I had a ride scheduled for this afternoon.  Got the bike out of the garage this morning to clear some space…and discovered the back tyre was flat.  Not a great start.   On top of that the weather was not looking great, and the wind was looking worse.  Apparently warm weather means storms…  I changed the tube, and decided that, with wind like that, I might as well do some hills.  They’re usually pretty sheltered, and they’re also hard work whatever!  I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but was banking on the warmth, so opted not to wear the base layer, which as it turns out, worked perfectly.  Actually I’d be happy if it never got that much warmer than this – I’m noticing that I’m drinking more now – and that’s only going to get worse as it gets hotter.

First off – Shipham Hill.  It was just starting to rain as I got there…big fat drops…but as I went left, I seemed to leave it behind.  The hill road is newly resurfaced, and thus considerably nicer to cycle up.  I plodded my way up that as usual – step by step.  Once up top, I took the nip through Shipham to Rowberrow before going down to Churchill.  Along the road then a longer plod up Burrington Combe – again, step by step. That’s how I do hills.  Once up there it was all the way along the Mendips to the Bristol-Wells road where I went up, past Romulus and Remus, past the aerial and….wheeeeeeeeeeeee….all the way down into Wells, with the wind (mostly) behind me.  Back from Wells direct to Wedmore, out and around Nyland Hill to Cheddar where I popped into see Jem at Cheddar Ales to order a polypin of Potholer for Mayor Making – I have the best sponsors! *grin*.   Then it was just the usual 10 minute zoom home, with the wind pushing me all the way.

Cycling time: 2:33:10
Distance: 37.159 miles
Avs: 14.6 mph
ODO: 9426.3 miles

After Wells, everywhere I went it had clearly rained heavily fairly recently…but I got home untouched – ‘rah! 🙂  I got the wind right this time – avoided the worst of it and got to enjoy having it behind me.  My average speed was better than I had expected considering all of those hills.   And those hills?  Just not quite as hard as I remember them…although the backs of my thighs are feeling it now.   I never had to reach for bottom gear, or get out of the saddle.  I think some of the weights stuff I’m doing at the gym is definitely helping when it comes to going up 🙂

Fancy a long ride Friday I said?  ‘Bout 70 miles he said?  ‘Bout 4 hours he said?  That’s more like 60 miles if you’re me I said…but I’ll leave the route to you.  I’ve always wanted to go over the bridge to Wales he said.  I said that might be a bridge too far…but if not, I’m easy – I’ll leave the route to you.

And so S and I set off, in the rain, at 10am.  Out to Sandford, out via Churchill to Wrington to wiggle up, around the airport, and finally down to Barrow Gurney.  Up through Long Ashton, through the Ashton Court estate, and up the long 1:7 up towards Abbots Leigh.  Pedal through Pill, in the rain (it always seems to be raining when I go through there) and up over the Avonmouth bridge, laughing at the stationary Easter motorway traffic.  Down through Shirehampton and industrial Avonmouth and ’round Severn Beach to the “new” Severn bridge.  What now?  Coffee here I said?  But the old crossing is so close, he said.  Look it’s just there he said.  It’s got to be done he said.  So done it was.  We followed the cycle path, and went all the way across to Chepstow on the old Severn Bridge.  Definitely an experience to be ticked off 🙂

It was time for coffee and carrot cake, to put it mildly.  We’d gone rather further than we’d planned…but since the route home was more direct, it would be much shorter…no?  (No!).  And it was very good carrot cake.  Almost worth traveling all that way for, especially at that price (is Wales cheaper I wonder?!).

Off again, back into the drizzle.  Retraced our steps back to Avonmouth, then cut through cycle paths around to Sheepway and Portishead.  The weather had lifted a bit, the headwind in Avonmouth wasn’t as bad as feared, and I’d even dried out a bit.  Down the Gordano valley, and across the flats to Yatton.  Then finally, a little tired around the edges, we came back on the Strawberry Line, secure in the knowledge that we would therefore face no big hills between there and home.  A quick zoom down the main road to Cross to go up the hill and back into Town at 5pm.

Cycling time: 6:16:51
Distance: 85.691 miles
Avs: 13.6 mph
ODO: 9354.0 miles

So today, we went to Wales.  How cool is that? Land of my grandfather ‘n all that.  Which is weird – cos I always thought it was like, miles away.  Which it is.  But clearly not as many as I’d thought.  Having said that, I think I’ve done shorter sportives!  The average speed is probably down to the amount of cycle path used – it’s hard to do a decent speed on those.  Plus it wasn’t a race – it was a day out.  Pleased with myself because I don’t think I was holding S back too much, which ain’t always the case.  He’s very good at sticking with me too – no hurtling off into the distance leaving me cursing under my breath as I try to catch up *grin*.  Plenty of chatting made the miles pass faster too – always a good thing.

