Trying To Kill The Nerves!

 Hello blog readers

Forgot to photograph
my bike, but I
did dress for the
occasion!

Another blog for today!  It's been a while since I looked at my bike blog, but here it is.  I was talking to Naggy today about when it was I had my accident, I thought it was in August, but actually it was early than that!  I can't understand why I'm still nervous and anxious about getting back on it!  Still, I did it!

My daughter has been talking to be about getting her kids bikes all ready and serviced, going out for a bike ride.  I had been thinking the same, although I kept on surpressing the thoughts!  I have such a beautiful bike, she is gorgeous!  All black with some cool pink flashes.  I love her really!  But I am still a little bit afraid.  I was even at one point thinking I would never get back on this particular bike.  Maybe just stick to my Giant.  But I have to give it another go.

I went to our shed, got my bike out, tested the tyres.....flat of course!  Open the other shed to get the bike pump out and then the heavens opened! Ok, ok, so it didn't rain so much as just sprinkled for a few seconds.  But I put my bike back again and the pump and locked up the sheds!

I paced about a bit indoors, I kept looking at the sky, willing for it to pour down, my mind all the time, telling me to just 'Go get your bike!'  I have to tell someone that I am going out for a bike ride. Just in case.  All these thoughts going through my head until at last I just went out and dragged my bike out again and pumped up the tyres.  A ran like mad across the garden and into my house to get changed before I changed my mind!  Still I hadn't told anyone that I was going for a ride.  I really should do, but then why, I didn't before.  Whoever I tell, they might panic!  Then I remembered that Naggy wasn't going to work today, I quickly called her and asked if she wanted to come with me!

She had just come back from shopping and needed just about half hour or so but, to stop me from getting changed again she suggested I sat in her garden with my bike ready to go!  She knows me too well!   I told her I was only planning on going to Normans Park and then back home!  I need to get rid of the fear of dogs running out on me.  It's weird by I do feel safer on the road. But the sensible part of my brain (yes there is a tiny bit in there) says that there could also be dogs walking on pavements that can suddenly just run out!  I have to just go for 'aversion therapy!'  Go immerse myself in the very situation that is worrying me!  I am sure it can only do me good!  Learn to look out for things like that, look out for kids wobbling about on skates, or scooting along on there no pedal push bikes!  Why don't kids look in the direction they are moving!

There are so many lovely routes that both pedestrians and cyclists share, I don't want to not ever ride on them again.  Todays little ride went someway to helping cope with that.  I am sure the more I do it, the more I will get used to it!  But I don't think I will ever be complacent again about shared routes.  Mind you, the path that I had my accident on was for cyclists, the pedestrian path was on the other side of the stream.....only saying!

A tale of Two Bike Rides

A learning Swerve...... Curve

Hello readers.

Guys, I was busy writing up my report about me and Naggy going out for our bike ride, but then I was distracted and it never got as far as the second sentence!  Anyway, it was all about how I was going to bite the bullet and go and do another solo bike ride, but then, as it happened I saw Naggy as she came out of her house and asked her to come along with me.  We had a great time!  Weather was great and we did the nice route through the parks, away from traffic, the one I had done with Bims and then again by myself!  Perfect, I thought. Naggy hadn't been on her bike at all this year, well, not outside that is, she has got one of her bikes up on a torture and tormenter machine, for inside biking thing, the turbo training thing!  So it was just perfect, for her and me! I didn't have to do a solo ride, even though I did it before, it's still much nicer with at least one other person and Naggy can get her first bike ride in for the this year.

We had a fab time, it showed me that Naggys is still much fitter and stronger than me, but then I am older than her!   For the first few miles Naggy was behind me, now I understand it's because she wasn't quite sure of where we were going, I was just going to say 'Turn left' or 'Turn right' when we were nearing the turns. The riding through the parks was fairly easy and gentle as there were quite a few people there, especially Normans park, so we just took it easy,  but once we were through and back on the roads and with the knowledge of where we were heading Naggy found her form.   And that was it!  She was in front for the rest of the way.  I did kind of get in front of her by Crown Lane Spur, she was waiting for me, as I caught up with her I decided not to stop but just carry on riding by!  It wasn't that long that she caught me up and said "Come on, get up that hill"  Hmm, yup, deffo more fitter than me!

This is our geeky stats for that ride, it's a lovely route, off road but on cycle paths, quiteish roads, especially due to this Covid shit going on, but one that we can do again as we gain our confidence and strength back!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/5007586653' title='The not a solo ride' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Sunday 31st May!

There will be some graphic pictures at the end of this blog, if you don't want to see them just scroll up slowly!

Me and Naggy had decided to go for another bike ride, the same route as we did a couple of days before, just a bit later on in the day, so hopefully less people about.  I got myself ready, my shoes, gloves, my bike, then went over to Naggys house.  The weather, again was just lovely, I forgot to bring my water, but it's only going to be less than an hour, so it's all ok. 

We rode along our road, then Farringdon, side by side, it is nice and quiet down our roads and we can get away with that, we were on to Southborough lane next heading up the hill.  Naggy was in front as  we rode up and took the left hand turning called Crestview, Naggy seemed to whizz up there.  The roads were lovely and and peaceful, the very small incline of a hill that is Southborough, giving me a little workout, before the rest of the ride, which is just nice and flat (ish) to enjoy.

We turned into Tentpeg Lane, I rode along the road to go on to the cycle path and then......I saw it......just as quick as anything, a big husky dog ran in front of my bike!  Then......nothing! Absolutely nothing!  I don't know if I hit the dog, or swerved or what, I just don't know!  My next memory was of Naggy, my friend Karin, my very calm but very concerned friend,  holding my head telling me to stay with her!  I couldn't understand what was going on, I looked down at my hands and saw blood, I heard voices.  The next memory I was on the ambulance trolly, I saw the dog and the dog owner across the other side of the car park "There, that's the dog" I said pointing.  

Why couldn't I remember anything else? It was all just bits of stuff, I couldn't remember getting to where I was or anything. Why? What's wrong?  Well I shall tell you what was wrong!  I was not wearing a cycle helmet! I had on a cap, a running cap, a hanging around cap!  I had all the other gear on but nothing to protect my head!  What an absolute nutter!  Ok, so it's a route I've done before, many times before now!  But on this particular occasion, a dog not a leash, which they should be apparantly during this shit corona times,  was doing what dogs do, contributed to me coming off my bike. I contributed to the fact that I didn't protect my head with a helmet and ended up with a head injury!  

At the hospital they stitched my head up, I have six stitches in my head and I also had to have a CT scan to make sure I didn't do any other damage!  Since then I have head from my next door neighbour,  about someone he knew who went riding on his bike but on the one occasion went out he didn't put his helmet on, which he always did before, crashed his bike and is now in a wheel chair!  I also head from another friend saying that she came off her bike, wearing a helmet which broke, she still needed stitches but doctors told her that the helmet protected her from even more damage!

The thing is, you hear about these things, you read about them, your friends tell you about them, but until it happens to you, you always think "I am going to be ok, I don't go that fast, I stay in cycle lanes etc"  but it can and does happen!

SO PEOPLE, PLEASE, PLEASE WEAR A HELMET, DON'T BE VAIN, DON'T BE "IT WON'T HAPPEN TO ME"     DON'T BE LIKE ME!

That's all I can say really!  Don't be like me!  I am lucky that I can still write this blog. Am I being over dramatic?  Feck no I am not, as you can see from the picture below, I am lucky it wasn't any worse than that!  What if......just what if.......?

And now, I am going to have to try and get back on that bike!......Shit!

Not a pretty sight!

Brain is still there!

6 stitches!

First Solo ride!

Hello blog readers.

Well yesterday I decided I needed to stop being silly and get out and do something by myself.  So I decided on a bike ride, rather than a run.  I had a busy day ahead anyway, but I just 'nagged' myself that I need to break the solo thing, make a start at finding my confidence to do things by myself!  It's ridiculous, isn't it!  But I do miss having people with me, it's one of the reasons I went live doing my exercises.  but with my cycling I had the added pressure of gaining my confidence back on my bike, with the clipless and dealing with the roads.  There will be more cars around now as the lockdown slowly starts to lift!

