North Eastings

By publishing my intention to cover 100 miles yesterday,  it made it that much harder to find excuses not to do it. Neither the cold north-easterly,  that would have heralded a mini ice age a couple of months ago nor the sneaky little back injury that has suddenly decided to blight my days would be good enough.

Given that the forecast was for 10-13 knots from the direction of Great Yarmouth, -well actually Russia,  but I was not about to go there, - it made sense to head in that direction. Get the hard work out of the way early and then enjoy a fair wind on the way home.

Despite the breeze and rather dreary temperatures, the day started to show promise, with the arrival of the sun. Always helps.

I cantered through the centre of Norwich without much of note to distract me and was loosening up when I started the grind up the North Walsham road. It was here that things started to get a little spicy, so I'll get this off my chest and then get back to enjoying myself.

If you drive a car, but do not ride a bike, please spare a thought. As you approach a cyclist, try to see what they see. Look for the holes on the road, the on-coming traffic, the opportunity to delay your journey by just a few seconds and please, please don't squeeze down the slip road to my left when an artic that was following close behind you, then chooses to overtake at the same time!

Ok, moan over.

 I called into the North Walsham Out of Hours base to say hello to my colleagues...and to grab a cup of tea before heading to Mundesley and this wonderful view of the wind blown shoreline. There were a few people walking and I would have liked to have joined them.

From here I followed the coast road, through Bacton, Happisburg and Horsey. This ride along the north coast, is part of the  Norwich 100, so if you're thinking of taking this on, then I thoroughly recommend it. You will be able to stop off at Waxham Barn for refreshments. It was closed today, but the tea shop at Horsey Pump was not and the mug of soup excellent.

Knowing that the ride from Yarmouth to Diss, where I was to meet the family, was about 40 miles I continued through Rollesby and Ormesby to Caister and from there I delighted in a true tail wind and an average speed around 20 all the way past Beccles, Bungay and Harleston.

Funny how things work out. Not only did the half eaten packet of jelly babies calm frayed young tempers on Diss high street, but rather than explain the way to Forncett St Bermuda triangle to my wife, I threw my bike into the car boot after 101 miles on the road and then spent 2 1/2 hours waiting for a lorry to pick up the car when we punctured the offside rear wheel!






Another good week.
Total now 1378 and my daily average creeping up above 18

Last chance saloon?

One of the great things about the TCR in my view, is that it is race, no a challenge, oh no a journey. Mmm maybe it's a watershed, a last chance saloon, a reckoning, a test.

In a week when for cyclists the world over, the question of propriety and cheating have hit the headlines again, the debate about amateur drug taking has also been brought into sharp focus. A lively little debate has been engaged on the TCR facebook page. It is or could be saddening to read about drug taking in sport and in our sport in particular.

As one commentator from this discussion pointed out, the bigger the prize, the greater likelihood of cheating, and that doesn't just have to mean money.

For me though it's simple. This is the ultimate, 'if you cheat, you cheat yourself,' event. if you have to divert from the rules and the spirit of the race, then you have already lost. You have already decided that you can't do it. The mental and physical battle has not been joined.

At the age of 50, this is a test. The chance to learn something(s) about myself that this kind of challenge presents you on a plate. It's a journey, it's a race, it's a reckoning and I am under no illusion that it is tough. The training is hard enough.

This is my last chance saloon,

Or is it?

50 miles in the last couple of days
1211 in 69 days
Av 17. ?

www.justgiving.com/stop-ebola

Local patch by bike

Since I spend a lot of time in Thetford and the cycle down there from home gives me the chance to push myself over 25 miles, it also provides me with a return leg to savor. especially after my last night.

The Brecklands are a wonderfully rich part of Suffolk and Norfolk to travel around and I cannot think of many better ways to take it all in, than by bike.

As much by accident than by design, I managed to join up two of my previous rides that saw me leave Thetford at 08:00 and arrive home just under 5 hours later, having covered 76 miles of country lanes through farmland, forest and rural towns and villages.

This area is steeped in history as far back as the Pre-Historic flint mines of Grimes Graves, through the Saxon villages like that at West Stow and the myriad of ancient paths that criss-cross the area, including Peddars Way, The Icknield Way and Angles Way.

 http://www.brecks.org/see-and-do/walking-in-the-brecks/

The native flora and fauna is also immensely varied, with many locally specialised and rare species to be seen.

