang around too long being as capable of chatting on the bikes as on chairs. Straight home over Mudgeley Hill, which seemed to have assumed Galibier-like proportions… 😉 But I still wasn’t complaining, just letting the wheels go ’round while the sun just kept on shining :).

Cycling time: 2:03
Distance: 29.0 miles
Avg 14.1
ODO: 17133.9 miles

I parted company with Mim in Cheddar and made my way even more slowly home up the Cheddar Road, sadly once more noting the demise of my favourite manhole cover near the petrol station. I’m sure that replacing the hexagonal one made perfect sense, but I shall still mourn its passing… 🙁

By the time I got home I was totally wasted. In fact I was so knackered that even after a shower, a cup of tea, and some food, I was an hour late for work because I couldn’t get off the sofa. Oops :/. Since I hope to ride with the ACG on Sunday, I am declaring tomorrow a rest day. I am still flying the flag though…just 😉

Oops I did it again ;)

Well, knock me down with a feather, I appear to have been out riding the bike again! It’s my day off, it’s half term, the mob were variously and happily occupied, and the forecast wasn’t too bad. As is often the case, the weather which was predicted did not match that which actually materialised, but everything else remained true, and I wasn’t going to let a little drizzle put me off. Besides, there are plans afoot for an ACG ride on Sunday and I wanted to see which roads were flooded, or not, in best girl scout “be prepared” fashion, so as to plan a route accordingly.

So I did my usual kind of loop, with the odd extra bit thrown in. It’s been so long since I’ve had the wonderful head space that I only get on the bike, that while I was busy clearing out the mental mothballs I missed the odd turning. So it didn’t quite go to plan, but it didn’t really matter. I still got to where I needed to be, and the roads weren’t flooded, apart from one short patch on Max Mill Lane which wasn’t a problem. They were however covered in crap, and also washed away in places, so had to be negotiated with care. Since I wasn’t in any great rush, and just wanted to be out there, I was happy to ride as circumstances dictated. Hey, always good to have something to blame the average speed on, right? ;).

In brief aside, I’m having a “now” phase. As in being happy in the now. No point crying over the milk spilt yesterday, or inviting tomorrow’s troubles to arrive early. I’m not very good at yoga, or meditation, or any such philosophies really. But if I was going to, it might possibly be the whole mindfulness thing. By focusing on the now, being grateful for what that now is, I seem to be spending more time at the happy and positive end of my spectrum – and that has to be a good thing :).

So in my now I was on my bike, on quiet roads, feeling pretty good, riding fairly well, and damp but not cold. I was outside in a world full of flying things – swans, herons, a kingfisher, and even a wokka-wokka (aka a Chinook) flying low over the Levels, presumably bringing more of the army to submerged Somerset.

And I still wasn’t in pain. It’s hard to explain how an absence of something feels. Even when it wasn’t hurting, I knew where it was. Now it’s not hurting, and it’s not there. Or at least I’m fairly sure it’s not. *fingers crossed*. I can’t explain how I feel better, but I do, and it’s not just the absence thing, it’s more systemic than that. Being ill and in ever-increasing pain and on stronger and stronger meds for so long must have taken a lot out of me. And now I get to get me back? It’s a whole new, strange, world… Ok, ok, sorry, got sidetracked again, enough already, back to the cycling :D.

Cycling time: 1:47
Distance: 28.4 miles
Avg 15.8
ODO: 17104.9 miles

As routes go, it wasn’t long, or hilly, or fast, but it went pretty well really. My times up the hills I did do were not, somewhat amazingly, my slowest ever. My average speed was also up on Sunday, which is encouraging. But in that even after a rest day, yesterday’s wattbike session had to be aborted after 45 minutes when I ran out of energy, it seemed like a good idea to opt for some restorative calorie intake after I’d showered and changed. So there was a happy me because I’d ridden well and a happy three because we had fabulous hot chocolates with the works. Result *grin*.

I’m free, to do what I want, any old time.

See this? I think it’s safe to agree that wheels are not supposed to look like this. And discovering this the day before you’re supposed to be actually riding your bike? I was starting to wonder what I’d done to the cycling gods lately, it having already been about five weeks since I’d ridden the real thing, and only ten days or so since the wattbike had once more become an option and, let’s face it, <engage understatement mode> the weather has not been conducive of late…</end>.

Luckily, Chris (aka Figgy) appears to be over-equipped with bikes and the like, like pretty much every other MAMIL I know, and was also willing to not only lend me a spare wheel, but also swop the cassette etc over. Thank goodness for that. Not riding is one thing. Not being able to ride when you actually can, and when the forecast is verging on pleasant? That would not have been a good thing. I might have had to throw all my toys out of the cot 😉

So when it came to Sunday, and the sun was indeed shining, and the wind was not blowing, Chris had righted what was wrong, and I had a bike to ride, so I did! I know, no-one is more surprised about this than me! 😉

We did a coffee loop, on the basis that given a goal of that nature, I might actually make it round. Which I did. OK, so I wasn’t on form, and I wasn’t breaking any records, but I was riding, and it was good, at least partly because it wasn’t as bad as it probably deserved to have been. We didn’t really do hills, since that would be the equivalent of running before I can walk, and besides we managed to find enough flat roads that weren’t flooded to mean we didn’t have to, which is somewhat of a challenge around here at the moment.