The route I planned wasn't any different to that I have been doing with Bims.  Through Jubilee, head to the dump, through the park, Normans park, a couple of loops and back home.  Only 8 miles but it'll do the job.  So as soon as I had walked the dog I got changed and got my bike ready.  I got out of the door before I changed my mind.  The weather was just lovely, not to warm, but I wasn't worried about that as I had my water with me, the wind had dropped.  My hayfever was playing up, with my eyes itching like crazy so I didn't put my contacts in, I had to cycle with my ordinary glasses, but thankfully they do go dark in the sunlight! 

Since Boris has said that people can meet one other person from another household outside in parks people really have taken that to heart!  It was quite busy, I had to slow down, stop and carefully ride around people and kids on bikes!  I think the roads are a lot safer!  The next park, Whitehall Rec, was busy too, I almost talked myself out of doing the whole park, but I still went for it, I only had to carely ride around a little dude on his bike......he looked like he was going for me! 

After those too parks I thought to myself that if Normans park was just as busy then I wouldn't do the laps, I would just ride all the way through it and head on into Hayes, and then go home from there.  Of course when I got there it was busy!  A ride on up to Hayes it was then!  I had forgotten how I used to love this little ride.  We used to stop at the George and enjoy a pint in the garde, whether it was coming from Normans park way or the other way from Keson.  They do a lovely cool refreshing Amstel at The George.

Of course no stopping this time, nothing was opened anyway!  I carried on to Barnet Wood Road just off Five elms lane.  I was smiling as I rode along, remembering all the lovely rides down this road, either heading for the pub or coming home from a long ride, both smile inducing thoughts though!  I decided when had got to the end and turned left onto Oakly road then I would turn left again on to the A21 and ride all the way do to the roundabout before turning right to go home.  Might as well, it will build up the miles and my confidence!

I got back feeling rather pleased with myself.  I enjoyed that ride, I just need to keep it going now.  Make the time, build it into my day.  Even if I only ride and hour each time, it's better than nothing.  My next ride is on Friday, with Bims!  Maybe we can do that route again, it is rather nice!

A Very Warm Ride

Hello blog readers

After my workout this morning, Bims (aka Naggingsister) really lived up to her aka!  She rang me straight away, while I was still saying goodbye to the people that were left watching me on live feed Facebook (don't ask, it's a long story!) she was calling my phone!  "We going for a bike ride, I shall be round in a sec" I was still dripping in sweat, even though todays workout was kind of gentle, I needed to get changed, get my bike ready, let the dog out, I decided not to take him for a walk, it was way to warm for him, so a nice play in his garden with the hose pipe.  There was I thinking it was too warm for a pooch to go for a walk, yet Bims want's us to go for a bike ride! Hmm, make sure I have plenty of water, maybe today is not the day to tackle hills!  Anyway, I really wanted to go through Normans park today, John D was was doing a mega run around this park, which is just over a mile loop. He's doing it for a charity, 100k run, looping around Normans park!  In this heat!

Eventually, I was ready, with all the things I had to do, Bims was waiting when I came back from doggies house and we set off, more or less straight away.  I was on my Spesh, I felt good on my Spesh.  Clipping in and clipping out doesn't phase me to much now, although I still pretty much stay focused on it.  I did have a little wobble coming through the gate of Jubilee park.  I am not sure if the things in your shoes wear out or not, whether you have to replace them.  I sure you do, everything wears out.  My shoes are perfectly fine, but maybe I should look into getting some new clippy things for my shoes and replace them.

I am sure we are getting through the parks quicker than we have been, at least it felt like it.  It was just so lovely being out, getting the sunshine on my face, it's all good for you, vitamins giving for free, just for being out side in the sunshine!  You just have to take it!

We got to Normans park, I was on the look out for for John D.  I didn't know what time he started, but we were there in the afternoon, he could well be on his last few laps.  We managed to see him when we got to the other side of the park, the Track end of the park, the play park end.  He was looking pretty strong, I called to him and he stopped for a few minutes.  He had done well over half of his challenge, "Only about a marathon to do now" he said! ONLY!  That's truly amazing, and just going round and round the park!  John had plenty of visitors and people joining him for a lap or two of the park to support him!  Me and Bims were going in the opposite direction to John, so we will be able to cheer him on again.  It's an amazing accomplishment! By the way he is doing it for charity and his page is Here, it explains who he is raising money for and why. You can donate too!  Well done John, amazing!

We left the park after two laps, cheering on John a further two times!  And that was it, a very warm, very lovely, very inspiring (thinking about John here) and after the now traditional selfie we said our goodbyes!

Here's our selfies by the way

And here is my geeky stats!
<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/4966391350' title='Bromley Cycling' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Getting More Confidence!

Hello readers

Bike riding is slowly coming back to me!  It's just like riding a bike really! Groan!!! I am still only doing very short distances with Bims.  I was using my white bike, as it has those duel use pedals, the ones where you can clip in if you want or not! Just what ever you please!  The second bike ride with Bims was a lot, lot.....lot better than the first one this year!  Mainly because I pumped up the tyres! 

I never really understood about have a really good hard pumped up tyre! Not until my second ride this year!  My bike felt totally different, it almost glided on the roads.  I got up the slope a bit better, I went down the slopes so much quicker!  Even Bims said that I also seemed to go faster while free wheeling than she did!  I think it's because of the bike......either that or it's the whole weight to slope ratio......I am heavier so I will roll faster!  So yes, my second bike ride with Bims, a total different experience, plus I remember now why I love my bikes!  I am not rushing to get back and do all those miles and hills just yet, I am just poodling around enjoying the ride!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/4920687014' title='Bike ride (with social distance) with Dawn' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

My third bike ride was with my sons girlfriend.  She said that she loved riding her bike when she had one, and she enjoyed her time in Amersterdam when her and her friend hired a couple of bikes.  So, I loaned her my white bike and I got out my spesh!  Oh she looked lovely, My son had cleaned my bike only a couple of weeks ago, and only now I was going out on it!  The confidence is growing all the time, I just want to get back to truly loving the ride!

Tash hasn't been on a bike for a while so I thought we would keep it to the same little route than Bims and I did last week, it's only 8 miles, and we can only do just 1 lap of Normans Park.  I think she underestimated how just how un-use to a bike you can get! Un-use, is that even a word?  We did the first park, crossed over the road and headed for the second park.  It was quite busy, well the sun was out and Boris said that people can meet 1 person from another household whiles upholding the social distancing of course.  So the park was really busy, I decided not to do the loop around it and just head straight through it and out. 

Unfortunately Tash was really feeling tired! So we decided not to do the next park but just head on home!  We covered about 4 and half miles in about 30 minutes, so not bad for a first time out!  Cycling is just like running, no bike ride is rubbish (unless there is some really shitty steep, steep hill in the mix) Just getting out and doing it (and if you have to walk up the hill, don't worry about it!)

So, up to date with my cycling blog!  Sorted!

Oh My Giddy Aunt!

Hello blog readers.

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last wrote anything on my cycling blog!  I mean......wow! It's not wonder I was a bit worried and anxious.  Putting on my cycling shoes, I just wasn't ready in my head really!  But NaggingSister aka Bims, would not let up!  Yup, shes back, long gone is that still quiet voice. Boom, nag nag nag nag from Bims!  She started nagging from Thursday, "Lets go on a bike ride tomorrow" she says, all fecking smiley after our workout in the morning!  "Come on, a nice social distance ride, any route you want" she says, as if that is going to encourage me!  I said "I needed my white Giant, it has duel pedals so that I can choose to clip in on not" I informed her, "Yeah and, use it then" she said.  "But I haven't got it, my daughter has it" I said smugly. "Then use your other bike, you'll be fine, come on, get it ready" "I need to pump the tires, it's all cleaned and ready to go" I said.  My son cleaned my bike and oiled it for me only last week!  But I still need the tyres pumped up. "Sigh AND!" she said shaking her head in disbelief and my next excuse!  "Ok, well, go on Monday, Monday for sure, I will get it ready!!" I said.

