Wednesday Meander!

Hello blog lovers.

This blog is only about 24 hours late! But better late than never I hear you all say......right?  The Old Boy really had to cajole me into going out into the cold night air.  Well, for November it was quite mild, but I was just feeling nice and snug in my house, and maybe just a little bit jaded as well!

It was to be our usual route up to Halstead. From there.....well, from there we were going to discuss which way to make our way home.  I knew which way I wanted to go! But you never can tell, if I fancied a bit more of a challenge once I got there.

We along the path to Princes Plain and the rode up to the bus garage.  There was a runner going in the direction of Locksbottom.  I slowed down to let him go past. I knew I would be riding past him pretty soon.  He was running really well and I had to make a bit more of an effort to go past him, and then I took it a bit easier until the hill came.  I really did slow down, I pedalled as hard as I could and just then the runner caught up with me! I was mortified!  Then he started to over take me! How can this be, my legs were getting that 'burn' feeling as I chased after him! I managed to catch up to him as we were both going up hill and stayed neck and neck for a short while! But to me it seemed like an age!  Then the hill started to flatten out and I eventually went past him!  I had to make myself pedal just a little bit harder up the next hill just to make sure that he didn't catch up to me again!

It was a little bit of fun (well, apart from the fact that I really did feel mortified!) But at least now I know what the 'burn' feels like! Something that I almost get to and then I stop before it kicks in.  I know that it was just a small example of what 'the burn' is and I have decided that I don't like it!  I am seriously going to look into this and see if it is actually good for you! (I think it will be though, as we touched on it during my recent L.i.F.C. that I took!)

I took it nice and easy all the way to Halstead and then the Old Boy told me that it took 47 minutes to get there! Now that is slow! I still had to get up to Knockholt and then to the Shampam, it really was going to be a slow ride. 

Struggling through Knockholt village but eventually getting to Cudham North Lane, I allowed myself a bit of a sigh of relief!  Nearly there. Just 20 minutes or so to the Shampan (that is an estimated guess, which I am not very good at, I didn't take my Garmin with me) and then it was the wonderful fast downhill although way to the put at Keston.

The lanes were pretty dark but me and the Old Boy were lit up like Christmas trees, you could deffo see us coming along! Lights is everything when you are out in the pitch dark lanes! Once we at the Shampan the Old Boy said that it was quite late! "Well, lets just go straight home" I said "No, we can stop for a swift one, if we can get there within 20 minutes" Well, I think I must had done it.  Riding through Biggin Hill is just so fantastic.  Mainly down hill, light traffic I can really begin to enjoy the ride, and it was good to see the Old Boy pull into the pub!

A very quick refreshment and then off to rescue our dinner at home!  22 minutes later than planned!

While I write this my thoughts are with the families of the cyclists that have been killed in London the past 10 days!  It truly is horrific, and I feel for the families.  But I am not ready to put away my bike, hang up my lycra or bag up my lights.  I just hope and pray that government will finally get their fingers out and start doing something to protect cyclists in our cities.

Here is the Old Boys geeky stats of yesterdays ride.