Yes! Another Ride.

ANOTHER RIDE! Yes, only 15 miles but...

It was a lovely afternoon, the job was getting a bit tedious and my legs were getting twitchy. The Suffolk lanes beckoned...

I aimed for 15 miles and hoped to do it in around an hour. That's the kind of pace I was doing comfortably six months ago, when I was fit enough to to Paris to Venice in two weeks.

I say 'aimed' - I didn't really expect to do 15mph after almost no time in the saddle for six months...

Well, the outward leg was every bit as slow as I expected, and the little Suffolk hills and slight headwind made themselves known to my thighs, back and lungs, and I reached the turn in about 33 minutes.

But the homeward leg was much better than I hoped, if still hard work, and it felt really great to be out again. When I finally hit some kind of rhythm I was daydreaming of high mountains and hot sun, with long days in the saddle with good friends.

For a time I was in rural France - or was it Germany or Switzerland?

No, it can't have been France or I would have been looking for an open shop...

Anyway, it was wonderful to be out in the sunshine, hearing the tyres on the tarmac and feeling my legs finally beginning to wake up after their winter hibernation.

I got back in 27 minutes, meaning I actually hit my 15mph target. I do like it when the maths is easy, too!

Roy