So what happened on Monday, well it was my daughters birthday, I had a cake to cook and carefully take it to her for a social distance birthday get together!  Oh how I missed my grandkids and daughters.  Just to give them all a big hug, I can't wait for that!  Anyway, of course that put paid to going for a bike ride yesterday.  But blow me down, that same day, yesterday, in the evening, my daughter brought back my white bike! Feck it!  No excuse now, the tyres are even pumped up, even though they could do with a few more pumps!

No excuses, no reason not to go, well none that I could think of anyway, I just had to go! The plan was to go riding today, everything fell into place, my bike, tyres pump (should have done a little bit more in hindsight) everything was perfect.  Even the sun was shining, although there was a bit of a breeze about.

I went up and got ready, here look, this is me in my cycling gear!  Long pants, I am just not ready to get my chunky knees out to all and sundry just yet!  And besides, it's breezy, it will keep me warm.  My NaggyingSister came to my road, already for our social distance ride.  I thought it was going to be easy......easy to keep a 2m distance that is, because I knew she would be well in front of me!  I told her my planned route, it took in just three parks, Jubilee, Kevs park (I've forgotten the name of it) and then Normans park......oo actually I did another park, because I went through my local park on the way home!

When I sat on my bike, I didn't find it entirely uncomfortable, which was a blessing.  Maybe NaggyNeighbours bike is just not comfortable for me, not with my fat arse anyway.  Maybe it's not going to be that bad of a ride after all!  Things you say before you actually do them, right!  Just getting up to first road I realised just how things have deteriorated on the cycling front!  Yeah, yeah, the work out I did the other day with the youtube tabata ladies seemed easier the second time and I'm not puffing too much getting up the stairs!  And thankfully haven't put on too much weight since lockdown started, but blimey, getting back on my bike was an eye opener.  I realised just how much fitter I was when I was riding about more.  I know now that I need to go back to when I first started riding my bike.  That first outing to Farnborough Village, a sandwich at the pub and then ride home!  I thought I was amazing then.  I did that for a few weeks, then branched out to a pub further along the A21, the Royal Oak, having the most delicious sandwich, a bacon and brie! Oh my goodness, that was delicious!  I miss going to the pubs!  I wish there was a pub today!  I would have so stopped to have a nice glass of cool non alcoholic something!

My route wasn't a particularly challenging one, in fact it was the most flattest route I could conjure up.  Along Farringdon, up Southborough and then turn into Crest View to head for our first park! My legs were jelly by the time I got to Southborough and I still had to go up hill for a bit to get to the next road.  I felt really pleased that I had my Giant with the flat/cleat pedals, it just gave me that little bit more confidence!

This cycling lark is going to take agest to get back to where I was, and I need to try and remember what fun I had on my bike too, not now, this felt like a chore, this felt like a bloody hard work out, one where I still had to get home before I could quit!

But at least it's a start!  Small steps, that how I need it to be, NaggingSister to help me stay focused, a couple of understanding riding buddies,....oh did I not mention it.......NaggyNeighbour suggested going for a short ride too!  On Friday! Feck what I have I done!

So geeky stats!  Slow, I know but it's a start!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/4885141294' title='First ride for over a year! Social distance of course' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

First Proper Ride of 2019

Hello readers.

What can I say!?  I am back? Yooo hooo!? Sorry it's been so long!? Well, I am saying nothing.....not until I have spoken to my solicitor!  I don't know what when on, what happened, I just lost my mojo, I wasn't really 'feeling it' for the bike.  Thankfully I still had my running or I would really have transformed back to my old couch potato days! And my cycling mojo is just hanging by a thread too! 

I have a half marathon planned for a couple of weeks time, believe me when I say I really have been trying to train properly for it but life, as usual, just takes over the bits of yourself that you need to dedicate to running.  Anyway, Naggy, neighbour from over the green, suggested on Saturday that we should try for a twenty miler for Sunday afternoon!  Twenty miles!!! I should be lucky if I could get twenty feet without falling off, complaining of a sore arse or having a huge panic attack!  But I said yes anyway, and then she said "You know the pubs, just chose a route and we'll go for it"  Oh my goodness, thank fuck for that!  If I had tried to follow her on a route that she had made I don't think I would have made it!  She is really doing well with her cycling because of her whole Tri-athlon thing!  Yeah,  see, now you understand my relief, right!

The Old Boy suggested the Eynsford route.....nah......no way......I did consider it for maybe more minutes than I really should have........(thats when the anxiety issues came in)  "What if I forget which way to go" and "What if those hills are just too much" and "What if I fall off my bike because I am going so slow up hill on that road"  No, no way, Otford and Eynsford is not going to happen.  So, I needed to put something in place for Naggy to enjoy and not get bored, but  I also wanted a nice route, not too much traffic which ends up at a pub not far from where we live.  I came up with the Downe route! Shit!  This is going to hurt!  But, cars, traffic will be less, I will have plenty of places to stop, grab my breath, take a drink, puke, stop the shaky legs or what ever I need to do, on that bit of road from Shire Lane to Downe Village that I know Naggy will enjoy!

I got back from church and went and got my bike out from the shed.  I checked the tyres, tried the brakes, filled my saddle bag with stuff and then went and got changed into my cycling gear.   The nerves were really kicking in now, "What if I have forgotten how to click in and out of my pedals, what if I forget to click out of my pedals, what if I ride along the road like a fecking snake!"  All these thoughts were going through my mind as I knocked on Naggys door that I had forgotten to send a message to Naggy. I looked at my phone and I saw the text message from her to ask if we were riding!  She was still in her 'civvies'!  So I had to wait for just a few minutes while she got changed.  All the while, anxiety building up!

We set off, "Where we going?" she says to me, I told her the route.  "Downe Village first, so go on the path, the A21 is our first main road"  I said to her. I followed behind as she rode up the path towards 'Turn Around Lamppost".  I directed her to go along the quiet road first before we took the right hand turn that will take us on to the A21.  Just to give me more time to get used to being on the bike, sort out my gears, I had so forgotten how they worked.  In fact I think my gears even forgot how they worked as the kept on 'clunking' and not doing what I wanted them to do!  That was all I needed, something else to add to the anxiety!  I was hoping it was because I wasn't 'in tune' with my bike and that it was all just a bit stiff as well.  I felt my bike just needed to blow off the cobwebs! Just shows you how technical I am!

It's only going to be a 12-15 miles ride, I could try and stretch it out to a 20 miles but I totally got a 'cut it short' route!  The first challenge, getting up the slope of the A21 to Locksbottom!  Oh my goodness!  I didn't quite make it!  That really reinforced my doubts in my self that getting up to Downe Village in one go is just not going to happen!  I had to take a break.  It was then that I realised that I had forgotten to start my Garmin, at least I could justify that little break!  Once I started again though I did manage to get to the traffic lights, Naggy was waiting for me just at the top.  I didn't want to stop as the lights were green so I just called out to her "Straight over, we are going up to Farnborough" I called out.  I passed the lights and then my phone started ringing.  I pulled over just by the hospital entrance and answered it, it was my middle child!  That dealt with I carried on after Naggy had caught up with me......yeah, she had got caught by the lights after I had ridden by her!

She was soon in front of me again though and I told her that we would be turning right to go to Farnborough! There is a lovely down hill that we take, I remember I used to almost free wheel all the way down, but I just wanted confident enough.  The road was in awful condition anyway plus there seemed to be quite a few cars coming up!  I guess the gorgeous weather brought out the walkers who were parking their cars or getting into cars, after  a lovely walk by St Giles church. It is a lovely walk around there.  So there was noway was I going to free wheel down there,  I put the brakes on and tootled down.  Naggy was at the bottom of the hill waiting for the next direction.  I told her......right then left.....all the way up and up to the top, the Village of Downe. Totally ironic isn't it, to get to Downe you have to go up!

