I’ve had as much energy as a limp piece of spaghetti for the last couple of days.  It’s been all I can do to stay awake, let alone do anything active.  So as you can imagine, I was somewhat apprehensive as to how today’s ride might go.

I met Bob Fleming in the Square at 9.00am.  The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the route was out of my hands.  I’ve had worse starts to a ride.

We did a variation on a seaside loop, and checked out a new coffee stop at The New Castle in Kewstoke, due to GB’s reluctance to leave his bike anywhere that he can’t actually see whilst he’s drinking his coffee.  Yes – I was actually out with GB who, courtesy of illness and a smiley cat, has been coughing for a week.  Which does mean that I always knew where he was.  Coughing cyclists make me laugh – there we are trying to convince the world that we’re super fit and healthy…coughing and spluttering all the way *grin*.

The outward session was mostly into the wind – always best that way round – and included games of dodge the grockle in Berrow/Brean and WSM .  There were a fair few eejots on the road too, though perhaps fewer than you might expect on a sunny Easter Sunday.  GB tends to get quite vexed by such behaviour and gesticulate or shout accordingly.  I tend more towards suggestions that such drivers might like to go forth and procreate somewhere else, in anglosaxon…whilst maintaining a precautionary distance 😉

After a very nice cappuccino, and a long discussion about what criteria should be used to measure coffee stops for comparison purposes, the chilly wind was in our favour – taking our average speed up from 14.9 to 15.6 overall – as we were blown home via Puxton.

Cycling time: 2:36:22
Distance: 40.74 miles
Avs: 15.6 mph
ODO: 3733 miles

Although it was dry out, I cleaned the bike when I got back in since it’s going to see Paul for a check-up on Tuesday and it seems rude to take him a dirty bike.  Not that I haven’t done it before, but still…

I’m also feeling a bit more positive about next weekend now, with two rides done since my holiday.  However I’m not going to get out much this week – darned Easter holidays!  So, am I up to 90 miles?  I’m thinking that will very much depend on the weather…  I’m mainly looking forward to catching up with a couple of L2P folk who are doing it too, and that can as easily be done over 60 miles as 90! *grin*

Getting behind here.  This was actually Thursday.  Which of course, would explain why I haven’t got the hang of it.  I had no intentions of riding as the forecast was lousy…but when I woke up the sun was out, and it would have been silly not to go out, especially when you consider what the weather has been like recently.  Hubby confirmed, from the top of the Mendips, that it was nice, sunny, and not windy.  Note to self – do not ask man in metal box on wheels what the wind is like.  Especially when that wind would be behind him anyway…

I did my usual training loop.  Having been away, and being a bit out of sorts, I decided to take it easy on myself and just get round it my way, which I duly did.  I didn’t push or hurtle, I just got on with it.

Cycling time: 1:56:54
Distance: 28.97 miles
Avs: 14.8 mph
ODO: 3693 miles

An uneventful ride, but relatively enjoyable, bar the wind, which I seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time slugging into.  It was very clear out, and Hinkley Point was twinkling away nicely in the sunshine…I wonder if that’s something to do with isotopes…

I couldn’t decide what to entitle this entry.  I was torn between “Welcome to the Jungle” (a.k.a Bridgwater) or “Just Hold On”, being what you do to SH’s back wheel when hurtling up the A38.  Bearing in mind I spent more time doing the latter than being in the former, “Just Hold On” won…

So, as you’ll have gathered, SH and I went riding in the typically balmy English spring weather.  Yep – the minute I got to the Square, the drizzle started.  Seriously, if you have a water shortage, just call me in – I’m gifted…

SW had an ambitious plan to go to for a coffee at some place in the Quantocks the other side of Bridgwater.  As ever he had under-estimated my sloth, and by the time we’d slogged across the Levels into a headwind, fought our way through the wild streets, and got lost coming out the other side, there really wasn’t time to get up the big ascent to coffee that awaited us.  Darn, what a shame.  I felt just terrible about that…

So it was back down into Bridgwater, where the rain began in slightly more earnest, and stopping at traffic lights allowed you to become properly aware of how wet you were getting.  Being time poor, (my fault), our only real option to get home was straight up the A38 and then the A370.  And what a joy that was.  Well, to be fair, to start with the wind was gloriously behind us, the road surface was smooth, and we were fair bombing along – the stuff cyclist dreams are made of.  However, after a while, due to the monotony of the road, the rain, and the continuous traffic – of which a large number were scarey lorries – I did flag a little.  I picked up a bit when we reached Brent Knoll, which I hadn’t been able to see due to the low cloud, as I realised precisely how close to home we were.  I think I’d been thinking it was a lot further, which wasn’t doing a whole heap for my motivation.  And I may be seeing SH’s back wheel in my sleep for a while – it was oddly hypnotic.

