.....Erm.......Happy New Year People.

Hello Blog lovers.

Happy New Year to you all!

I must confess, it has been quite a while since I last had my backside on a saddle.  And boy does it notice! Where has my saddle bum gone, where is my cycle legs, where has my stamina gone?  Just a few shorts weeks of bloomin rain, cold weather, and zero enthusiasm for cycle riding and everything has gone!

Oh my goodness, sore backside is just half the story!  But, as the Old Boy has said, "Well it was good to get out"  The Old Boy has kept up his cycling, while I have been doing my running, (less time out in the freezing cold).  But today, it seemed the weather was with us, and I had no running commitments and the time was right. 

I decided to use my White Giant bike, my Specialized is all nice and clean, and looking at the state of the roads, I just didn't want to get it all mucky again. Also, I am still having a few issues with it, and I may do some other changes with it, but that is by the by. But our route is the nice way towards Downe Village, if there is such a beast, and it deffo is so much better than just pedalling along the A21.  Riding through Palace Estate, and turning left towards Orpington.  This is just a short hill, but my legs are feeling it as trying to get up Ditchling Beacon!.....ok maybe a slight exaggeration, but you can guess how my legs are feeling.

I was seriously thinking that I really am going to struggle getting to Downe village.  I was even thinking that when we do, I might just go the shortest way home again!  We did get to Downe, and I even had to have a short break somewhere on the way up too.  There was one particular place I was struggling so badly and going so slowly that I lost my balance slightly and wobbled towards the kerb, which had a very big ditch and the fence had barbed wire! My Nightmare scenario!  I was pleased I had my Giant, because If I had my Spesh, I know I wouldn't have been able to unclip and I would be ....well, who knows, I don't like to think about it.  But the Old Boy said, "You're going so slow, you can't even balance"  I don't think he could say anymore, because I could tell he was making up his own scenario.  The times that I have laughed as him as he fell off his bike, he is ready and poised to do the same!

So from Downe I could have said, "That's it, I've had enough," but instead, I headed for Jail lane, and decided to take the longer way home! Crazy I know, but really, to be truthful, I am quite disappointed in myself for not being able to do ride like I used to! And the only way that I am going to be able to get back to that same fitness is to ride, ride, ride and keep on riding!  I just hope the weather will be kind to us when on the days that I want to do my cycling.

It was still a bit of an up hill struggle for me, and of course the best bit was the long down hills towards Biggin Hill, and I think I got quite a bit of speed up as well! It did feel great to be back on the bike, and I really am looking forward to the summer months, for the nice long leisurely Saturday rides, with the Old Boy, with family and with friends.

Here's the geeky stats, the Old Boy kept behind me for most of the time, with just a couple of 'stretching the legs' as e put it, as he blasted down Church lane and then down towards Keston.