We started the hill, Naggy in front of me, the climb started.  It looked horrendous, it felt horrendous.  I tried to remember the times when I had done this road in one go.  But that was over a year ago!  I had my saddle ass, I had my stamina, my mojo was totally in the zone.  Why did I chose this route!  I stopped riding after what seemed like only a few minutes.  I took a big gulp of my drink and then continued again.  There were cars behind me, I just couldn't remember if I used to pull over and let them go, the road is quite narrow in places, or just keep going.  I decided for my own safety to pull over.  The really steep bit came and I looked at it.  It seemed to get steeper the more I looked at it. "Right, you can do this you silly old mare, just get on and do it"  I clipped in and tried to get up it.  My jelly legs seemed to to turn into tissue paper legs, even worse than jelly legs! I just couldn't get started, I walked, yep, I got off and walked some of that blimmin hill!

When I got to a flatish bit I got back on my bike and slowly rode up some more.  Naggy was waiting just around the next bend, I realised just how far up the hill we actually were, it spurred me on to keep going as we were so close to the end.  Oh my flippin goodness!  I was knackered.  I was grateful for the huge traffic jam that seemed to happening in the middle of the place.  There were cars bumper to bumper, one chap was carefully directing a driver through some very tight spaces to try a relieve some of the jam.  I could see a bus just on the other side of the tree that's in the middle of the village, trying to make it's way down the other road, by the Queens Head. There must be at least twenty to thirty cars all trying to squeeze through the Village at the same time.  There was no room even to try and cycle through.  Me and Naggy had to get off our bikes and make our way through the traffic jam on foot. We turned left and walked for a little bit more  until we got to nearly the end of the queue of cars.  Then we got back on our bikes to ride again. 

I remembered this bit of road.  I was always pleased to get here, I think it's called Single Street, leading to Jail Lane. It still is an uphill road but not half as bad as the one we already had done.  I kept on my bike, I kept clipped in, well for most of the time.  I had to pull over to let this van through, he was good enough to drive behind me, waiting for a space to try and over take me, but I knew this road is to narrow, "Pull over when you can, we need to let this guy go" I called out to Naggy.  The next driveway we pulled in, the driver said "Thank you" very politely as he drove passed us towing his slightly wider trailer behind him!

We were not far off from the Biggin Hill road,  so close to the end of Jail Lane. There were a lot more houses, cars can get by and so the lovely down hill was almost there! We took a breather when we got to the end, then we took the right turn, destination, Keston!  I love going down that road, it's lovely, there are not so many potholes, the cars drivers seemed to give you space and its down hill!  Perfect.  I more or less free wheeled as much as I could, I kept catching up with Naggy.  Now either she was putting her brakes on or.......my bike is faster!  Especially with the weight ratio added in! 

At the bottom of the hill, of course there is a climb up again, chicken farm bends, as me and the Old Boy know them as.  I had psyched myself up as I rode down towards the round about that "I couldn't do it, it was too hard, your legs are jelly, your legs all relaxed after the free wheeling"  Not only but I had remembered there was no walking path along here, so I couldn't pull over if I wanted to!  I was wrong about that!  I was wrong that I couldn't get up the hill without stopping too. But my anxiety made me walk around the roundabout and up to the bus stop where I could start riding again.

Naggy was waiting at the top, just by the new roundabout, we took the left turn and it was a straight roll down to the Grey hound!  That pint of beer at the pub was just so good!  I stopped my Garmin only after I came out of the pub with our drinks and sat down in the lovely sunshine to enjoy them!

We went home via Barnet Wood Lane on to Oakly Road and then back through the path!  A gorgeous day, perfect cycling weather, I just wish I was cycling fit!  All in all I think we did about 13 miles, I had forgotten to switch my Garmin back on after the pub!

Here's my geeky stats anyway, can you check out the max speed!  Not bad for a fat bird at the back, full of doubts and anxiety issues!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/3492443917' title='First ride of the year!' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

In Two Camps! In Two Minds!

Hello blog readers,

After yesterdays escapades through the fields of Kent, with very sore legs i might add, for my exercise this morning I decided would be......rest! Yup, I rested, I got up late and just did what I had to do.  But this is a Janathon thing this month so of course I did something! 

My title today, 'In Two Camps!' It's because I wasn't quite sure which blog I should be writing it!  So, I am going to do both!  This copy and paste thing comes in quite handy!  My exercises today required me to get my Cycling Gear on!  Yup, I am going on a bike!  The thing is, I am a bit lacking in confidence on my bike, lacking my cycling ass, and also it's bloody dark and cold out!  NaggyNeighbour has this marvellous thing that you can put your bike on and cycle like crazy for well as long as you want!  Pretty cool eh?  Also my new earphones has this workout for a spin session!  So it has to be done!  I went over to Naggy's with my padded cycling pants on, a towel and some water!  Naggy had tried this bike thing the other day and she said its a good work out!

Well, the last time I was on my bike was for a few short minutes some time last year when I rode to parkrun, and before that was.....well months and months ago.  My last cycling blog entry was January 2018!  So my bike has been neglected!  I need to start from the bottom again.......and oh does my bottom need some work done!

Naggy had the bike thing all set up in her sitting room, she has her new cadence thing attached to her bike, she has a story and half to tell you about trying to collect that thing from Halfords! And I was first to go on the new torture equipment!  The second I sat on that saddle I could tell that the nice saddle ass that I built up over the last few years previous to 2018 has now gone!  It was like sitting on a razor blade (she says remembering an old tv ad) Perseverance, that's all it takes. Just start pedalling! 

So her machine is not quite working perfectly, it needs looking at, but for a work out, for getting our legs spinning and for working on a saddle arse, it's perfect!  Naggy did 20 minutes for her first time on the instrument of torture, so I decided that 20 mins is what I will do!  Oh my goodness that first time sitting on that sit!  It brought it all back, the pain in the Old Jack and Danny!  I should have remembered to go commando! Ok, so it was only for twenty minutes, I can do this, just pedal, I don't even have to worry about traffic! Just get those legs spinning!

Well, I started my Jabra earphones, put on some music, appropriate for a spinning class!  I was hoping for motivation, and then I started my exercise!  Naggy, well, she thought it was hilarious, the crying that I was doing about my derriere! She took some pictures of course, and even a short video.  I am glad I amuse her, just wait until she's on there!

Me on the torture equipment

The music was going, Naggy went upstairs to get her gear on and so I just got down to it!  It's harder than I remember....sitting on a bike that is!  If it wasn't for that I am sure I could do more spinning!  I am really going to suffer when I do get my bike out again!  Naggy came down and still laughed and chatted with me "How long have I done?" I said to her, I indicated to my phone.  She got it and I opened up the up, seven minutes!  Seven bloody minutes is all I had done!  It felt like I was on the bike for at least an hour!  So I just concentrated, just 20 minutes, that is all I am doing for my first time back on a bike!  Break myself in slowly....or I will just break myself if I don't!

Twenty minutes, sweat, tears....well no tears, but a sore bum later and it was done!  I checked out my geeky stats on my app and it said 'Training Effect.....Liight'  Fecking ada!  Is that all!  It felt so much harder.  But at least it's another exercise activity done for Janathon!

Geeky stats

Oh and some pictures of Naggy too!  Look at that, she is showing, off taking calls on the bike!

Hello Bikey My Old Friend!

Hello blog readers.

Me after the bike ride

Hello bikey my old friend,
I've come to ride on you again,
Because a vision of me in black Lycra
riding fast and passing cars
And the vision that was that was planted in  my brain, still remains
And now it's the sounds of traffic!

You will of course noticed that this is my cycling blog! Yup! That's right, I got my little bike out again.  NaggyNeighbour had asked yesterday, "If it's a nice day tomorrow, you fancy going for a bike ride!"  She did say ten miles out, do lunch, then ten miles back, but I knew I would struggle with just the 10 miles, let alone getting back again!  Baby steps, back to the beginning, and start again!  That's how I feel about my bike.  Last year I only did 9 bike rides, nine!  Pathetic!  I really have lost my cycling mojo!  But as I have said to some of my running buddies, finding your mojo is not going to happen on the sofa, or even hiding in my running shoes!  I know I have done that since September, a few times I have gone out for a run when I could have gone out for a ride instead.

