If I had my way, every day would be like this. Wake up around 9am, grab a fresh cup of coffee whilst thinking about where to ride my bike. Have a thought that I might need some fuel for the ride so toast a couple of slices of wholemeal, honey on one, Nutella on the other. Scoff them whilst having a chat with the kids, then dress for the bike and head out the door.
My route today was intentionally local. I figured I’d do a bit of the Guild Wheel, just to keep off the roads. However, it turned out the roads were pretty empty, and the pavements and pathways were chock full of people.
There were those out for a New Years Day walk, those clearly putting their new years resolutions to the test – saw a guy running in jeans and a mask, figured he’d have given up by the end of the week (and I mean tomorrow) – and oh so many grumpy buggers who looked like they were working off a bad hang over. I must have said ‘good morning’ to about 30 people, and I can remember only two who said anything back. Sad times.
This one was really all about the calorie burn. Even though it was an easy and laid back ride, I knew just being out there for long enough would result in a decent burn rate, something I need after over indulging over the last week and a bit. I don’t often go big on the booze, but necking a bottle or two of beer each night, and a glass or two of wine sometimes makes me feel like crap. And it destroys my sleep. So I punish myself on the bike to make up for it.
Now, I got no pictures today. That’s a shame. It’s not bad weather really – nice and warm (15c on the 1st of January is unusual, to say the least), but I went out in my rubber marrigolds so taking them off for pictures is just a right faff. Sometimes I just use my nose instead… yeah, looks weird. But I didn’t really find much to snap. Nothing new, anyway.
So, tomorrow is Sunday. And I think I only have one day left of my holidays after that. My plan is to head out again tomorrow – kit permitting – and get in a climb. I’ve got one in mind, but I’m not sure of the weather. Hopefully the rain holds off. Climbing in winter kit isn’t that much fun, truth be told, but I really feel like I need to get up high. Fingers crossed.
