Today was the first of two planned rides before this weekend’s Etape Cymru.  Since I should, apparently, be tapering and taking it easy, I just did variations on the usual training loop.  It was grey and windy with both drizzle and sunshine to add variety to life.  Fairly autumnal really, especially the state of the roads, but at least it wasn’t too cold.  I felt like I was flying along, and I probably was, but the wind was fairly strong on the way out – my average definitely went up on the way back, and that’s even with Mudgeley Hill thrown in for good measure.  OK, I’ll admit it, I wasn’t taking it all that easy *grin*, but it was feeling easy, if that makes sense.  It’s just that as the year gets older and the weather gets colder, every ride that turns out to be going well feels like one that I should make the most of and enjoy to the fullest, because I know that at some point cold, hard work, and miserable is going to cut in.  Carpe diem and all that latin jazz ;).

Cycling time: 2:04:13 hrs
Distance: 33.93 miles.
Avs: 16.3 mph
ODO: 10410 miles

I bumped into an acquaintance of mine the other day who commented that she hadn’t seen me in ages.  By way of explanation I mentioned that I’d pretty much given up drinking so wasn’t out much these days – reference only to the fact that the main, if not only, place we used to bump into each other was in one or other, if not both, of the local pubs.  I then got a whole stream of commentary on how she isn’t drinking so much these days, has cut back, blah blah blah, *yawn*.  I wish people would realise that my not drinking is not a comment on their drinking, it’s just a choice I’ve made for me.  It means I cycle better, and also that I weigh less, which helps me cycle even better.  Win win win!