Anyway, here we are, after church, after walking the dog, I got ready for a bike ride, remembering my commando training! It was to be a ten miler I might add, not the 20 she first suggested.  It was up to be me to think of a nice ten miler, with a hill or two.  I don't think she would really enjoy doing any one of my 'loopy' training routes.  Mind you, I must say riding out with your friends is so much nicer, it's great riding with friends, need to have friends to get me out on my bike!  It's more difficult searching for cycling mojo than running mojo! For a start, you don't have to worry about traffic so much.  I have got cleats as well, will I remember to clip out, can I remember how to clip in!?  It's a worry, but I didn't let it stop me.  The weather was just perfect for it, its the end of January, and it's really quite mild, so just perfect really for getting back out there.

Our bikes

I knocked on Naggy's door and we both just looked at each other....and giggled!  Just like blimmin school girls!  I am not sure if it was a nervous giggle or an excited giggle!  I had the route planned, it's an 'ease on back to riding' route, it's the North Bromley route.  With a hill up Plaistow Lane and then one at the other end of the ride, going to Keston.  We rode on through Jubilee park, all's well so far, getting back to is is just like riding a bike......oh hang on......that is what we are doing!  I was clipping in and clipping out just as if it's a daily thing to me.  The test will be going up hills.  I always go way to slow going up and I feel quite nervous because I go slow.  I feel as if I need my feet to be free just in case.  The first hill wasn't too far off, Naggy seems to be in her element on the hills, she just attacks them, I think I may need to dig deep and attack, but not today, today it's all about getting back.....and staying back on it!

I had tried to remember where the Old Boy used to take us when we rode through this route, do you think I could remember, I knew we went on through Bromley High Street, but then I kind of took us on a slightly different route and then thought we would just cut out that bit, so we rode on to Kentish way, I was going to look for the right turn that takes us to the path by the school.  I was telling Naggy "Here, it's this turning" as I indicated to turn right only to find out that actually it was not the right way!  In the end we ended up riding along the A21 and then turning right into Hayes Lane.  This is the other hill, it's  a slope all the way from The George to Keston, our destination, the Greyhound for a pint a a burger!  It was a tough old slog, my 'derriere' was taking a pounding!  Oh my goodness, I had almost forgotten about the sore arse!  But I was just so pleased to see that pub come into sight!  Just fantastic!  I was so looking forward to my reward.  A pint and a burger.  I got a picture of our drinks, but the burger, well I was just too hungry!

It was so good!

We made our way home going back the way we came, to get to Barnent Wood Lane, I think I had enough hills for the day, for the first ride of the year, in search of my mojo! Here's a picture of our geeky stats, I don't know about you or if it's just me......but it's quite an interesting....route, wouldn't you say so?

Geeky stats

Just a Short Plod out!

Hello blog lovers.

Well, it has been a while since me and the Old Boy have been out for a ride together, and today was the day, or at least this evening was the evening that we went for a short plod about.  I was planning on running about 3 miles, but the Old Boy suggested we go for a ride instead, he has been off his bike for a while and is wanting to get back to getting fit again.  So we hastily made a quick route, a nice flattish one for us, just to get used to the riding again, and then we set off.

It was still light out when we started but I know that the night time is just a few minutes away, we made sure we had lights and they were working too. Then we set off.  Our route was through Jubilee Park and then on to Bromley.  Ok, so when I said it was flattish, it was as flat as we could get it.  There is a couple of hills, just some gentle climbs, it's just the way Bromley is, there is a hill almost around every corner!

We rode on up to Bromley North, passing a very nice pub!  Maybe next time we should ride around in the opposite direction and then end up here for a quick refresher, that's a Lime and Soda for me by the way!  I am still determined with my healthy eating lifestyle and cutting out on my drinking for a few weeks!  I am determined, I really want to do this, and I really want to succeed this time around! (again)  Losing weight, keeping fit, it's a life long thing!  I just need to stay focused all the time.

So from Bromley North we ride on through the town itself and on to Bromley South.  We turn right to head towards Hayes, of course it's up hill, just small gradients though!  We ride on and passed another favourite pub that we used to stop at, especially in the lighter summer months, The George!  My legs were hurting, and wanted to just have a little break, but there is no rest for the wicked!  I followed the Old Boys blinking red light up to Barnet wood Lane.  That road is quite dark, he waited for me, we changed our front lights from 'blinking' to full beam to light the way.  He rode a bit more slowly so I kept behind him either that or I managed to stay with him, well that bit was flat!  Right to the end of the road and on to Oakley, and the Two Doves.  This is where we stopped, just for a light refreshing drink.  Then we rode on home from here.

A lovely little ride, it was tough, but then exercise is tough, and that was exercise.  I really tried hard to get up the hills as fast as I could, to give me a nice work out!

Here's my geeky stats.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1962567886

Hello blog lovers.

As you can see, it's a cycling blog!  I just had to get out today before I took root on my chair!  I have been having a week off, so I have really been lazy, getting up late, no running, not even on Club Night Tuesday, well it was NaggyNeighbours birthday ribs night!

So today I got up......late, but not as late as I have been doing.  I had some errands to do and I had planned to do them early just so that I would have plenty of time to do a bike ride.  I was in two minds as to which sort of ride I wanted to do.  Whether it was to be a nice leisurely ride which means at least 15 - 20 miles at my own pace, or do the loops again, just push myself as hard as I could for an hour.  I thought about it as I procrastinated doing 'stuff' in doors before I had to go out to do the errands.

I thought about it as I drove to Petts Wood to do the errands and thought about it again all the way home again.  I still wasn't sure.  I really had no motivation, I was feeling fat, frumpy and pretty down with that fact too.  After I came back I sat down to just think about it, "I have a wedding to get ready for!" I thought to myself, I should be trying everything  to lose these extra pounds I've put on, and that is not going to happen sitting of my arse! I am not going to be the 'fat mother of the bride' on the day!  Well, I guess my arse sat down is going to get me fit, as long as that arse is on the bike!  So the voice of reason finally broke through, "Just get out there and enjoy, while the weather is nice" Apparantely it's going to rain in London tomorrow, according to FaceBook, it told me to stay dry, so today is the better day to ride my bike. I got up straight away and got my bike out and then went to get myself ready!

I had decided that I need to 'exercise' rather than just a 'leisurely plod' around somewhere, which if I am honest I woult have cut short and come home.  Now that I had decided, I was ready to do battle with the undulations of Petts Wood.  I prefer this route rather than the Blackbrooke Lane loops as it has an undulation in the beginning and then at the end! No rest before you do the loop again. Times that by four and I should know that I've done a work out!

Just getting to the start of the loops I was puffing like an old steamd train, but I just thought "It'll all be over soon" because I am planning on getting under the hour!  I know my motivation will drop to my boots if it's longer than the hour!  This route is like doing a spin class without the music but also without the possibility for me to stop pedalling!  There's a big chance that if I stop pedalling I will go backwards, downhill or...fall off!

I completed the first loop and mentally said "Just three more to go"  I often talk to myself, or make up words to songs to keep a pace going!  I usually make up words for the tune of "Mamma's little baby loves short'nin' bread"  I know it's a silly song, but the words come to me as I'm riding up the hills, it helps me to stay focused and then when I'm at the top I take a deep breath and relax.  Mind you, that forth loop was tough going!  The air was blue, and I'm sure that particular verse is not one that I would sing to children!

I felt I had done really well but I didnt want to look at my Garmin until I got home and stopped it.  I knew I couldn't pedal any better than what I was doing anyway so what will be will be.  It really did feel as if I had done well though, maybe a pb.  I carried on riding along the same streets that I had only an hour ago and rode onto my road and up to my house.  Stopped my garmin and then looked at it, damn it, not a pb!  I was blimmin lucky it was sitll under the hour otherwise I am sure I really would have whipped my ass!

Any hoo, heres the geeky stats for you,

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1919529539' title='Petts Wood loops' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Pint, Pee and Puncture! - Ride London(ish)

Hello blog lovers

I heard there was to be some sort of bike thing happening in London yesterday, DiscoRich told me that he and IllustriousLeader would be going, they would be taking the train and then they will be riding around London, traffic free! Before some other race that was happening I think! Anyway, the Old Boy had plans to do stuff and then take off for fishing, so I asked NaggyNeighbour if she fancied a ride out to London, spot of lunch, and then ride through the city. Well, who do you know that would say no, especially when they have a brand new bike to test out! So we made plans.

