If Carlsberg did rest days…they’d no doubt do them a darn sight better than I do. I don’t like to have two rest days in a week. My week runs Monday – Sunday. On Monday I rested. So, even with having ridden an event yesterday, I didn’t want to rest today. Even with Sunday being a day of rest ‘n all. That’s all a question of who your Gods are, and mine wear lycra so…
Pre-event I’d been considering my options for today. Country walk? Short ride with MiniMe? The latter seemed most likely until GB posted on a certain social media site, and a plan for an unofficial ACG ride came together. Not only was the idea of a ride in company good (and novel!), but it was also an 11:30am ride, which would give me time to sleep in and recover from not only the sportive but also the party I was due at afterwards. Well…how could a girl not?
Which would explain why (considerably) less than 24 hours since I got off the bike I was back on it again. More impressively; wearing the same lycra – washed and dried and everything! There were four of us, myself, GB, Gary the hardy Northerner who was duly wearing shorts and a top and little else, and Ian, back from a brief hiatus to pay attention to the new arrival, such things being considered diplomatic. GB sort of had a route in mind, or at least a particular coffee shop goal, and I was happy just to follow where I was led providing there weren’t too many massive hills involved.
Just as well really. Call me lead for legs. Well ok, that’s not strictly true, I was fine on the flat, but hit an incline and watch me drop like a stone… I could feel what I can only presume is lactic acid in my legs – or whatever explanation scientists are currently using for that feeling you get when your legs are a bit tired because you used them to cycle a long way not so long ago and they’re wishing you hadn’t asked them to do it again quite so soon. This was not helped by the fact that the other three dance up hills past me like they’re not even there, and that’s when I’m having a good day! I did my best, and I was enjoying being out there though. It was like yesterday – in the layers worn sense – but with sunshine! Not warmth – don’t be daft – but that sun makes a big difference to how you feel about being out there :).
The route took us, in slightly circuitous and lumpy fashion, to the café at Kingston Seymour which turned out to be closed for a christening. Debate ensued, and it was decided to head to the Walled Garden via Brockley Combe. However as we set off I took to pondering. I was quite likely to be a burden to those with me, who would probably choose to go up far bigger hills and do more miles if they weren’t having to take me into account. I really shouldn’t be overdoing it, as I have a lot more events coming up, and I was clearly a bit tired. And I really needed to be home to get to Morrisons this afternoon before they closed – because their gluten-free?/free from range is pretty good and I need to be eating things I can eat if I’m going to be doing so much riding. Fuelling is becoming a real issue. So I bailed and headed straight for home, back the way we came without the wiggles, and even resisted the temptation to go up Winscombe Hill just to round things off. (It was a close call…). My route therefore looks like this.
Turns out the rest of them did Brockley Combe, and Burrington Combe, and over 40 miles all in! Now thanks to the observer effect, it’s impossible to know what would have happened if I hadn’t bailed. Would we all have done that? Probably not. But I’m glad they did and that I didn’t! *grin*. I am also glad I went, and I did ok all things considered. I enjoyed having company too, which is just as well since the next sportive is due to be a solitary one too. Unless Mario wants to ride with me of course 😉 *grin*.
Cycling time: 1:50:54 hrs
Distance: 29.31 miles
Avs: 15.9 mph.
ODO: 13185 miles