Well, actually, this sister is doing it for herself. All attempts to ride with someone else this week, or to find someone to ride with today, have gone awry so there was nowt for it but to go out by myself.
See, on Tuesday it was wet and windy (again!). GW bailed and so therfore did I – a warm and dry gym being infinitely more attractive than enduring 2 hours of that on my lonesome. Yesterday was cold and windy and I was very tired and just not feeling it. As hubby pointed out, there’s not point going out if I’m not going to enjoy it so I didn’t. I had a duvet day, got myself some sleep, and went to the gym in the evening instead. So it’s not like I haven’t exercised, I just haven’t been on the bike.
Today cycling was really the only option. Partially because the sun was shining and there wasn’t too much wind, but also because all my gym gear is in the washing machine and has yet to make it as far as the radiators. Not exercising is not an option so bike it was!
At 10.00am or thereabouts I headed out. Fancy a game of dot to dot? Alright then. Axbridge – Cheddar – Nyland – Wedmore – Mudgeley – Burtle – Mark – Loxton – Christon – Winscombe – Winscombe Hill – Axbridge. There. That be my route. As you can see, there were a couple of hills, but it was mostly flat. I wanted to enjoy my ride. Sometimes, after a few rides like those recently and with weather like it has been, I feel like I get a bit disconnected from my bike, and I needed to reconnect and to remember why I enjoy it. So I listened to my mp3, enjoyed the sunshine, admired the scenery, whilst still managing to fly along at a reasonable rate.
Sadly my knee was twingeing a bit today, which is irritating because it’s been great (although strapped up) lately and I was starting to think maybe it was worth a go not strapped up. I’m guessing I didn’t do a great job with it today, which tends to suggest that not strapping at all is not yet a good idea… Still, I think it’s improving slowly. Patience…
Due to a DIY related pinching injury I’ve (hopefully temporarily) lost feeling in the pad of my middle finger on my left hand, which made for some weird sensations when braking. Plus that brake REALLY needs adjusting as you have to squeeze so far down at the moment that it’s practically useless. Still, I’m supposed to be braking less, right? I can’t say I was focusing too much on that today but generally I think the ride went ok from a cornering/downhill perspective too.
Cycling time: 2:04:30
Distance: 31.69 miles
Avs: 15.2 mph
ODO: 7150 miles
I don’t know if I’m getting better at hills – they still feel like bl**dy hard work – but I think maybe my recovery/forgetting speed has gotten faster. Once I’m at the top, the hill is behind me, and it’s on with the ride. Though I think Winscombe Hill, though hard, was not as hard as it was last time I did it.
Anyway there I was, cycling along by myself, when it occurred to me that rather unusually I will be doing most of my events this year in company. I’ll be with GB for the Mad March Hare, with GB and SH for the Lionheart, with GB for the Cotswold, BW for the Wheel Heroes, GB and KB for the Dragon, and GB, SH, and another for the Dartmoor. That only leaves the Longest Day for me on my own. How very peculiar. Of course it remains to be seen whether or not we’ll be riding together or merely arriving and departing the venue at the same time…*grin*.