After parkrun in the morning we both went home, I had to do some housewifey stuff, tidy, push the shark around (that's my fabulous new vacuum by the way) and then get myself ready. I think it was about 12:30 by the time I went over the green to Naggy's house.  "I'm not entirely sure of the nice quieter roads to Cator Park" I told her, "Don't worry, I know how to get to Beckenham and then between the two of us we will remember the rest" she said.  I was pretty sure that once we were on the roads we will remember them and which way to turn.

We set off for Cator Park, Naggy in front of me with me following closely behind.  We made our way, twisting and turning through the quieter roads of Bromley and Beckenham and we managed to get to Cator Park with no problems at.  From here I know exactly where to go.  We followed the WaterWay Link.  Oh I forgot to say, it had started to rain!  It started to rain when we were down Southborough lane, so very close to home that if it had been cold as well I am sure that we would both have called it a day, but actually at that time it felt quite refreshing, just a soft gently smattering of rain, but we still put on our jackets.  Fortunately the Old Boy told me to take his pocket rocket, as I wasn't even going to take one! 

The rain didn't last too long, in fact Naggy had shed her jacket when she waited for me as I had to negotiate traffic.  I took mine of once we had got to Cator Park and we continued with our ride to London.  We started chatting once we were on the WWL as there was no traffic to think about and were talking about things she will need for her bike, like a bike wedgie, full of stuff, like tubes, CO2 and bike leavers! An essential little pack actually!  As we were heading for the Moby Dick for lunch we thought a quick ride over to Decathlon would be ideal timing actually.

The ride into London went smoothly, well, there was one tiny little hiccup, when we took the wrong road, but we soon got back to where we needed to be! At least the rain was just about holding off!  I was think we were pretty lucky actually, it could have been so much worse.  We found out way to the pub and chained our bikes up to the railings outside.  Naggy had remembered to get a chunky lock for her bike, deffo an important part of cycling, especially when lunch is involved.  We both ordered a sandwich and had a drink while we waited.  A nice glass of coke for me, went down a blimmin treat, and then I ordered a beer!  Seafarers it was, well, we was in the Moby Dick! 

After our lunch we looked outside, there were hundreds of tiny little ripples in the river!  Yup, we hadn't escaped the rain after all, we just beat it to London!  So, the best thing to do.......have another drink, hope that it is just another passing shower! It didn't pass, it hung around and got worse! Back on with the coats it was and we headed home, we can do the bike shopping another time, and the ride around London, well, we shall have to try that again next year!  Again Naggy was in the front with me behind.  I was staying close to her, slip streaming, I am not sure it works with just one, although I wasn't right on her wheel, I don't like it when someone is that close to my back wheel so I make sure I am not that close to anyone in front of me. I had to have my usual 'comfort break' at the pub we pass by.  I am sure it's in my psyche, because I hadn't even thought of it until I realised we were close by. I am just glad it's there! I guess it could  We were about 2 miles away from Catford, where the Halfords is, and then the noise started on Naggys bike, a kind of flump, flump' noise.  Yup, she had got a flat tyre! The 'P' word was never mentioned, but we did talk about getting all the bits and bobs that would be needed if the 'P' word occurred! She looked at her tyre and there was a piece of glass embedded in her tyre!  

"What size is your tyre?" I said to Naggy, "Um, I don't know!"  So I rang the Old Boy to check it out on google!  Of course it's there on the tyre, and the tube that I had would fit no problem.  I got out all my bits and bobs, tyre leavers, Co2 and thingy for Co2 canister.  I only had the one cannister and one tube!  We will not be mentioning the 'p' word again until we get home.  So upended the bike and struggled to get the wheel off, thankfully she has quick release wheels, but I wasn't sure about the brake thingy, she has disc brakes and mine don't so wasn't sure if you had to 'loosen' the brakes.  and of course it happened to be the back wheel too!  So we had gears to sort out!

While we were trying to get the wheel off a cyclist came by "Are you ok there" he said. He looked a bit worried "Can you change a tyre" I said to him, "Well, I'm not sure really"  and now I know why he looked worried, he though we might ask him to do it!  "Don't worry, we got this" I said to him, and Naggy proceeded to leaver off the tyre like a professional! We changed the tube and then tried to blow the thing up!  No gas!  "Oh no, I've bought out an empty canister" I said to her!  I took the little thing off and looked at the canister, it's fine, I realised that I had just handed it to Naggy and she just screwed it on but not tightly, to pierce the canister! Phew!  Eventually we were all set to go, tyre changed in the pouring rain, and we needed no man, we can do this, we're cyclists! By then, however, the damp and chill seemed to affect my bladder, and I needed to pee again!  I won't tell you where I eventually found a place to go but I was near a river!

Wheels off!

We continued on our way and decided that we would skip Halfords and just keep on going, we I felt sure we would be fine.  It was around this time that my headache had started, it was really bad, I am sure that all I needed was water and maybe I was just dehydrated!  But the headache stayed with me for the rest of the ride.

Me and Naggy have done this route before, with Bims, and we met DiscoRich at the Moby Dick.  On that occasion I noticed that When I was behind Naggy on the way to the Moby Dick I was right behind her all the time, even having to slow down so as not to get too close, but on the way back she was just way ahead.  And yesterday wasn't any different!  She just seemed to find her cycle legs and was blazing in front.  I struggled to keep up with her, seriously, she was just so far in front of me.  She said that she finds the journey home seems quicker!  Quicker? Quicker?  For a start we are heading upwards, all the time, right up to Southborough Lane, it think then it flattens out just a bit!  Ok so it's not huge big steep climb out of London but there is pressure on your legs all the time!

We started to get a little fed up with the rain by the time we got to Shortlands, it wasn't feeling very pleasant, I was totally thankful for hot flushes.....I mean my power surges that kept my temperature up.  I think Naggy was warmed up to, from when we had left the pub she had really cooled down.  Nearly home, we took the back streets to get to Hayes Lane and then on to the A21 from there.  

I was pleased to get home, and if it wasn't for that headache I would have felt terrific for doing a nice bike ride!  Love my bike, and I will deffo try and do tons more!

Here's our geeky stats.

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1885332076' title='Bike ride to London ' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Going Loopy Is Paying Off!

Hello blog lovers.

I finished my day early so I thought I would get in and ready straight away to go for a bike ride, before I even sat on my chair to relax!  It's quite easy to get home, sit down and not do anything!  I need to get out there and find my cycling mojo!  It's out there, I know, along with my cycling fitness!  It's going to take an awful lot of dedication, perseverance and determination, which at the moment seems to elude me, all three of them!

At least today I am out here, I am on my bike and ready to do the loops again.  I need to try and beat my latest loop time which was over an hour.  I know I can do it because I have done it before, just got to get back there and then do better! I guess that is the determination, I just got to find the other two necessary items!

I really wasn't feeling, it, I thought I would get that in right now, the ride up the little hills to Petts Wood felt tough, my legs felt like lead, so with that on my mind I just thought to myself  "Oh well, 11 miles on a bike is better than no miles on a bike"  as it's always said, exercise is better than just sitting on your back side. So I decided to do as best as I could.  I got to the beginning of the first loop and looked up at the hill I needed to get to and then just went for it.  Give it as much as I could on the down hill and then push hard on the way up, it sounds easy, don't it!  Well that first one wasn't as bad as I thought, maybe I had warmed up enough on the way here.  I got to the top of Petts Wood road and then turned left at the roundabout and then left again down BirchWood road.  The two hills along here should warm me up for the second loop.

When I was on my second loop I heard "Good on ya Old Girl".  It was Lynne from Panagua Ladies!  I gave a call back to her.  Maybe I will see her again on another loop, I still had two more to do!  It was a little tougher on the second one but I kept the pressure on myself, well, as much as I dared without me thinking it's all a big huge chore.  I love being on my bike, really, I do.  I just know that to keep up with the Panagua ladies I am going to have to put in a bit more effort, and to do any cycling on Saturdays with the Old Boy, in the country side I am going to have to find the love of those flipping hills!  That really does seem an impossibility, especially even when I am with my running buddies I just moan and groan all the way!  On the bike it is a little harder, it's harder to stop for a start, especially if you are passing parked cars.  It's not as if you can just suddenly stop and take a breather.  I don't think the drivers behind would like that!  So I just had to keep on going.

