A wet, Horrid Day!

Hello Blog lovers.

I know its Tuesday, but I seemed to have come down with a bit of a cold, and the thought of running and coughing and spluttering in front of everyone one else was not very appealing. Sow I cried off from the more cardio run and opted instead for a leisurely bike ride!

It was a gloomy day, it had been all day, still, the rain can't come down all day can it?! Well, anyway, I decided to join the OB on a slow bike ride, nice and local due to the weather, of course.

By the time we had got from our house to Bromley town centre the rain was coming down quite heavily. But for some strange reason I was smiling, and so was the OB. I kept on having to stop to clear my glasses and that when OB said "I am quite enjoying this really" And I agreed with him!

I wonder if it was the fact that we had properly inflated tyres! The OB had bought himself a new tire, his 'Winter tyres' he called them. More road tyres than trail riding ones. But he also bought a great new pump with a gauge on it, so that we can inflate our tyres to the right PSI. I was quite surprised how under inflated my tyres were.

So there we are, a background story to what I am about to right now. The combination of autumn leaves, wet, wet leaves and puddles, dark, newly inflated hard tyres and me getting cramp in my right foot, lead me to 'crashing' my bike, again! No one else was involved, just me and a fence! My foot cramped up, I pulled on the right hand brake with is the front brake, I slipped in the wet leaves and crashed into a fence. Fortunately I was down a tiny path as we were heading on home, so I didn't fall into the road. No one even saw me, but the OB could hear me as he came back to investigate what had happened.

The OB thinks that I am just a menace on the roads, normally just to my self, fortunately! Still, its all part of cycling, isn't it?!

So geeky stats, and if you look carefully you could possibly work out where I fell off my bike.

A wet, slow Bike Ride by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

What A Gloomy Day!

Hello Blog lovers,

What a gloomy, grey day it was today! I was thinking that maybe we wouldn't even bother about going out for a ride. But a bit of damp weather didn't put the OB off, so I just had to grin and bear it, and pretend that the damp grey conditions didn't bother me either.

It was just a short ride, compared to Thursdays ride at least, of 12 and half miles. But it was quite a hilly route.

We rode to the George in Hayes. Now the OB did say we were going to stay local, and ride to Bromley, and through that way before heading off home. But then he changed his mind. We were going to head on up through to Keston and then up and up to Downe Village! Again, like Thursday, I wasn't expecting to do anything remotely energetic, after all, I was saving myself for my run tomorrow, with my club! 7k, through the woods. And I know they are going to be very sticky and wet woods!

I managed to get to Downe Village, at my own pace. The OB said I could, there was going to be no racing today!

We had a pint in the pub there, and then headed on home. By this time it was dark, but still quite mild out. Half way down this road though, the OB had a puncture! Fortunately we have become 'honorary boy scouts' and are always prepared. But changing an inner tube in the dark is still a challenge! I was 'torch bearer' while the OB gave me tips and showed me how to change a tyre. If only he had done that on Monday.
I forgot to mention to you guys, I have sold my old jalopy of a bike, my old Raleigh, but before I took it to the shop I had to try to mend a puncture. which turned out that it was a puncture anyway, it was just me not using the pump right to inflate the tyres!

It was an experience, and it didn't take that long either! We rode straight on home, through Farnborough, and Locksbottom.

Quite a nice ride really, but then I always say that after I have finished riding!

I took my Garmin today, well, after missing out on recording my last ride, I shall take my Garmin on all rides!

Geeky stats then

Bike ride With Alan by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

A Longish Bike Ride - No Pub!

Hello blog lovers!

Well you can all remember what the weather was like today, it was coming down in bucket loads! Lightening, thunder, flash floods in Pettswood and down bottom Oxhawth! There was no way we were going riding tonight!

Yeah, right! The rain had stopped by the time the OB got back and he was well up for maybe just a short 10 mile, from here, Hayes, through Bromley and back again. No stopping at pubs now, its too dark, and cold, and wet!

We headed off up the path and then down Oakly road. I was expecting to turn right and ride on to Hayes from there. But the OB said, "No, keep going, straight, straight, straight" Well I knew where that was going. I was thinking he was going to go to Keston Ponds, then turn right from there, but then he said "Biggin Hill, thats where we are heading" Flipping nora, that was not in my psyche! Can I manage to get to Biggin Hill, I have not even thought about going that far, especially after todays thunder storm! (I was, in fact, thinking a nice cosy night it, with maybe a kebab for dinner!) But onwards and upwards I went, with the OB following behind me, closely. Too closely! He knows he makes me nervous when he is behind me. I do tend to slow down a lot, and when I haven't got anyone behind me I like the freedom to be able to stop.

