Too Many Miles

A quick post.

I took advantage of the glorious weather today (7 May) and rode to work again (3 working days in a row) as the weather for the remaining days this week or so looks poor. Together with some work commitments it means a pretty small chance of any more commutes this week.

The weather was reasonably warm at 6.30am (started at about 8Deg C and rose to 10Deg C by the time I arrived) but I still needed a base layer and arm warmers under my short sleeve jersey as I feel the cold a bit. By the time I was in Coventry I would have been OK with just the SS jersey. Going home was 100% SS jersey only.

However, commuting the previous Thursday, Friday (45 miles round trip), a very fast ride for me on the Sunday, and then 2 rides on Bank Holiday (one a lovely slow pootle with my wife along the Stratford canal from Shirley to Lapworth, then back up the Grand Union canal to Knowle and the other a 20 mile dash in the afternoon on my Focus) meant that I already had over 160miles in my legs over 5 days before setting off for work today.

I really felt that distance, whereas last year at this time would have not even noticed it. The flat was OK but there was definitely some burning of lactic acid on the "climbs" each way, and I had to revert to lower gears (see previous post). Despite this I amazingly pulled out a few Strava achievements on the way home but I credit this with the mainly tailwind!

Compared to last year I am about 5-600 miles behind and still way of my 5000 miles/year target. This is down to the dreadful weather from January to April and the fact that given my wife's illness last last year I can only really get a few hours (3 at most) at the weekends if I make an early start - which then makes me tired. I've not given up on the 5000 miles but it is going to be very hard this year and will only be possible if I can commute 3 days per week. That's really tough as as well as the distance its a 25 minute earlier wake up. we'll see how it goes.