The third lap was just as hard, but I knew that it was nearly over, I even allowed myself a little smile, "Just one more Old Girl, and then it's on the way home".  The fourth lap started, I flew down the hill and I just hoped that no cars would come out from the right to make me have to slow down, and then I saw Lynne again.  "Fourth done!" I said to her, well in my mind it was done because I was on the way up.  Unless I do a complete U Turn then there is only one way to go home and that is to finish the lap.

I was feeling ok as I got back to the corner, the start of the laps in Petts Wood, and I started my ride back home.  I didn't want to look at my Garmin, I didn't want to think that I had gone slower, or indeed see that I could get a PB if I pushed harder.  I just wanted to enjoy the ride home.  It was a great feeling being on my bike, I think my mojo is coming back slowly, but then, do I ever do anything in a rush!

Geeky stats for you.

Garmin Connect

Still Loopy!

Hello blog lovers.

Yesterday was a cycling day again for me, more of my loops!  I am determined to get fit as the proverbial!  So as soon as I could I was out of the door in my lycra before I could even think about sitting in front of the tv.!  I really love Hollyoaks, I would've watched it. In fact I can't remember the last time I saw Hollyoaks, I am not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing!  Just an hour, that's all I needed to cycle for, the hills will be doing me good.

Again I sat on the saddle and it still felt like I was sitting on pebbles!  I am sure I will find my saddle ass soon!  Off to do my loops, I had a song in my head, I don't know what it was, but the Old Boy had played a clip of a film, Southern Comfort, where they were all having some sort of barn dance!  I don't know what the song was called, but it's in French I think!  I had the tune rolling around my head as I pedalled along to the start of my loops.

I did the first one and I felt quite good, and then I saw J.J. just getting home from work.  I stopped my Garmin to have a chat with her!  Well, I am on a mission!  I only chatted for a few minutes and I even resisted the invitation to go back for a quick drink!  Three more loops to do and then back home.  The second one went well too, maybe it was because I had that few minutes break!  So now there is no break, it's straight up for the third and fourth loop!

I was very warm, I really don't know how I did it, but determination to do well does work.  I was annoyed on the way home about how much traffic there was going along Tudor way, it will severely affect my time!  Eventually I got across the round about and made my way home!  I turned my Garmin off and then chatted to the neighbours who were in their garden.  I didn't actually look at my geeky stats until after I got back into my house and and settled down for the evening!

I was quite pleased with it, 2 minutes quicker that the last time!  Yup, I will have that!

Geeky stats.

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1837263736' title='Petts Wood Loops' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Gone Loopy!

Hello blog lovers!

I am chasing my cycling mojo, I think I am seriously gaining on it!  Today I went out by myself on one of my loops, trying to get 'match fit' as they say, and there isn't a hidden meaning in there, just in case you were wondering.  My cycling is strictly for fun!  But I have noticed that I am slower that I used to be, so I need to build it up again.

I procrastinated for the whole day, I found things to do, things to wash, things to change, look after little Deci (when the little fellow came to see me)  but I really wanted to go.  I just knew that when I sit on that saddle it's going to hurt!  Naggy and me had only just done a 20 miler yesterday, and that was after having a week break from the 28 miler last weekend!  I was just going to have to grin and bare it!

I got my cycling gear on, got my bike out of the shed and went outside!  I looked at my saddle and I thought "This is gonna hurt!"  I sat on my bike and I could feel the pain straight away!  It's like sitting on a couple of huge peddles! Oh my goodness!  But I just have to get over it.  I know that eventually the pain will go!  Just not today!  I cycled out towards Petts Wood, I wanted to do that loop today.  I thought that maybe the roads there will be quieter, even though with my procrastinating it was home time, so there was a bit more traffic on the road that I would have hoped!

I cycled to the start of my loops, just at the top of Petts Wood Road.  The down hill bit looks good, but then there is the road that goes up!  I start cycling down hill, trying to ignore the fact that I could quiet easily coast down, I do need a bit of speed to get up the hill using momentum!  It's a good plan, and I was thinking that as I am not as light as I used to be the last time I did these loops I was hoping that it will 'flip' me right up the hill before I had to start coming down on my gears.  That was my plan.

The first loop I thought "Yeah, I got this" as I remembered our ride yesterday to Downe Village.  There was no forgetting my ride yesterday as every tiny little stone or bump in the road I was feeling! At the top of the first hill I was feeling a bit smug as I found it, well, not as much of a struggle as I thought!  This is only the first hill though, only half a loop!  I should not get so cocky just yet!

I rode along Orpington road before turning left to go down Birchwood.  A nice down hill before the undulations of Great Thrift and the other roads that I need to do before I get back to the beginning of the loop.  I felt that I did that first one ok, buy my bottom was not liking it at all! "Maybe I should just do one one and then go home" I thought, "What's the point of pushing yourself" was another thought that popped into my head!  But I continued to do the second lap.

I know I was feeling so cock sure of myself on the second loop, but I was still enjoying it!  That's good at least, I need to be able to enjoy my cycling and not find it a chore!  Oh my bum!  And I need it  be pain free too!  That is going to take time in the saddle to ease the pain!  It's just like when I practised to play guitar, my fingers used to bleed and hurt like hell, but I was loving it so I continued practising!  That's what I need to do with my cycling!

The second loop done, I was fairly happy with that and I also though that I could do the third one, and if after that I am not really feeling it at that then I will go home!  So up again Petts Wood Road! This time a bus had decided to take up the whole road, right on the down hill bit, the bit that I needed to build up some speed to get up the other side!  This one is going to hurt!  I wasn't wrong!  I had to dig deep to get to the top of the road!  A bit of a rest at the top as I ride along Orpington Road and the nice down hill.  I got back to the start of the loops and I thought "It's only one more to do, so go do it" and I took a drink and then started up for the last loop!  It was tougher, I could feel my legs hurting....and my butt.....and I still have to do those other hills!  But I was feeling good! Well I felt good when I got to the top of Petts Wood road, and I felt good after I did those other little inclines!

I was feeling really very satisfied!  I did it, I missed Hollyoaks to do it, I was still totally bruised from Sundays ride, but I did it!

Check out my geeky stats!  I was quite pleased actually! (not sure why I can't get it to do the usual map) but you can click on the link and check it out.

Garmin Connect

A Short one!

Hello blog lovers

NaggyNeighbour seems to have enjoyed her bike ride last week, so much so that she will be getting herself a new bike at some point! We decided to go for just a shorter quicker ride today, just one of the usual routes I normally do.

After church I came home to get myself ready for our ride to Downe Village.  I really didn't know how I was going to be when we start that hill to the village square!  I had a plan of stopping off for a nice swift one at the Greyhound.  So with plans, cash cards, bikes and everything else ready we set off.

NaggyNeighbour has never been to Downe village on the bikes before and wasn't quite sure of the route we would take.  I decided to be leader from behind.  I think me and Naggy were about the same paced cyclists at the moment!  I am hoping that I will get faster because I know that she will!  But for now I am quite happy plodding along behind screaching directions "Left! Right! Straight ahead!" I chose the quieter roads to get to Farnborough village. After riding through Petts Wood and just by McCalls I called out "Left" to her.  This is the route that PWR's take too, and it's all zigzag for a few roads, so every couple of minutes I was say, "Left, Right"  I think Naggy got slightly discombobulated as she was quite sure where she was!

By the time we got to Farnborough Village she had regained her sense of direction again.  The nice down hill section now as we ride down Church road.  It was quite dark with the trees shading the entire road, my sunglasses didn't help either!  But we would soon be through this bit, it's down hill after all, we shall fly down!  Shire Lane is at the bottom of this road and sometimes it can be quite busy, and sometimes drivers use it as a race track! But this afternoon after a particular driver saw that Naggy was just ahead of me, stopped to let me get over to catch her up!  I think the driver must be a cyclist too!

