The Once Over

Miles cycled this year: 4343
In 266 Hours burning 150136 Kcal climbing 163310ft
Most miles in a week (so far) : 284
Weight 67.2Kg 17.5% fat (up a bit, choc biscuits!)

It’s T minus 14 until the off. I am a bit nervous and wish I was on my way now. The fact the people have been very generous in their sponsorship weighs on me, I’m going to have to do it now!

The bike has been checked over by a crack team and it now has new brakes, chain and I have another two gears.

The bike get checked over. How may Bees? There is a prize.

I have been a bit below par, tired and hungry. I finished the last of my block of 3 weeks of 200+ miles with a trip to Old Wardour Castle via Dorset and needed a rest, but I had arranged a car service which meant 45miles in the middle of the week. On the Friday night, rain was forecast on Saturday, and I hoped it was right. I realised that I needed rest so stayed in on Saturday. Sunday was a pitifully slow ride with Sarah, but it was really quite nice, just riding and chatting with no real purpose, just making it up as we went. I stayed off the bike until today, 6 days later, oh and I've been eating, my have I been eating!

Brakes!

On top of that I have an abcess on a front top tooth. It’s not the really painful sort of abcess, I had that 10 years or more ago on this tooth. It is crowned and has a post in it which split it. I sweated it out last time until the puss cracked my jaw and came out through the gum (Sorry were you eating your tea?) Anyway it's back, and is leaking out through the gum, but no pain this time, thankfully. I don’t know if this is effecting how I feel, but I have asked for and been given some antibiotics to have a go at the infection. I am not really sure how I got it, I haven’t had to bite the handlebars when climbing for a few years now.

Bees are not known for their
bike maintenance skills

So after an easier two weeks the plan for the next 14 days is to taper and recover. Today was hard, there was a strong headwind back from the café, and the big boys opened up as we left Bridgwater. My condition for this fast work is not there and my heart rate was near max and I felt mildly sick. I let go, but three of us continued hard back to Taunton. The sickly feeling took a while to subside, as we meet back up with some of the front group and rode back up and over the Quantocks, I then went part way round and climbed them again. 4 hours and 69 miles later I was home. This pace will not be repeated on my own!

Tomorrow I am off to Bickleigh in Devon to meet Denise for lunch. I aim to make it a 4 hour ride. I then plan to ride 2 hrs Tuesday and Thursday, with shortly rides of say 2/3hrs next weekend. Short rides Tuesday and Thursday, and then we’ll be off. Let the packing commence