Didn’t think I’d be out on a bike today. I stopped work at 4:30, took myself out a nice cold beer, Working Man-style and glanced at the weather forecast. The threat of lightning and thunder had been pushed back to 8pm-ish.
Leaving myself a margin for error (I didn’t really want to get drenched or struck by lightning) I reckoned I could do 20 miles or so if I could tolerate the heat. I took the Tricross, just in case I did get rained on. I head out over toward Belton, up to Diseworth, back down Top Brand.
The heat felt a little dizzying for the first 5 minutes; of course pushing up a hill having consumed 500ml of pale ale may have contributed to this. But I took it very easy, settled into the ride and was comfortable enough. By the time I was coming down Top Brand in the shade of the forest along the side of the road, I was thoroughly enjoying myself.
Found myself approaching home at about 7pm on 17 miles or so with no realistic prospect of a thunderstorm happening – plenty of blue skies and only a few benign-looking bright clouds – so I cruised into Coalville for a bit, then down the road to Ibstock. Back on 18.91 miles.
9:05pm as I type and the threatened thunderstorm has yet to commence.
I used the G Shock to track the ride again as a test, and once again the Casio web “service” has absorbed it like a black hole. So the following is pretty much the only evidence I’m able to submit at this time:
Finished my Jack Reacher novel audiobook. Turned out to be an excellent cycling companion. I think I’ll invest in the next one. There are thirty-one Reacher novels, enough to keep me going for a while. Not sure if all of them are available as audiobooks, though.
UPDATE : the activity did eventually make it through to Strava: