Proper Pedalling

It's been a good week - the new saddle is helping the John Wayne walk, the mileage is going up each week, and I actually went out on the road on a real bicycle this week - on my mountain bike with Pedalling Paula on Friday - yay!

I've now given up reading blogs about RideLondon - they're too scary.  They're generally full of stats (which I don't understand), speeds (which I won't be able to keep up with) and cleats (which I've now given up on).  Even a recent RideLondon Beginner's Guide started with 'make sure your cleats are properly adjusted'...  I'm sure I can do it in trainers really...

So my 'I Made It Up Myself' training plan is starting with 20 miles at a steady 20mph on the turbo trainer.  I did this on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and then went proper cycling with Pedalling Paula on Friday.  I drove over to Tetbury, reassembled my bike wheel and as we set off from Paula's house I remembered just how quick she goes...  And it's such a long time since I've been on the mountain bike that I couldn't remember how the gears worked.... I'd attached my mini bike pump to the frame with cable ties and forgotten to snip the ends off so every time my left leg went round it got tickled by the two tie ends.  So the first mile or so was a bit of a baptism of fire - following the whizzing Pedalling Paula in the wrong gear with a ticklish leg.  I eventually found how the gears worked, got sorted and settled in behind her - she lost me on a bit of a downhill (I'm still a wuss on the downhills) and I caught her up on the flat bits.  We pedalled through country lanes, mostly alongside each other, in a very companionable way - the sky was blue, there was no wind and it was pretty much perfect.

We cycled to the Cotswold Water Park - about 12 miles - and decided against a coffee as we were going so well on the bikes.  So we headed home.  Into the non-existent wind.  Which had suddenly got up...  Pedalling Paula offered an alternative way home, adding another 4 miles or so.  At this point we hadn't realised how strong the wind was, so I said 'ooh lovely yes please more miles'.

Our homeward route took us right next to Kemble airfield.  It's an airfield.  Up a hill.  Into what was by then obviously a Force 8 gale...

Boy, that wind was STRONG!  Good for the legs though...

When we reached home Pedalling Paula's computer thingy was telling us we'd done 29.8 miles - further than we'd thought we were doing.  Not that I'm 'desperate for the distance' or anything, but I insisted that we rode in circles until it hit 30....

Pedalling Paula's legs were aching when we got back, so after I'd piled my bike into the back of the car and got ready to go, I suggested she went and sat in a cold bath.

I can do sympathy.