Given we're in Tier 4, I didn't really think it was that appropriate to be heading off on +160 km single loops around the countryside. That I wouldn't be able to stop at friendly local cycling cafés, was also a bit of a downer, so I decided to use the house as a pretend cycling café.
On Boxing Day, I headed out on one of my usual morning loops, of around fifty eight and a bit kilometres. Stopped back at the house for coffee and to fill the water bottle, before heading out and doing the same loop again. More coffee and cake at the end of that loop, a change of upper body clothing, then one final loop.
It was relatively mild, with a sharp penetrating wind, and the last 25 km of each loop were into that wind. I was suitably knackered at the end.
After a day of rest, I headed out again on Monday, as it was still Boxing Day, the roads were nice an quiet. Using the house as a café stop again, I chose a different loop, this time, just over sixty kilometres. The first loop was, er, interesting, and I did get off and walk down one bit that was doing a fantastic impersonation of an ice rink.
It looked like the sun was about to come out at the end of the first loop, but instead a wall of freezing fog rolled in. This made the second loop worse than the first, as the freezing damp cold slowly penetrated pretty much every bit of clothing I had on. After more coffee and cake, it was a complete change of upper body clothing and I headed out for the last loop wearing a waterproof jacket and 3/4 length over trousers.
Yesterday, I headed out on yet another loop. The weather couldn't have been more different, with light winds and sunshine; I even had a shadow for large parts of the ride. The first loop was freezing, my feet were like blocks of ice after 30 km and took a while to thaw out during the first café stop; I was really grateful for the underfloor heating.
It was glorious, if Baltic on that first loop.
It warmed up significantly after the first café stop, and I could feel my toes for the entirety of the next two loops, which was nice. The vast majority of the ice melted too, which meant that I could go a bit quicker, although my average speed was, on the whole, woeful.
I spent a large proportion of the last loop pondering if I should keep going at the end, and tick over 200 km for the ride. I'm not sure why I do this to myself, I still had a long way to go, was getting tired, and the temperature was dropping. Why not just be satisfied with what you'd planned...? As I mentioned in another thread, one of my aims next year, is to appreciate what I have, more than I do now. So I had a word with myself.
So with about 10 km left, I found myself listing what I was grateful for:
- I am grateful to have the opportunity to, essentially, waste a day riding my bike
- I am grateful to see a hunting barn owl
- I am grateful to see that sunrise
- I am grateful to have an understanding wife, who doesn't bat (much of) an eyelid when I say I'm popping out for a quick ride, only to return eight hours later
- I am grateful to have seen a herd of deer
- I am grateful not to have been smeared all over the tarmac by that fucking inattentive arsehole in that Mini
- I am grateful for Panettone
- I am grateful for seeing two herons in a field
- I am grateful for completing the #Festive500
I finished the loop, climbed off my bike and went and had a bath.
I must give an honourable munchion to the café. Cold brew coffee and tonic water, and as much Panettone and flpjack as I could eat, magic.
Overall - Distance: 543.0 km; Moving Time: 22h 36m; Elevation Gain: 4,102 m
Ride 1 - Distance 175.09 km; Elev Gain: 1,401 m; Time: 7h 10m
Ride 2 - Distance: 180.47 km; Elev Gain: 1,391 m; Time: 7h 41m
Ride 3 - Distance: 187.52 km; Elev Gain: 1,310 m; Time: 7h 44m
The one benefit of doing loops, was that I could change and swap clothing around and see what worked and what didn't. The Madison neoprene glove I bought a few month back, for instance, take about 10 km to warm up, it wasn't pleasant finding this out, but I'm glad I have, as now I know. Similarly, my leg warmers aren't warm enough for sub-zero temperatures, it also wasn't pleasant finding that out...
. I was a right grumpyboots yesterday - poor old Pete - partly because it's approaching the time I'd normally be jumping on a train to Welsh Wales for the Real Winter Event but also because we'd agreed to have a nice little brew and cake at the Tree Cathedral but...
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swim wetsuit is more, appropriate? BUT a bugger to back or cycle in. 
!!