It is the latter that I get to spend so much time observing as I cruise between the hedges and fields and today was exceptional, given the time of year. Of raptors alone, when you include those seen last night, I saw Tawny and Barn Owls, Kestrels, Sparrowhawk, Buzzards and two Red Kites. Deer of at least 4 species can be seen easily and frequently. (Although I am always somewhat anxious that one of these days a chance meeting might be a little too close for comfort!)

(Red Kite picture courtesy of http://thebarleybird-er.blogspot.co.uk/2014_01_01_archive.html)

Slowly but surely I am getting to know this patch and I love it.

101 miles in the last 24 hours
213 for the week so far
1161 Total
Avg 17.9 a day so far.

www.justgiving.com/stop-ebola

All at sea

Some evenings stand out from the average when cycling and last night was one of those.

It was cool but not frigid. There were the first hints of some evening spring warmth as I set off for work in the dusky evening sunset. I wish that I had the space to carry a decent camera, for there were photo opportunities at every corner.

Jupiter is in the sky. Unmissable to the south. Already high in the sky before the light from the dying sun had fully dissipated. We had been watching it the previous night as we drove around the lanes of Norfolk, visiting patients. At that time, about 2 in the morning, the moon and the planet were together, but as I cycled south, south west, Jupiter was ahead of me and the moon at my back.

Being a full moon, you could almost have cycled without lights. The combination of bright luminescence and lack of clouds gave the sky a deep calm blueness across which the moon seemed to be racing to rejoin a lost friend. Parted lovers almost. As a looked over my shoulder, she seemed visibly to have moved. where half an hour ago she was astern, she now appeared on my port quarter.

The sense of seascape was uncanny. In places where the plastic sheeting covering the newly planted potatoes caught the moon's beam, it was as off the tops of the waves and the distant house lights, the boats crossing the horizon.

I was all at sea.

25 miles
1085 total
Average 16.9 since 31st Dec 14

Rewards for grafting.

This entry is only to log the training ride this morning and to detail the content for future reference of a rather nice smoothie.

The wind is still blowing hard. hard enough to throw you side ways as you pass by a gap in the hedge. After yesterday's exertions, I chose not to head out into the wind, but cycled across it, gaining some benefit from it out and back.

The hill circuit north of where I live meanders up and down the Yare valley. With a few exceptions, one of the few places where the relief diverts from flatter than flat.

Anyway, it was fun to be out again if not a little hard on tired legs.

The smoothie I had when I got back, a just reward.

1 banana
1 orange
1 kiwi fruit
A handful of white grapes
A dessert spoon of lemon curd
Half a carton of cherry yoghurt
1 small bottle of fresh squeezed orange juice
4 dessert spoons of vanilla ice cream

Made nearly 2 pints. Lasted about 2 minutes.

32 Miles for the day
113 for the week
1060 Total
Av 16.8 a day since 31st Dec 2014

Blown through a few milestones

The stiff breeze forecast for this morning arrived as predicted, so having woken everyone else up with a cup of tea I headed out before 7.

This is the first part of a new routine designed to free up more time for the family at the weekends, though it is inevitable that I shall have to back-track from time to time. I had cycled 35 miles on Friday before the kids finished school and I was feeling pretty pleased to have covered 158 miles during a week when I had also worked four nights.

This morning I clocked in another 81, being pushed by the 20 + knot winds through the 1000 mile mark as I headed home from Swaffham.

Some of the smaller roads from West Acre through to Gressenhall are beautiful. Some, as I discovered, are not roads. A good way to test out the off-road feel of the bike.

Between whiles I have completed the planning of my route. Since finding out that we start in Geraardesbergen, I have provisionally booked accommodation in the Molen Ter Walle in Watermolenstraat, a couple of miles outside of town. Planning to arrive  the afternoon before, this should give me time to ensure that I am well rested, but still leave me time to enjoy a few hours exploring the town and taking a look at the Muur. (I posted a picture, taken by Mike, the organiser, in this blog, a couple of weeks ago.)

Having completed the route, I now also know that I have to cycle 2560 miles over the 16 days of the race.

To get there for the end of race party, I need to cover 160 miles a day. To get there before Kristoff, I need to fly!

116 miles, since I last wrote. 81 today.
1028 total
Ave 16.5 a day

To put this in perspective, I have not even reached half way race distance in 62 days. I need to do this in 8!

www.justgiving.com/stop-ebola