Back to back 50km rides? Go on then, why not?
This morning I managed to get out and do a longer ride than I had planned on. This was in large part to interviewing in the AM, which really threw a spanner in the works of my typical daily routine at this point. But no bother, happy to be doing them.
After the first interview I decided I needed to get out and clear my head. Unfortunately the weather outdoors was fairly gloomy, really overcast with a strong possibility of rain. Though that wasn’t enough to put me off.
Over on Garmin Connect I plugged in a route that would take me up local climb of note Jeffery Hill (great name), then down into the beautiful village of Chipping for another climb, and then the final climb of the day would be the ascent out of Chipping.
Following this there would be a slight detour down some more country lanes to take my total distance up and over 50km, then home in time for tea, and maybe even some virtual Strava medals.
With the weather being largely crappy, and particularly very drizzly and horrid whilst up the hills and out in the sticks, the photos today really aren’t that special. I tried to capture each climb, but by and large they look like grey pavement and misty mid-distance messes. Sigh.
I really enjoyed these climbs today. Particularly Jeffrey Hill. The first of the Chipping climbs was a bit of a slog, and when I’d completed it I got rewarded with a – thankfully very brief – 22% climb back to the village centre. Lovely stuff.
The third climb of the day was the least fun. Wet and miserable, difficult to see much, each section behind blind bends. And the views, which on a nice day may well have been stunning, were reduced to nought but a fine mist, accompanied by a brutal headwind.
One thing that’s absolutely essential, once I have some regular paid work again, is to get some proper cycling specs. I’m really struggling out there with wind, rain, and flies. Oh, and I guess, the sun. Sometimes.
I’ve got my eye on doing the Trough of Bowland very soon. Not sure if I’ll do that this week – the forecast is a shocker – but hopefully within the next 14 days. That’s going to be a heck of a century if so.
Another “unproductive” training session.
So much for my recovery day, anyway.