Coffee was at the usual Glastonbury haunt – Heaphy’s. Which has been revamped yet again, which is odd considering that it isn’t that long since the last time they did. It would appear to have been to the detriment of service since just the two male owners were serving, and the, according to Chris, usually rather attractive female staff were nowhere to be seen, and man, were these two guys struggling! Slow….. Once finally served, we sat outside in the sun and the denizens of Fairyland walked by, totally up to standard. Always good to have your expectations lived up to, right? ;). And yes, I did say sat outside in the sun. How cool is that?! :D.

Cycling time: 2:09
Distance: 28.8 miles
Avg 13.3
ODO: 17076.5 miles

As rides go, it was a pretty fabulous one. I was actually riding the bike, and I was doing so in the sunshine. Chris did a good job of not making me feel like a complete waste of space by mostly sitting behind me and turning his pedals just slowly enough to stop his noisy free wheel from giving him away ;). I’m still ok at barrelling along at a reasonable speed when it’s flat, though I’ve clearly got to build up some stamina again. Hills are going to be a problem to start with, and I did get the odd twinge on the bits of up that we did, but I think that was more to do with post-op then pre-op problems, which could mean cycling is going to be a much less painful experience. Hard to imagine. I’m still on the morphine patches at the moment, as weaning off them is a job in itself, but I’m medication free otherwise, which means I don’t have to concern myself with whether or not they’re going to ban tramadol or not 😉

I rode my bike, and I was holding my own. Just. A bit like the Long Drove between Glastonbury and Wells… Here’s hoping it’s a sign. And if it isn’t, this is… 😉

And now I’m back, from outer space

Well, I’m back, albeit briefly, more of which later. I think it’s safe to say that life has gotten in the way of me keeping this up to date? Sorry, I promise to do better in the future. Well, I’ll try to…promises may be a little premature. But there’s been precious little time for riding, let alone writing about it too!

So I have been riding, just not a lot. There were three “rides” between the last blog and today. The ACG had a coffee run to Glastonbury, Guy and I had a coffee run to Banwell Garden Centre, and George and I had a coffee run to Lye Cross Farm. So, not a whole lot of training, and a whole lot of coffee drinking. This isn’t to say I haven’t been on the wattbike – I have – but I just haven’t been out on the real thing much. I blame many things. Weather, work, divorce, holidays, Christmas, health, and non-performance enhancing drugs – that should pretty much cover it.

Which brings us to today, when the ACG went riding, on a route made by Guy, so it was never going to be a flat one. I was, to be honest, dreading it. I am so off form it’s embarrassing, and I haven’t done a decent ride in ages, so the concept of doing 38 miles with the ACG who never get slower, and kicking it all off by going up Cheddar Gorge? Daunting…

But even though it was grey and dismal and cold and unlikely to improve, I didn’t bail. Neither did 7 others, the usual suspects for the most part. And it could have been worse. I was very gallantly helped along as and when necessary, and I didn’t beat myself up about it because, like it or not, it really hurt. Not the kind of you’re unfit, it’s been a while, Christmas has been unkind, back in the saddle hurt, though there was no doubt some of that. Nope, the real bashing my insides with every pedal stroke kind of pain, because I’m in the middle of having a attack of that anyway, and although the morphine patches and tramadol have been holding it at bay, they can’t be expected to cope with Cat 3 climbs or trying to keep up with the Jones’ as well! So I needed any help I could get, and many thanks to those of you who provided it. I made it, whimpering quietly, up the Gorge, and when I couldn’t keep up the rest of the time, the group waited for me. We had coffee at the Rock Cake café before the flying, freezing but fun, decent into Wells, and the flat but fast trek back home across the very scenically flooded Levels to home.

So was it a good ride? Yes, because I was riding, in good company, I didn’t bail, I did a decent chunk of miles, and properly re-instated the 2 hour rule. No, because it hurt, but hey, after more pills a long bath and a siesta, I felt human again eventually. Well, in so far as I ever pass for such ;).

Cycling time: 2:34
Distance: 37.9 miles
Avg 14.7
ODO: 17047.7 miles

Last year I rode 4295 miles, 824 less than in 2012. I would let that get me down, but quite frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. It’s amazing I managed to do that many really, so actually I’m quite happy with it :D. I’d like to do better this year, but…well, life has changed hasn’t it? I’m not going to be able to do so much riding, so I’m going to try and do that which I do do, better. Quality over quantity, or something. Lots of proper wattbike training and constructive road miles ahead.

But not yet. Your New Year probably began on the 1st January, right? Well mine won’t be starting for a while yet. My next operation is on Wednesday so I have to get through that and however many weeks of recovery whatever they do necessitates. Hey, if I’m lucky, they’ll fix me, and when I’m finally back on the bike, I’ll be all set to get on with 2014 like I’d like to. OK, so I don’t hold out a great deal of hope, but hey, I’m working on the PMA right? 😉 It’s not the only thing I have to get sorted, but one way or the other, by Spring, I should know where I stand going forwards. So that I can go forwards. With the rubber side down, and the wind at my back. *fingers crossed*.

Times are tough, but thanks to my fabulous family and my fantastic friends, I’m making it from one day to the next, and slowly we’re getting there. You’re all awesome – thank you :). I’ll be back shortly…wish me luck!