So now we are on this horrible road, it's a climb all the way up to Downe Village!  It starts of just fine, and I was even thinking, "Wow, this seems relatively easy at the mo!" But it was just the beginning!  I knew just a little further up it will get steeper!  I still stayed behind Naggy, I even said to wait at the top if I am lagging behind, but we kept the same pace together, so nice chatting to take our minds of this blimmin rising road!  I started to flag a bit, I thought I was just not going to be able to do it in one go!  I saw a little bit of space on my left and I said "I think I might just stop here!" Well, that didn't go down to well!  Naggy is not called NaggyNeighbour for nothing!  "Just because we are not running, doesn't mean I won't nag you" she called out to me. Flippin Nora!  I was spitting feathers, I just need to grab a drink!  But she wasn't standing for that, "Come on, we can do this, keep on pedalling!"  And so I did!  I managed to get to the village centre and I had to go and fill my water bottle up with fresh water from the pub!  Oh my goodness, it tasted so good, so cold too! Perfect!

Next it was Single Street, it's still a slight climb, but not like the road we had just done.  It was as I was riding down here that I suddenly realised that Cudham North Lane is not the road I wanted, as that is not they way to get to the Greyhound in Keston!  So, you know it's a been a while since I've been on my bike, well apart from last weekend, and I got a little confused with my route.  I was thinking that we need to go through Biggin Hill, which is right of course, to get us to the pub. But in my confusion I had decided that we didn't need to go through the foot path and up the road to the Shampan because we are not longer down Cudham N. Lane!  We just went on through to Jail Lane and then all the way to the main road!

It wasn't until we were going through chicken farm bends that I though "Blimey we got here quick" and my other thought was "Where was Costas, did we miss it"  The realisation dawned on me then.  Oh well, we can always add a bit on after a refreshment stop instead!  We continued to head to the Keston, Naggy still in front with me 'slip streaming' behind! The Greyhound was a welcome sight, and we pulled in and treated our selves to a cool drink and a sandwich!

After our lunch we got back on our bikes and headed towards Hayes.  We were going to go through as many parks as we could between here and home!  The first one was Normans Park, when we cycle through the gates and they, just on the end of the green field was an ice cream van.  It had to be done!  We deserved an ice cream, so two 99's for us and an extortionate price of £2.00 each (and the ice cream wasn't as big as the one pictured either!) but it did feel good as it went down.

Our next park was Whitehall recreation, last Saturday there was a beer festival happening! It's only a small park so we were soon out of there and riding to our next park which was Jubilee Park.  I thought we might just head on back home from here, especially as Naggy turned left to go through Petts Wood.  Then I remembered our park!  "Let's go down to our park to get home" I said to her and so we did.

An excellent ride, perfectly paced for both of us, with a challenge of the bloody hill going to Downe thrown in!  Excellent company too!  We will get bike fitter, and I know we can get faster!  But it's all going to take time!  I've been off my bike for nearly or probably a year!  Back to to the beginning and start again.  Mind you, my first ride out was from my house was all the way to Farnborough and back!  All of 6 miles!  So I think this 19.41 miles is not bad for a second ride of getting back to bike fit!

Geeky stats I will load up when I can get them off my hubbys Garmin!  My Garmin has lost power!  I was so annoyed!  NaggyNeighbour has geeky stats too!

Oh My Goodness!

Hello blog lovers!

I'm back!  Oh and what an awful long time it's been!  Talk about lost mojo!  It was a horrible year last year, and my cycling mojo was just nowhere to be seen!  It was just as well I had my running to go to, at least that  kept me in some sort of shape. Round comes to mind right about now!  I was a little bit worried about sitting on my bike again! It has a very skinny HARD saddle, not to mention the clipless pedals.  Will I still remember how to do it! Will I be really nervous, can I really ride all the way to London and back!

That was our destination by the way, London, the Moby Dick and Greenland Dock, I think that is where it is, all I know is that its not far from decathlon, the sports wear shop, and not that far from Greenwich either.  It still seemed to me to be a bit of a mission.  I often tell runners that they should expect to start running at the same speed and distance as they did before injury/absence, why do I think being on a bike is any different to running!

I was riding with my sister Bims and her bloke Terry and also NaggyNeighbour and DiscoRich!  By the way, I am late in writing this, and it was just a few days ago that I went cycling, Sunday in fact, and today is Wednesday.  I was at church and I was late in leaving so had to rush back and get the bikes ready, get changed into my cycling gear and get everything ready.  I had planned to meet DiscoRich at 1. Well, I think that is going to be hard to do now!

Anyway, eventually gave naggy my white bike (her bike as a bit out of action!) and then we rode to meet up with DiscoRich.  After letting them both know that we are meeting up with Bims and Terry at Bromley South we headed off.  I took the lead, (goodness knows why, it's going to be slow anyway) and DiscoRich said he would go behind Naggy.  Bromley South, it's not that far, everyone knows where it is so I just headed on one of the two roads it takes to get there, Southborough Lane and the Bromley Common.  Bims and Terry should be waiting for us on the corner of Bromley Common and West Moreland Road.  When I got there there though they were not there.  I turned to look for Naggy and Disco but there were not there.  Surely I couldn't have ridden that fast, I am not fast! Never have been!

Naggy soon caught up with me, and we had to wait for Bims and Terry.  I then received a text from Disco, he had got a puncture!  He had called out to us but neither of us heard him, he said that I had 'sped off'!  That made me smile, not the puncture thing, but me speeding!  That has to be a first.   He had decided that he would walk home and then come along to the pub on the train!  So that was the plan for him.  He thought that he could be there with in about 1 hour or so, I thought it would take us about an hour, maybe hour and 15 minutes, depending on if we got lost!

Getting to Beckenham is always a mystery to me, I can never remember the roads to take to get to Cator Park.  But Bims knew they way, and so did Naggy as I think she knew all the little roads to go down, less traffic, etc to get to where we needed to be.  It seemed that we got there in real good time.

This is the crew, and my bike in the middle!
Naggy, Bims and Terry!

 Maybe Disco was right and that I was a little bit quick!  Being off the bike maybe I had just got a little over excited, and had forgotten how to pace myself.  Mind you, we were heading down into the London basin, as I was told in school, that London sat in this basin shaped hole!  Getting back home would be the decider on whether or not I was speedy.  Talking about speeding, in my rush to get out of the house I had forgotten to pick up my Garmin that I had on charge!  I was totally annoyed with myself for leaving it behind.  It was just as well Naggy had hers going, especially as we live opposite one another!

From Cator Park it's a nice pleasant ride along the Water Way Link, a series of paths and very quiet roads all the way into London.  I felt sure that I would still remember how to get there, and besides Bims has done this ride a couple of times, I felt sure that between the two of us we would get there.  Naggy was quite impressed the route, it is exactly what she needed to get used to being on a bike, and also it's a perfect quiet route to get to Lewisham, should she chose to ride to work one day!

We all kept together quite well, sometimes I led, sometimes Bims, even Naggy took the lead with me or Bims calling out "Left....Right!" Before long we came to Creek road, the river just ahead of us, Greenwich to the right.  After we crossed the road it was time for some more pictures, the the little man and the man with the small head!  Although we didn't actually stand next to him, just this guy!

We got some chap to photography us all toegher!

And of course the comical shot!
just look at those fat thighs!

After about another 10 or 15 minutes riding we were at the Moby Dick, I was really ready for a pint, that's for sure.  We chained our bikes up and then walked up the steps to the pub, and there, just supping on his first pint was DiscoRich!  He had been there about 10 minutes, so not too bad timing wise!  As it was Sunday there was only one thing to have, Sunday Roast. Naggy opted for the beef lasagna!  In hind sight maybe I should have done the say, or maybe gone for the chicken instead!

Lunch!

After lunch we cycled home, exactly the same way as we cycled into London with a promise to meet DiscoRich in the Sovs in Petts Wood just to round the day off.  Of course going back was a little tougher, it was all up hill, not huge climbs, but it was still a climb to get back of of the basin!  With just a little bit of 'miffdom' from a very uptight driver and his Mrs, her car door and my bike chained to a lamppost could have spoilt the day, but, heck, life's to short!

Geeky stats from Naggys Garmin.

Geeky stats, We did stop for
lunch you know!