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 🙂