Which I did. just before I got to the top of Leaves Green! I only stopped for just a few seconds, just to get my breath, and to stop my legs from turning to jelly! Then it was back to riding. On wards and upwards to Biggin Hill.

I was quite surprised how quickly Biggin Hill seemed to appear! I knew I still had a long way to go before we turned left to start our journey back home. We were going to turn left at the Spinning wheel, which has now become a curry house. Must try that place soon!

I was thinking that we were going to go down Cudham North Lane, the road that always gets me blowing out my eardrums while riding up there! But no, OB had another plan that we were going to head to Knockholt and then to Greenstreet Green from Halsted!

Oh well, At least the rain has held off. I just kept on peddling, kept listening out for instructions from the OB when he was behind me, or following his two blinking red lights.

Once we got to Greenstreet Green I knew where I was going, I nice steady ride back, if the OB wanted to speed up and do his thing, at least I knew which way home to go. But he stayed in my sight.

We went up my very first nemesis hill, Knoll Rise. The OB was behind me again. I don't know why but having him riding behind me just makes me very nervous, I just can't ride up hills with him behind me. It's like I am getting marked for exams or something, I just go to pieces! So I sent ahead of me and then rode up the road at my own pace, style and peace!

I didn't take my Garmin, for one thing the battery seems to be losing life very quickly these days, so it was completely dead! The OB's bike gizmo is not doing as it should be either, so I mapped the route out on map my run, and it came out as 21.19 miles, which we did in just under 2 hours.

A very nice ride, just a pity that none of us had a penny to buy a pint! Next time

A Saturday Saunter!

Hello Blogees!

Now I thought our time for sitting outside pubs was at an end. I am expecting the weather to really do its worse, and give us our winter at any time now. But today was yet another glorious Saturday. Somebody must have had a word with Him upstairs.

The Old Boy had plenty of time and sunlight and dry weather to do some work on the bike, the one with the engine. Oh By the way Mr. S, its beginning to look like it is just going to fire into life any day now! As soon as OB had done all he could for the old Japanese girl, then we got our selves ready for just a nice leisurely ride through our woods and Pettswood and up to the Tigers, for a glass of sherbet.

When we got there the weather looked really 'iffy' as it it was about to throw cats and dogs down any minute. The wind had picked up and the big umbrella at the put was 'complaining' like mad as it tried to spin in the wind. We decided to just have one pint here, and then go straight home, no trekking on wards to another establishment.

We decided to go virtually the same way that we came here, but then the OB took off at different paths, just take a look at the geeky stats map, it look like a drunk snail has crawled across the floor! (I say snail, because no doubt the OB thinks I ride as slow as one!) Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it. Its lovely just cycling through these woods. We even rode passed the place where I did my marshaling duties for my clubs' 10k race.

When we popped out of 'Dog Poo' ally and headed for home via our woods. These are the woods the OB grew up in. We had a reminiscence ride through them. He was telling me of the places where he used to pitch a tent and camp out for the night, and the places he used to do his pigeon shooting, and so many other stories. The paths that I remember strolling along with the kids so many years ago seem to be getting smaller and over grown! But they are still such lovely woods. It was like riding through 'mother natures veins, as they reach out in all sorts of directions. Wonderful trees that look so inviting to climb, and plants and foliage. As well as the brambles and holly bushes that were reaching out and scratching me at every occasion!

My goodness, is this the same old townie girl writing this blog!! Enjoying all of Gods creation, (well except the brambles and holly) I definitely think the old townie girl is finally leaving me, it gives me so much hope that the Old Couch potato me will finally be gone as well!

So Geeky stats, and that look at our 'snail trail' route through the woods and to Hayes.

Leisurely Bike ride by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Hello My Little Sparrow!

Hi blog readers.

Today I needed to run! I wanted to run from my house. No taking the car, just out the door and run. The woods on my door step were calling to me. I gave the Old Boy a call and told him I wanted to run into them, and he said he will come along on his bike, and tinkle his bell at me.

