Thursday morning is usually a cycling one, and today was no exception.  There were four of us – me, M, G and S – four girls all together.

It was dry, but proper blustery which added a chilly edge to it.  Not a problem, I was wrapped up all snuggly in my borrowed jacket.  It’s a great shame I’ll have to give it back at some point! 😉

Cycling time: 2:28:48
Distance: 39.671 miles
Avs: 16.0 mph
ODO: 7599.2 miles

G is fast, and as a result we all ended up faster, as you can see from the average speed.  I pushed myself to keep up because I know it’s good for me to do so sometimes.  My legs weren’t as happy as they were on Tuesday and I could feel that then, and now!  However that average speed still came as a bit of a shock when I checked up on the computer just now.  Quite impressive really.  I’m not due out again ’til Sunday morning though so my legs will get a bit of a rest…if the gym counts as a rest! *grin*.  I popped into the LBS on the way home and my bike is going in for a service – new brake pads & chain at least – tomorrow morning.  With the roads all mucky as they are at the moment, I need to have my brakes working!

Plans for bespoke cycling mayor kit are progressing…now I need to start getting sponsors and logos!

Persuaded youngest to go back to school, and got out on the bike this morning.  I thought it was just going to M and I, but we met up with two others which worked out better than usual.  2 x 2 works, or at least it did this time.  It also meant we did a longer run than usual, and had a nice social coffee stop at Burnham on Sea too.

Cycling time: 2:51:44
Distance: 41.959 mph
Avs: 14.7 mph
ODO: 7559.5 miles

It was the longest run I’ve done in quite a while, but I’m feeling pretty good.  I may not have enjoyed my enforced days off on Sunday and Monday, when all I got to do was the odd walk, but my legs clearly enjoyed the recovery time.  Some of the usual hills felt a little bit easier, and I felt like I was keeping up when I needed to.  I also don’t feel knackered now, which I might expect to after a longer run.  It wasn’t all that fast – too much talking probably – but then again, it wasn’t all that slow either.  I really enjoyed it.

So all in all, that was nice 🙂

Normally on a Saturday morning youngest is out bouncing so I’m at the gym. Today I decided that, with a reasonable weather forecast, I’d rather go cycling and so arranged to go out with S. As it turns out, madam has tummy ache so didn’t go…but we did anyway. We did one of my less frequent routes, which loops round the seaside and even includes the odd hill. My back didn’t enjoy standing up the hills, but my legs found them easier than expected. I often feel like I’m keeping up with S but feel like I acquitted myself fairly reasonably today, so that’s cool. Not too cool in the literal sense though as he’s lent me a decent jacket to tide me over until I get a new cycling mayor themed one 🙂

Cycling time: 2:09:19
Distance: 32.586 mph
Avs: 15.1 mph
ODO: 7517.5 miles

Oh my. It was raining when we set off this morning, and it didn’t stop…so by the time we got back in I was dripping! The zip on my jacket finally went completely this morning, so I had had to resort to fleece & waterproof which at least meant my upper body remained mostly dry. The same cannot be said for the rest of me!

Cycling time: 1:36:39
Distance: 23.033 mph
Avs: 14.3 mph
ODO: 7485.0 miles

Average speed can be explained by the amount of care we had to take on the roads – mud, water, debris…no flying down hills in conditions like that! Normally I’d want to be out longer too, but not in weather like this. Although I wasn’t cold…I was getting there! Mind you, the bike, due to all the water, is actually slightly cleaner than it was before *grin*.

Early morning pre-life ride this morning, which ended up being shorter than I would have liked because various people had to be organised, and routes juggled…but hey, at least I got out, and it was nice to see G and S.  Left at 8:00am, in nippy but bearable weather, and was home just before 10:00am as required.

Cycling time: 1:40:49
Distance: 25.653 mph
Avs: 15.3 mph
ODO: 7461.9 miles

Not the fastest, but there was a degree of nattering going on, and no-one was pushing it, so I’m fairly happy with that.

Thursdays is often a day when there’s a group cycling, and today it was M and I, plus C who joined us for the first time – she races velodrome I think.  We did an hour or so together, a little slower than I’d have liked, and then they had to get home so I did a extra chunk on my own, which I enjoyed more as I could go at my own pace – which as it turns out, was faster than it was when we were together.  Although there was little wind, it was a tad chilly, and really foggy and gloomy.   So much so that even Glastonbury I couldn’t see the Tor!  Stats this time:

Cycling time: 2:12:11
Distance: 34.936 mph
Avs: 15.9 mph
ODO: 7436.3 miles

Much better average speed, which is cheery.  I’m feeling pretty good after it too – not too worn out or anything, though I am going to have a long bath to soak my muscles and back.  I think I’m starting to feel the effects of having given up smoking (again!) three weeks ago, which is good motivationally speaking.

OK, so the back pain continues, and the head has a habit of throbbing…but I was fed up of sticking to the gym, and the weather was OK, if a bit grey and gloomy.  Not much wind though, and not too cold.  So I decided to go riding this morning, and it turned out that M was around, so I had company after all.

Cycling time: 2:14:16
Distance: 31.707 mph
Avs: 14.2 mph
ODO: 7401.2 miles

Average speed was up on the last time, and would have been faster if we hadn’t been nattering the entire way around. Still pretty painful at times, but after an hour or so with the endorphins/adrenalin kicked in, it got a little better.

Cycling time: 1:02:00
Distance: 13.425 mph
Avs: 13.0 mph
ODO: 7369.5 miles

Way not brilliant average speed, but then I suppose that’s to be expected…  It wasn’t as painful as expected – big bumps aren’t a lot of fun, and neither is standing to get up hills…so I’ll avoid that for a while.  I suppose it is less than a week since the accident, so it’s daft of me to be disappointed by the stats.