20 Miles

Easter Monday! No easter eggs for me...just a great big fat KFC! Oh plus a cheese burger and chips at the rally cross! Oh and a chinese! So when Jayne text earlier today to say she had just done 26 miles I put my book down and got off my fat beeehind! Left the house at 5pm, was OK for clearance til 6:30, Dave and boys were making a garden gate (like you do!). Went up Lynsted Lane to bottom of Norton, down Sharsted Hill to Newham, through Doddington up to Milstead through to Frinsted then Bredgar, Tunstall back up past Shell Research and then across to Kingsdown and back down Lynsted Lane. Lots of hills today but didn't get off and walk any! instead tried Jayne's theory of stop catch your breath then carry on cycling....my legs burnt every time!

I didn't really enjoy the evening cycling, much prefer the morning. My KFC gave me stitch, the cars drive faster, the mad people are out with guns across fields and you find dying horses in the road...Yep that's what happened, I got to the top of the hardest hill and there was a horse lying in the road, it was still alive but couldn't get up...Oh Shit, I hate horses but only when they are alive, not too sure how I feel about a dying one, poor thing. Then some old tweed bloke came by in a pick up truck with a barking dog, got out the car and said it was OK he was the local game keeper. Oh good, we've already taken in a wild rabbit this easter I'm not sure how Dave would feel about a horse! He get's on his phone and starts talking to the land owner saying he has come across a horse and needed permission to shoot it, he has his gun in the truck...OMG! I thought he was calling a vet! I decided to re-focus on my cycle ride and headed off, there was nothing I could do, the horse was in a bad way. I didn't get far enough away not to hear the shot!

It made me think that maybe cycling alone was not such a good idea, the horse had been dumped, I had actually seen the van and horse box go up the hill ahead of me, what would I have done if I had come across them off loading the horse!

Note to Self: find out how to apply for a gun licence!

12 Miles - Towing!

I remember when Lewis was very young we used to go out on the bike, him in the baby carrier on the back. We used to go and check out the sheep with their lambs, watch the traffic on the motorway bridge, trying to get the lorry drivers to honk! So when I started all this cycling stuff Lewis would get himself dressed early in the morning and think he was coming too...It was heart breaking seeing his little face when I couldn't take him, although he can ride his own bike there is no way he could do any distance! We have a tow along bike but it is attached to Dave's bike. So on Saturday we got one for my bike!
James put the new bike together and Dave finished it off. So on Sunday we set off, all of us! It wasn't until we were a mile from home when it dawned on me that Lewis wasn't actually helping us to cycling and I was not only pulling Lewis but also another half of a bike!
I could see James and Dave way up in front with James cycling like mad! So, I thought I'd have him instead of the dead weight...Big mistake, he didn't stop singing, which was lovely but not much effort was going in to cycling with all that singing going on. James decided enough was enough when I refused to lean in to the bends... "Dad, we're swappingback, mum is no fun!"
But we did it, 12 miles, great fun, a little picnic half way round.
Dave reckons that if I get used to pulling Lewis during training then the actual cycling on my own will be easy....Yeah right!

15 Miles on a School Night

I got home from work and no kids, no husband and no dogs - they must have gone out for a walk with it being a lovely evening, so I jumped on my bike and set off.
Jayne is right getting through the first 8 miles is a pain, with thoughts of why am I doing this, the wind is stronger than I thought, I want my tea, it's getting dark too quickly and I want to just go home! But I ploughed on...went up Lynsted Lane to Kingsdown, along towards Newnham, then up to Faversham, across to Luddenham, down to Oare and then back to Teynham Street and up Lynsted Lane. I got home before it was dark, it took 50 minutes in total which I was pleased with considering the head wind half way round.
Got home and the house was alive...kids, dogs, husband, dinner and bath waiting! had dinner and then settled down for The Apprentice....FELL ASLEEP!
Note to Self: There are more flying bugs around in the evening than there are in the morning...keep your mouth shut!