I decided to put my IPOD on, just get lost in the music and run and run. It was tough going for me, I felt totally drained to begin with, but I needed to run.

I thought I wouldn't know my way to the path at the end of the woods, but if you just run and run, not veering off the path then its easy going! We soon got to the path, it felt like I had run for 2 miles, but we hadn't even run for a mile! And I had had a banana and everything!

I was only heading for the park, then once round it and back the same way! The Old Boy was on his bike, and of course his bike as that darn bell. He used it to death! "come on, get going" was what filtered through my music. I kept having to remove my ear phones just to check what he said! In the end I gave my IPOD to him so that I can listen to his encouragement instead.

Back through the woods to go home. Not exactly the same way, but a little bit more of running through the woods before we got back on the tarmac path. I was looking for the 'fenced' walk over bridge, because that is the path that we take to get back home. That is just less than a mile before I run up to my house again.

It felt like hard run today, but less than 3 miles! I guess some runs are like that, I'm sure I can remember a run where I felt I could run forever! So now I have felt both extremes.

Todays geeky stats

Short run by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Two Woods, Three Stop End Of Summer Ride!

Hello blog lovers!

After a very stressful Friday, what with one thing and the other, today started off with breakfast in Hayes. No we didn't ride our bikes, we took our grandson and his mum, and big son along.

After that we tinkered on the bike with the engine. I am getting to know all about solenoids!!

So eventually we got on our man powered bikes and headed for......... Hayes! The same area we started this morning with breakfast. Only this time we stop off for a lovely lager before heading on up to keston, and beyond. The Old Boy mentioned cockles, so we carried on up to Greenstree Green. A stop there for a glass of ....refreshment and cockles, then on and upwards.......literally. Because after the ride to Orpington it was up the hill, Knoll Rise. That was the first hill I attempted that was steeper than a .... I don't know..... a slope! and I failed, but today I kept on and on. I wasn't go to let it get me. I was hoping the cold wouldn't get to me, (I knew I should have put on my top rain coat as well) I just kept on it. Then the Old Boy said that we are going to Chislehurst, just to pop into the Tigers there, and then ride home through the woods.............. two woods!

Petts Wood I could almost navigate now, blind folded, well, maybe not blind folded, but when you have pound the paths over and over, then you do tend to get to know each nook and cranny. But the woods near my house. Well, thats a different matter. When I started running by myself all those months and months ago, or is it years now, anyway, I never thought about running through our woods. Mainly because I hate getting lost! Although I have lived next to these woods for over 20 years now, I have never walked through them by myself, always with the Old Boy!

It is quite excited riding through the woods at night, I'm sure I have mentioned this once or twice before, and I have decided that I will try and run this way the next time I run by myself during the day, or maybe even with one of the other running buddies!

So geeky stats for our LONG (in time only) bike ride.

Bike Ride with Alan by moosh001 at Garmin Connect - Details

Winter Is Back, And Now We Go Riding?!

Hello bloggees,

Can you believe that we are back to riding our bikes, don't get me wrong, I love riding my bike, and through the cold winter months early on in the year, we were riding our bikes then too! The Old Boy lost 3 stone doing that! But still, brrrr. I know I will get used to it, just like riding a bike!

My Garmin had gone an used up all its battery again. I'm sure there is something not quite right with it. But still, I do love my geeky stats, so, its back to map my run, to find out all the nitty gritty.

I wasn't up to heading up huge hills today, nor heading into the deepest country side just yet. I wanted to stay close to buildings and heat! But there was still enough of the remnants of warmth left in the air to contemplate a public house stop en route! We decided it would be in Chislehurst, so of course we head off in the opposite direction to where we were going to patronise for a glass of the amber nectar and a bowl of olives.

I was feeling a little like I had never been on a bike before on the roads. I'm guessing the dark and cold night had something to do with that. But I was well wrapped up, and my blinking new dazzling lights will alert all drivers that I am on the road.

We went through Hayes, via Coney Hall, then headed to Bromley, and through the high street to Sundridge Park, and then to Chislehurst. That is where we had a well deserved pint of lager! (And some Olives)

I just tried to map it on Map my run, but the stupid computer froze up on me, and the site is just so slow anyway, but I got up to Chislehurst and the distance read 12.68 miles. So just another 2 and half miles from there makes it about 15 miles!

Not bad. Its good to be back on my bike