I’ve had my Torq Recovery, and a long shower – wet roads make for an exceedingly mucky me.  Hubby had cooked lasagne which was ready as soon as I was – very decent of him when you consider I was out rather longer than I had said I would be – and it made for proper restorative food.  I guess I won’t be able to tell how I really feel until tomorrow, but I’m feeling pretty good now.  I had a really really good ride – the only thing I’d have changed would have been the weather – less wet, more sun!  I feel proper positive about how my training is going.  Ok, so I’m a little tired, but I think I’m allowed that.  And a beer.  Definitely allowed 🙂

The Easter holidays are upon us, and hubby has very nicely arranged to take several half days leave over them so that I can keep my training up.  The first of these was today so, even though I’ve been out for the last two days, I pretty much had to go out today too.  So, he came home, and I headed out.

Cycling time: 2:38:28
Distance: 40.732 miles
Avs: 15.4 mph
ODO: 9235.0 miles

I had planned a route, but got a bit confused around Brent Knoll way, which added a couple of unintended miles on.  My mostly flat route went Webbington – East Brent – Burnham – Highbridge – East Huntspill – Burtle – Westhay – Bleadney – Wedmore – Cheddar…and finally home.  I’d got the wind totally wrong and for the most part was just slogging into it, which wasn’t a lot of fun.

This being the third day on a trot is probably good training for the L2P.  There certainly wasn’t much in the tank – it would have been better if I’d had much to eat today, or had taken any food with me.  I made sure to get some Torq Recovery down me when I got in, but am still feeling pretty wiped out.  Imagine that being c.80 miles every day?!  All that said, the stats were ok – and on some days that would have felt like a great ride.  Today it felt like hard work, and I’m feeling it now.

What has three days in a row taught me?  Well for starters I’m going to need new gloves.  Not just because my left hand has a tendency to go numb, but because I just generally end up with sore wrists after all the impacts…gotta love our road surfaces.  I’m also fairly sure that Vaseline and Sudocrem will become good friends of mine.  And I need to make sure to eat and drink properly.  Fuel those legs.  I think I’ll stick to the gym tomorrow! *grin*

What better way to spend a (mostly) sunny Sunday morning than cycling?  Dad and I had a lovely couple of hours blowing the cobwebs away.  It’s really nice to go out on different roads – variety being the spice of life ‘n all that.  We scooted around the countryside around Portishead and Clevedon, where there’s plenty of levels, not too many hills, and lots of nice scenery.  That, with sunshine and no wind, makes for a pretty good ride in my book!

Cycling time: 2:10:38
Distance: 31.732 miles
Avs: 14.6 mph
ODO: 9194.2 miles

Considering the night before, I think we did pretty darn well.  Dad and I are fairly well matched on the flat now, though I’m pleased to say I’m still ahead of him up the hills.  Well – I have to feel that I’m better than someone…*grin*.  What with his new bike, and the miles he’s been getting in of late, (cruise not withstanding!), that state of affairs won’t last long either! 🙂

Went out yesterday even though riding with a horrible cold is not necessarily advisable.  G  was in much the same state, so I think we egged each other on!  It would have been a shame to waste the lovely weather, and I figured I’d just do a shortish run, just to keep my legs in.  We met S in Cheddar and headed out towards Draycott on the back roads.  We met a fellow cyclist and stopped to chat for a bit, and got split up for a while, so actually only ended up meeting S again just before coming into Wedmore.  G and S fancied doing hills – no fear! – so I decided to be sensible (as if I ever thought hills were a good idea *grin*) and pootled off on my own.

I spent a happy hour on the levels in the sunshine and wasn’t too knackered when I got home, which was what I’d hoped for.  Unlike G who texted me from “up there” somewhere to say that she wished she’d done it my way as the hills had proved the final straw.

Cycling time: 1:41:50
Distance: 24.501 miles
Avs: 14.4 mph
ODO: 9131.0 miles

As you can see from the stats, I was a bit slower than usual – I find that happens when you can’t breathe properly!  I’m glad I got out though.  My legs were feeling good – the spirit was willing…but the rest of me was weak 🙂   I did an extra hour cycling in the gym later to top up, which was hard work – but is apparently good training for the L2P.