The weather forecast promised a day off from the rain and it was sunny when I set off on the Boardman this afternoon. The roads were a bit wet, but nothing too troubling. A strong wind was blowing from the west. I decided to go up and west, along the A road for a bit.
I went out through Swannington, unusually. I used to go that way often, but it fell out of favour. It’s a bit rattly on the long downhill stretch.
Up to Isley Walton, then west. The flags outside Donington Park were flying dead straight in the direction I was coming from. The wind was gusting strongly, like an invisible hand lunging at the brake levers.
Not long after I crossed Swarkestone Bridge, the rain started to come down. It only lasted a few minutes. But it came down again fifteen minutes later. As I stood at my favourite rest stop near Willington munching a cheese & onion pasty in the pouring rain, I decided to turn for home. Very nice to have the tailwind coming east.
I came back the quick way through Melbourne and Coleorton.
Despite the wind and the rain I remained in good spirits, and even ascending the North Face of Rotter’s Rise in the dark didn’t piss me off. Much. By then the rain had stopped again.
Had an extraordinary view of the Moon looking huge just above the horizon near Coleorton, with a streaky cloud in front of it – it looked like a ghostly huge Saturn.
I was listening to Drive on 5 Live, and people were texting in their anecdotes for Random Act of Kindeness Day. Here’s one to melt the hardest heart. I’ve just listened to it back on BBC Sounds so I can transcribe it:
Ten years ago my teenage daughter was new to both cycling and London. One very cold winter Sunday she found herself with a puncture to fix at the side of the road with fingers so cold she couldn’t do it. A stranger stopped his car and fixed it for her. A third party saw what was happening and posted a picture on social media – of Mark Cavendish fixing her bike.
Feel like I’m leaving the February Fondo a bit late, but next week looks OK weather-wise and I won’t be on call.
Back on 31.76 miles, 123 this month.