Nice cycling weather was promised so I booked the afternoon off. A light wind was blowing from the south-east and the sun was supposed to shine most of the day. I wanted to do about 80 to get the 2022 distance score into four figures and the eastbound route was the obvious choice. 40 miles would take me just beyond Buckminster, to the border with Lincolnshire.
I was a little tired when I woke up this morning because I’d had a minor work incident to deal with at 0400, and although it only took 15 minutes, I didn’t sleep properly after that.
Nonetheless – I set off at about 11:20, undeterred. Very pleasant out there although actually the sun went in a few times. But conditions were consistently bright.
I’d brought a cheese & onion pasty, a croissant, a white chocolate cookie, banana-flavoured milk and some toffees with me but I stopped and bought more at the deli at Waltham, after about 34 miles. A flapjack (which I didn’t touch in the end) and a cornish pasty (which I ate at a nearby bench). And a can of pop.
Was slightly nervous on the way back after 5pm because I was on call and I didn’t get back until 7:15pm, but I didn’t get a call.
I started a new audiobook, a Philip K Dick novel called The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch which I’ve never read before. Written in 1965, but set in 2016, when mankind has colonised several of the other planets and moons in the solar system.
I find Philip Dick a bit of a mixed bag. I read The Man In The High Castle in the late 80s and was blown away by it, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Some of his short stories are pure genius.
This one though, although extraordinarily imaginative hadn’t really grabbed me by the first three chapters. I must say though the guy who narrates the audiobook gives a terrific acting performance when voicing the various different characters – he really gives them each a distinctive personality.
Still a bit of light at 6:45 this evening and since the last few miles are mostly well lit (through Thringstone and Coalville), I made do with my little strappy blinker and didn’t bother getting the proper front light out.
Back on 80.36 miles, 283 this month and 1001 this year.