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,

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