Hi all blog lovers.
Today I wasn't feeling particularly energetic, or adventurous or even very healthy!, but I still did want to go out and do something.
I hurt my back on Tuesday, nothing major, just a little niggle, when I was bending over to strap up the baby in the car seat. But I know from experience that if I had ignored it, (just as the Old Boy ignores his little niggles) then it would get so much worse. So I had a couple of days rest. I was going to go out for a jog this morning, but decided to miss that. Like I said I'm not particularly energetic today.
But when they Old Boy said that he was just planning on a short 5 mile, easy ride, I decided to go with him. After all, he did fix my puncture!.
So we set off, after getting all dressed up for the occasion, put my Garmin on, but not the HRM, well, its only going to be an easy ride, right!! Up the path to turnaround lamppost turn left, the right at the end of that road to that lovely busy, but smooth rideable road, the A21. "Lets go into Bromley" says the Old Boy, " then up Widmore, down this road, hen towards Hawthorn, then up towards Petts Wood" Well that seems quite an easy ride, I thought, I'm sure its more that 5 miles though.
We rode on the road until the Old Boy said to use the cycle path on the pavement. Sometimes Those pavement cycle routes are more of a nuisance than car drivers in general. You have to keep stopping for the giveways on each road, where if you were on the road you just cycle on by. And usually its more bumpy on the pavements! When we were near the High Street, the Old Boy asked if I wanted to go left, then on towards Keston. Of course that's that long, long hill. I told him I wasn't up to that. So we got to Bromley, and decided to ride on through Bromley, (through the High street, are you allowed to do that?) and then on to London road. And then turn right heading towards his old secondary school.
Its a nice ride down here, and we negotiated all the traffic just fine, both of us seem to be growing in confidence of our cycling abilities, although, turning left for me is still a problem, with the hand signals that is, I just can't seem to let go of the handlebars to do a left signal! There are slight hills, nothing to strenuous, but then the Old Boy said "We are going to turn left here to avoid all the traffic, and head towards Summer Hill" I almost fell off my bike, I'm sure if I had the HRM on then you would see that my heat probably stopped for a few seconds with the thought of climbing up that hill!
"But we will turn off before we get there" says the Old Boy! Blimey thank goodness for that. I regain my posture and we carry on. I am getting quite tired though, and the reserve energy tank seems to be running on empty now. I was looking forward to getting home now.
Its a good ride, and I am enjoying it. I spot a couple more cyclists (one with out lights on his bike, tut tut) with the same tabbard that I have, my Skyride bright yellow bib! I quite like seeing the odd yellow bib running up and down the roads, I feel like I'm part of a big clan! A big old cyclying clan.
We are at the beginning of Tylney road, I'm so glad that that the Old Boy knows where he is going, if it were left to me then my routes would just end up to Downe Village, (the pub) or Greenstreet Green (the pub). But this 'following the Old Boy' is always a surprise when I realise where I am!
So from here I know where I am going. Down Tylny road, across the roundabout and through Page Heath Villas (sounds very posh doesn't it?) and then straight on and on to Blackbrook lane. I know the Old Boy was wanting to go to Petts Wood, but I know just down here and across the roundabout is the way to the park and home. I'm afraid that I chickened out. "Lets just take the short cut home, through the park" The Old Boy took pity on me and agreed.
We got back pretty quickly after that, no punctures this time round, but I was very pleased that I went out. When I checked the Garmin I was really surprised that we had indeed covered 8.88 miles!!
Yeah, nearly 9 niles and that's not too bad for someone who wasn't particularly looking forward to even stepping foot outside the house today!
So here are the stats
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