Downed tools early yesterday afternoon and withdrew the Boardman from the garage at about 14:50. For my 133rd and final ride of 2019 I wanted to do at least 24 miles, which would see my yearly and monthly distance figures edge up above 4300 and 400 miles, respectively. I also wanted to go over to Markfield, where I bought a house with my then-partner Sara in December 1989. It’s become something of a sentimental Christmas holiday tradition to cycle over there, this last couple of years.
I well remember returning here in the early hours of January 1st 1990, thirty years ago exactly. It wasn’t a Happy New Year and by the following December I was lodging with a submarine engineer in Derby but that, as they say, is a whole ‘nother story.
A dry, cold day but very little wind and the roads were mostly dry. I went out through Ibstock, Ellistown, Bagworth then over to Markfield from Thornton.
Came back a slightly different way and when I got back to Bagworth, I turned south to do a bit of the southbound route that goes down to Stoney Stanton, though I didn’t go nearly that far. Wasn’t sure exactly how far south I needed to go to get my distance up over 24 miles so I pressed on until I reached the turn for Kirkby Lane in Newbould Verdon which from memory I knew to be 10 miles from home by the route I intended. At that point I’d done about 18 miles.
Back on 28.52 miles. And that was a wrap for December (403 miles), and for 2019 (4304.55).
https://www.strava.com/activities/2971085937
For 2020 I’ll aim to do the same distance, I think. A simple strategy would be to try to stay ahead of my 2019 distance total for the same point in the year. Should be easy to get out in front early on as my knees were in a worse state than they are now and I was doing substantially shorter distances in the first half of the year.
But my main ambition for next year is to do a few 100+ mile rides. Didn’t manage any this year; my greatest distance was 76 miles.