Cycling time: 2:41:36
Distance: 44.37 miles
Avs: 16.5 mph
ODO: 3663 miles

When SH pointed out how far we’d gone, I was a tad gob smacked.  I’d lost track of time a bit, but mostly it’s due to the average speed!  Not bad for me.  That’s what comes of going riding with a whippet *grin*.

I hitched a ride on GB‘s coattails today.  He had a long ride planned, and what with the wet & windy weather forecast, I couldn’t really face it.  Not four hours of it anyway.  But I decided I could probably do a couple of hours, and duly met him in the Square at 9:15am.  9:15 being neither 9:00 or 9:30 to save either of us having to decide what we’d meant by 9:00ish.

As the wind was still coming from the South we headed out towards Glastonbury – from where I could head home with the wind behind me, and he could head off into the hills.  Which is pretty much how it worked out, only minus the forecast rain.  Not that I’m complaining you understand 😉

We had coffee at the cafe at the bottom of the high street, sitting outside and huddling protectively around the bikes.  The gentleman at the table behind us was having a great, wide-ranging and in depth, conversation with………….himself.  I rarely have conversations that interesting with other people, let alone myself.  Glastonbury never disappoints *grin*.

Duly cappuccino fueled, we parted company, and I headed straight for home.  Like a bullet – on to the drops, head down – straight down the main road.  Places to go, things to do, you know how it is.  I wiggled a bit to get across the Levels and add the odd mile, and I’m glad I did because I startled up a gorgeous Great Spotted Woodpecker.  Kingfishers are quite common down there, but this was a novelty 🙂  And considering it’s “great” – it’s quite a little bird really…

Cycling time: 2:00:21
Distance: 32.21 miles
Avs: 16.0 mph
ODO: 3619 miles

The wind was behind me a lot of the time on the way back.  You can tell – if I’m going that fast on the flat (20+mph) and not feeling it – it’s not because I’ve suddenly turned into Lance! *grin*.  I was pushing a bit though – hence the average speed, with which I’m moderately chuffed 🙂

Courtesy of Wiggle I bought more Muc-Off stuff this week – more of the Bike Cleaner and the Bike Spray, and also some Chain Cleaner.  I used all of ’em when I got back.  My bike is now cleaner than a post-confessional Roman Catholic soul *grin*.  And shiny too 🙂

I didn’t want to go out today.  However I had no good excuse and the alternative was two hours in the gym which was no more attractive.  So I got myself together, plugged in the mp3 and headed off this morning.  I had a rough route planned out, but as it turns out, I didn’t really stick to it.  I figured since I had no-one to please by myself I could do what I liked and go where I liked.  Very liberating, n’est-ce pas?

I started off with Shipham Hill.  As you do.  Oddly it was noticeably better than usual, and considerably faster.  From home to the top usually takes me well over 20 minutes, and it was more like 16 this time which is weird but did set me off on a very positive note.   Down the lovely hill to the traffic lights at Churchill, left turn to hurtle down the main road at Sandford.  I decided to use more main roads than usual today – trying to avoid all the bone jarring potholes on the back roads you see.  Right turn at Sandford and a very lovely hurtle out to the seaside down on the drops with the wind behind me.  If you can’t hear the wind…”it’s behind you”!  *grin*

I headed through Kewstoke the way I used to go before I added the extra loop, which made a nice change and meant I got to go up a different short steep hill.  Out along the work-in-progress promenade in WSM playing dodge the pedestrian, and through up and out at Uphill.  Where I surprised myself by going straight over the main road and up the big Bleadon Hill and over the top.  It would appear that what I actually mean when I say no when other people suggest going up a hill is not no I won’t go up hills.  I mean I won’t go up hills with you.  Left to my own, very slow, devices, I’m fine!  *grin*.

