As I’ve said, it’s been harder to get out in the past week or so – mostly due to the weather, and sometimes due to laziness.  Although I like cycling on my own, if you’ve arranged to go cycling with someone else, it’s easier to get yourself out of the house and on the road because you don’t want to let anyone else down.  If it’s just you, and it doesn’t look that appealing out there, it’s a lot easier to wimp out and go to the gym instead.

Still, even though I couldn’t find anyone to ride with today, after having taken the gym option yesterday, I really couldn’t let myself do that again, so I headed out this afternoon on my lonesome.  The weather is mild, a tad windy, and fairly gloomy, but nothing serious in any respect.  I decided if it was going to be just me, then I would actually do some hills!  S would be proud of me *grin*.  I planned myself a hilly route on bikely.com and made myself stick to it.  Up Shipham Hill (plod plod), down into Sandford, back into Winscombe and along the main road up to Banwell Castle.  Left through the back roads, up the hill over the motorway, up and down into Loxton.  Flat for a while into Mark, then whizzed along the Levels for a few miles doing 20mph (clearly with the wind behind me).  One last up – up Mudgeley Hill, then back through Wedmore, Cheddar and home.

Cycling time: 2:06:24
Distance: 31.400 miles
Avs: 14.9 mph
ODO: 7926.6 miles

Considering all the hilliness, my average speed is pretty darned good (in my clearly very humble opinion).  I’m quite pleased with myself.  I do feel a bit tireder than I would usually after a ride, but then I’ve been feeling a bit achey again lately anyway.  Christmas is going to force me to have the odd day off, and that’s probably not a bad thing.  I think I’ve earned myself a beer, so it’s off to the pub now!