Decided it was about time I should add some comments and join the Bloggle!
Thanks Paul for keeping the overall news up to speed.
Unlike my mate, opportunities for me to train on the roads are a little more limited due to family commitments – however when my lovely wife gives me the green light to go out I have to grab it with gusto.
That happened this weekend, and Sunday morning was my green light. Given that I’m doing an hour or so most evenings on my turbo-trainer I relished the idea of some “proper” cycling.
My alarm went off at 06:30 and I peeped out of the window to see the rain and sleet, and to be honest I just wanted to get back into my warm bed. However the reality of just 17 weeks left of training got me up and into my cycling gear, and I was off by 07:30 with 6 weetabixand a banana inside me.
Within 5 minutes I was already drenched and my wet leggings were making my legs feel heavy, but that wasn’t going to stop me; I was on a green light after all!
I headed off towards Petworth, with a distance of 70 miles in my head – only reason being that we did 60 last time and I wanted to prove to myself I could do more.
Petworth came and went, and Chichester seemed to be the next logical place to aim for. I passed through Chichester and decided to continue coast bound to Chichester Marina. From previous camping experiences I’d remembered that there was a decent cafe there.
Chichester Marina arrived just over 30 miles by which point I was so drenched (and cold) that I took off my gloves upon arrival and wrung them out making streams of dirty water! I then took off my outer layers and spread them over the radiators much to the bemusement of the already settled full-English-breakfast diners.
3 cups of tea, a flapjack and 10 minutes under the hand-dryer in the gents later, I was thawing out nicely and ready to get back into my still wet, but warm gear for the return leg.
Still raining steadily it was a case of head down, and my journey back was pretty much the same other than my new favourite hill at Duncton produced a PB top-speed: 42.6mph! given that I’d been up and down the same hill a few weeks back I’d taken a run at it this time and barrelled over the crest.
As I arrived home, my trip computer was showing 61 miles – and I still had an hour left before I was due in for my roast lunch. Despite the call of a hot bath, I still had my 70 mile target in my head so I carried on past home and cycled to Haslemere to add the extra miles.
By now my legs were really feeling it. The rest was a blur of discomfort – but nevertheless I added the miles and got home with 70.03 miles on the clock, total riding time of 4hrs 56mins.
If that doesn’t prepare me for the worst the Scottish Highlands have to throw at us I don’t know what will!
Looking forward to the next Big Ride, this time with Paul for company – hopefully.
Mat :-)
Thanks Paul for keeping the overall news up to speed.
Unlike my mate, opportunities for me to train on the roads are a little more limited due to family commitments – however when my lovely wife gives me the green light to go out I have to grab it with gusto.
That happened this weekend, and Sunday morning was my green light. Given that I’m doing an hour or so most evenings on my turbo-trainer I relished the idea of some “proper” cycling.
My alarm went off at 06:30 and I peeped out of the window to see the rain and sleet, and to be honest I just wanted to get back into my warm bed. However the reality of just 17 weeks left of training got me up and into my cycling gear, and I was off by 07:30 with 6 weetabixand a banana inside me.
Within 5 minutes I was already drenched and my wet leggings were making my legs feel heavy, but that wasn’t going to stop me; I was on a green light after all!
I headed off towards Petworth, with a distance of 70 miles in my head – only reason being that we did 60 last time and I wanted to prove to myself I could do more.
Petworth came and went, and Chichester seemed to be the next logical place to aim for. I passed through Chichester and decided to continue coast bound to Chichester Marina. From previous camping experiences I’d remembered that there was a decent cafe there.
Chichester Marina arrived just over 30 miles by which point I was so drenched (and cold) that I took off my gloves upon arrival and wrung them out making streams of dirty water! I then took off my outer layers and spread them over the radiators much to the bemusement of the already settled full-English-breakfast diners.
3 cups of tea, a flapjack and 10 minutes under the hand-dryer in the gents later, I was thawing out nicely and ready to get back into my still wet, but warm gear for the return leg.
Still raining steadily it was a case of head down, and my journey back was pretty much the same other than my new favourite hill at Duncton produced a PB top-speed: 42.6mph! given that I’d been up and down the same hill a few weeks back I’d taken a run at it this time and barrelled over the crest.
As I arrived home, my trip computer was showing 61 miles – and I still had an hour left before I was due in for my roast lunch. Despite the call of a hot bath, I still had my 70 mile target in my head so I carried on past home and cycled to Haslemere to add the extra miles.
By now my legs were really feeling it. The rest was a blur of discomfort – but nevertheless I added the miles and got home with 70.03 miles on the clock, total riding time of 4hrs 56mins.
If that doesn’t prepare me for the worst the Scottish Highlands have to throw at us I don’t know what will!
Looking forward to the next Big Ride, this time with Paul for company – hopefully.
Mat :-)
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