Down into Bleadon, up out of Bleadon on the normal hill, along and up, up, up, past the Webbington Hotel to head for home.  No heavyside layer though.  (don’t worry, Dad will know what I mean).

Cycling time: 2:04:13
Distance: 29.57 miles
Avs: 14.1 mph
ODO: 3587 miles

My actual route turned out as follows.  Quite a good training ride I think, if only because it showed me that I’m getting better at getting up hills, and was all the more enjoyable for being that little bit unplanned.

Best of all, I came home just in time for the courier who was at my door…  And inside the box he brought was…my lovely white stripe replacement Ultremo R.1s!  Arrived direct from Schwalbe, complete with lebekuchen cookie iced with “Sorry” on it! How cute is that? *grin*.  Ok, it’s taken a long time, but hey, better late than never!

(if you’re confused as to why I needed them, do a search for “bulge” up there on the RHS, be amazed at the fact the bulge does not in a single instance refer to the effect of any of us wearing inadvisable lycra, and read up on it).

New shoes, new tyres…I’m good to go 🙂

Temperature in double figures.  Light Southerly breeze.  Sun shining.  At least that’s what the forecast said.  And to quote Meat Loaf – two out of three ain’t bad…  Inevitably, the odd one out was the wind.  Light breeze?  I think not…  Ah well, at least GW was on her shire-horse.  We did my normal loop and spent a happy couple of hours shooting the breeze whilst waiting for it to be behind us.  I’d like to say it made me go up Mudgeley Hill faster, but we all know I’d be lying…  It did make the last stretch a whole heap more enjoyable though.

We finished off our loop by taking the scenic route around the reservoir where the wind very nearly took me out as I cycled past a gap in the small wall…not nice!

Cycling time: 1:52:22
Distance: 28.01 miles
Avs: 14.9 mph
ODO: 3557 miles

It was a nice ride as these things go.  I must get the bike in for a service though as the gears are still playing up which is annoying.  The best thing is cycling in slightly fewer layers – today was the first day with the normal jacket and not the winter one.  Ooh, and I christened my new shoes too, which I got in the January sales, and very lovely they are too.  Possibly a bit of cleat tweaking required, but other than that, very comfortable, and very lovely.  I do like new shoes… 🙂

For consistency’s sake, I should update this before I do the MMHare tomorrow.  So.  On Thursday I made myself go for a ride.  I wasn’t feeling like it, as it looked cold and windy.  But sunny.  Which, to be fair, it was.  I made myself go by decided to only do a short ride and to make up with an hour in the gym in the evening, which I duly did.

Cycling time: 1:18:51
Distance: 19.81 miles
Avs: 15.0 mph
ODO: 3414 miles

It was a fairly flat ride, so I should have been faster.  The nasty head wind probably explains some of it.  However, as it turns out, I was coming down with a cold, so that probably explains the rest.  Due to tomorrow’s event, I’ve been throwing painkillers, echinacea and vitamins galore at it ever since.  I just need to stave off the worst of it until Monday! *fingers crossed*.

Right now there is a pile of cycling gear growing in the hall.  Plus drinks, bars, mp3 player, and so on.  The bike is cleaned, tyres pumped, all prepped.  And I’ve checked and it really does fit in the back of my little car – minus front wheel of course – so that’s cool.  Today, I shall mostly be eating carbs…  Roll on jacket potatoes for lunch! 🙂

Technically speaking I should be tapering this week…but we all know how good I am at things like that.  Besides which, the temperature was above zero and the sun was shining – how can a girl not go out on her bike?

In a nod towards tapering, I just did my usual training loop type of thing – though I did stretch it a bit.  Not for training reasons, just because it was so nice out there that I wanted to be out there for a little longer!

The sun shone, the wind did not blow, and I didn’t push it.  I just enjoyed the ride.  And it was a ride 🙂

Cycling time: 2:18:39
Distance: 35.99 miles
Avs: 15.5 mph
ODO: 3395 miles

Ok, so not that fast.  But not that slow either.  It was lovely out 🙂  Lots of Somerset goodness – herons, newborn lambs, wide open blue skies, flat Levels…  That sense of promise – of seasons changing.  The thought of returning to shorts and mitts.  To at least one layer less.  Roll on summer 🙂

Of course, it was so nice today, that I can almost guarantee wind and rain for Sunday…*grin*.

