Not Sunny Sunday

but complain ye not!

It's January, a month well known on these isles for it's weather - and not in a good way! My exercise this week has been dogged by dampness and wind but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?

Thursdays ride was put back a day which did mean i got another Gaby chapter completed and up on Patreon, huzzah!

Friday, on paper, looked a much better day. I'd previously devised a bit of a womble in the tangle of hills that occupy the eastern end of the Mendip and it seemed like a good fit. It was grey but dry as i headed down through the Bath tunnels and south into Somerset 'proper' on roads i've ridden quite often since my move to these parts. At Norton St Philip i took to the network of tiny lanes and for the next hour or so wombled about until my lunch stop at Holcombe. Corned beef & piccalilli sandwiches in a bus shelter today, the cafe i thought i might stop at being closed, but i was dry and out of the wind.

Yes, for much of the ride so far i'd been going into the mostly southerly wind which was blowing through at something like 28kph! Fed and rested and with 56km on the clock, i set off for part two, starting with a few quite lumpy lanes that eventually put me on the very southern edge of the Mendip. But that was all well - apart from the occasional squall, i was now heading almost due north back to Brizzle.

There was still a fair chunk of climbing but at least i was no longer battling the wind which was close enough to a tailwind to make things less difficult. Well apart from the steep, unmade lane i'd somehow included in my route, with the wet ground it was basically unrideable in my direction so i will admit to walking for a couyple of hundred metres until it levelled off. The overcast skies meant i was loosing light, by the time i crossed the Avon back at Keynsham i needed the rear light, the front following soon after as wet set in for the last few kilometres back to base.

I've certainly ridden further and climbed more but it's been a while since i've done this sort of intensity. Yep, 112km and 1553m of up, nearly 14m climbing per km average, definitely a Pennine worthy ride. Of course there was a price to pay, i was pretty well mashed and took to my bed, too exhausted to even eat!

I felt better Saturday morning, well enough to get in a 7km walk down to the river before the weather moved in again. Then it was onto the keyboard for another writing session - half a chapter so not great but i'll get that finished on Monday.

And so to today, i wanted a ride but the forecast has been flipping like a pancake for the last few days, however when i got up, it looked like it'd be at least dry. Well it was for an hour and then it wasn't. The plan was for a loop to Bath where i'd collect a few more new streets before heading back, which is what i did however it started to rain when i got to the racecourse then i discovered my phone hadn't recorded my route, grr. That sorted i started on the street collection but gave up quickly, it was just too unpleasant and some of those roads are steep, like 20%+ steep and traction wasn't great, not ideal going up or down.

All in all i managed @ 53km with 556m of climbing, not a bad, almost 10.5m/km climb rate but i was glad to get back and dry off. Once i was humanoid again it was time to cook dinner, a turkey roast, five veg and the trimmings - not quite a Chrimbo dinner but well tasty and my first 'proper' meal since Thursday!

Being Sunday i've put up a new Gaby chapter, number 31 of Balancing Trick, available here!

The coming week looks 'interesting' on the weather front, i'll get more writing finished and hopefully i'll go for a mucky burger ride on Tuesday, we'll see.

That's all for today, back Wednesday, but for now,
Tschuss,
Madeline Anafrid