Hi blogees.
Today I went out for a bike ride. I am still not feeling ready to run yet, I like my lungs where they are!, but the cycling seems easier on the chest and the breathing, but still giving you a complete workout. My goodness, I sound like an advert!...Anyway. It looked bright out this morning, but I did roll over and have an extra hour in bed. By the time I got up and ready for my ride it was overcast. Still, I'm not one to let a challenge go.
I was planning on doing a 20 mile route today. The Old boy seems to have fired me up and I'm wanting to to keep up with him now!! What with him losing 24 pounds since Christmas, doing 20 miles in just over hour and half. I'm not having it, I started well before him, it's taken me blooming ages to lose a stone, and what with this cold zapping my energy, filling my chest, throat and nose with gunk, I am having trouble sticking to my training plans! Oh that's it, I needed that.
So today is a kind of 'show off' to all that I am not just a fair weather fitness nutter. I am a proper fitness nutter, all weathers. If it wasn't for this cold!! tut. But anyway, I went out, and it just started to rain. Huge sigh! I even said to my self, "just go later, for goodness sakes." But I needed to go now! If I went back in, then I knew I would just sit down and do nothing. Its only a little light rain, so just get on with it.
I was going to do the Greenstreetgreen route, with an extra bit tacked on from the beginning of Poverest road, going up to the bypass, and down Perry street. Who is this Perry geezer anyway, that he has two roads named after him! But, (I know, there is always a but.) But, the rain got heavier, it was making lovely tunes on my hat and raincoat. My legs, wrapped only in jog pants, were already starting to feel so cold and wet. So from here I decided just to do half of what I planned. I still planned on going to Poverest road though, and try and get up there in one go.
By the time I was riding down the A21 it was hissing down, my glasses became more of a hindrance as I couldn't see through them, it was just as well I decided to ride on the cycle path instead of the road! At least I could keep stopping and wiping my glasses. Well that's what I should have done, but I rode most of the way, on the path, looking over my glasses! Then I had to slow down to cross over the road, one of the reason I don't like riding on cycle paths, you have to act like a pedestrian! But as I started to ride again my chain fell of the bike. A quick stop to put it back on, then wipe my glasses and off I go again.
The rain had slowed down a bit, and my glasses remained fairly clear. I was even beginning to think about doing the twenty miles. Turning left now at the last roundabout, through GreenstreetGreen and Orpington, a song was in my mind. #Ah Lord God, Thou Has Made Heavens# It kept me going, even the line #Nothing is too difficult for thee# I wish He hadn't sent the rain just now though. I can't image God wanting to get fit somehow, but thinking about how He would not find this ride today too difficult kept my mind amused and off my wet cold legs, dripping wet hat, and rain speckled glasses.
Through the high street at Orpington. My goodness, I seemed to have got here quick! There is a lot of traffic about. I am not going to go up Perry Hall Road, I am going to do Poverest, and if it don't rain anymore, maybe I will go further. So round the one way system, and a car toots me. I have no idea why, I gave indication of my intentions, I had the right line. Maybe he just wanted to let me know he was there! That negotiated now on towards Poverest.
They have a cycle lane here, along Cray Avenue, and it does feel so good riding passed all the cars stuck in the traffic jams! But then the rain started to fall a bit more. Serves me right for gloating! At this point I decided to just do ten miles. Go home and have a soup. Decision made I rode as quick as my legs would go, towards Poverest. When I got there, what did I see? Road Works Flippin nora. I should have gone up my other nemesis Perry Hall Road. I cheated. I got off my bike and walked passed all the road works and then got back on again. It seemed quicker to do it that way (I was going to ride on the pavements, but there were pedestrians on there ). And besides, I don't think I would have started off so well on that particular part of the hill!
I still had a fair bit of the road to ride up, and I didn't stop. I kept on and on towards Pettswood. The rain seemed to have stopped again, and I was thinking maybe I should ride on through Southborough Lane and head off into Bromley.
As I was thinking this I already knew that I was going to ride on through Southborough, and not turn left into either Oxhawths. The Fairway then, not going over the walkover bridge, no, I'm a cyclist, I will go under the bridge and through the highstreet, just like all other road users.
Heading down Southborough, going as fast as I dare, I see the sign flares up, "Slow Down" Is that for me. Do those signs flash for cyclists? because there was no car behind me! Well, not directly, just after we went passed the sign then there was a car. I was just so cold, and so wet through, all thoughts of going into Bromely were far from my mind. I decided to go through the park and go home and warm up. The rain started to come down really hard just as I got to the park, so it was just as well I decided to go home!
Home, home, home, as e.t. would say. I took the bike in, stopped the Garmin (so precious minutes wasted) and felt quite proud of myself that I actually went out in this horrible, horrible weather.
So, my geeky stats.
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