I decided to go hilly today.  No idea why, only it seemed like a good idea…right until I got half way up Shipham Hill and realised that having hubby clean the chain had not fixed the gearing problem, and that I was never going to get to the top with the bottomest gear missing completely, and the rest of them jumping around at will.  So I turned tail and headed for Paul at the LBS who, luckily, was free enough to have a look at it and then to replace the gear cable – it was all frayed up and nearly snapped inside the RHS gear lever.

Take two.  Back up Shipham Hill, with all the gears this time – a huge improvement.  All the way down to Churchill and out to Wrington.  Up the long hill past the Walled Garden to the main road.  Up and across that, down Row of Ashes, and along some truly hideously mucky roads to Chew Stoke.  Unsuitable for HGVs?  Unsuitable for almost anything!  I had a quick break by the lake to admire the ducks and then headed off again to West Harptree.  From there it was past Litton, with a wistful glance towards the Kings Arms there, to Chewton Mendip and the long slog up the A39 before the lovely drop down into Wells.  I nearly managed to not brake on the way down…but not quite.  It’s still a nice down though, and you can see for miles and miles…

Due to the earlier detour to see Paul I was running a tad behind schedule so tweaked my planned route a bit.  I turned right to go through Wookey Hole, up the hill there to loop ’round and join the A371 at Easton.  From there it was just a case of hammering it straight to Cheddar and on to home.

Cycling time: 2:55:07
Distance: 41.05 miles
Avs: 14.0 mph
ODO: 3328 miles

My actual route worked out thus.  Quite a few hills in there.  Which would account for my average speed.  And the fact that I could eat a horse round about now.  My bike was filthy when I got back, so I’ve duly cleaned it, and me!  The Mad March Hare looks like it might be a bit hillier – but possibly those hills are more spread out than today’s were…here’s hoping!

At least it was that bit warmer.  And dry.  Which made up for the number of idiots who thought that6 inches gap when passing was perfectly reasonable…  And the fact that it’s February so the fields are all smelly, and the roads are full of tractors trimming hedges and leaving the debris all over the road.  Despite all of that – it was a pretty good ride 🙂

Team GB set out again today – this time with bigger fish to fry.  The Mad March Hare is in 2 weeks and this season I have yet to do any serious milage, so I really needed to get a 50 mile ride under my belt.  GB put together a route, which meant that all I had to do was go along for the ride…

We set off at 12:00 sharp.  We did a long loop which wasn’t entirely flat, and was quite similar to Friday’s route.  Considering that my gears started playing up somewhere around Shapwick, going uphill became even more troublesome than usual.  So much so that, since I couldn’t get into bottom gear at the time, I had to stop briefly going up Brent Knoll, and going up to Banwell Castle wasn’t much fun either.  Lack of gears and my legs are out of practice.  Annoying because I know I can do those hills better…honest!  Looks like I’d better get my bike serviced in the next week or so.  Ah well, I haven’t thrown money at it for at least a couple of weeks…*grin*

Cycling time: 3:14:31
Distance: 50.62 miles
Avs: 15.5 mph
ODO: 3286 miles

We were lucky again – in that the weather was good, and the wind was lighter than on Friday.  Mind you, it was variable enough to be in our faces more often than seemed fair.  The roads were wet and occasionally slippery which made downhills ever less enjoyable for me.  I should take lessons from GB who shoots down them in quite enviable style.

On a positive note, my knee was fine.  My shoulder twinged a bit and is a bit sore now, but that I can deal with.  I also feel less tired than I did after the shorter and bizarrely slightly slower route on Friday, but I can definitely feel the burn in my legs.  I was very good, not only did I wash the bike as soon as I got home, I even stretched my legs afterwards too – and I never do that!  🙂

So there you go, 50 miles as planned.  I pretty much enjoyed it, and I feel a bit more positive about doing 74 in two weeks time now 🙂

(Charlie’s take on the ride can be found here.)