Month: September 2023

A properly warm, sunny day with a light wind coming from the south. I was only going to do about 35-40 today having put a decent shift in on Friday, but by the time I was 20 miles down the southbound route, I’d decided to make another fondo of it.

I didn’t go all the way down to Welford. I turned back after the half-fondo distance, at Welford Road. Bought some snacks and Lucozade at a petrol station on Gilmorton Road and stopped in Gilmorton to consume them. The village shop is closed on Sundays, but the bench on the opposite side of the road is always open.

As I sat there munching on a Ploughman’s sandwich, I heard the growl of a vintage piston engine. Looked up to see a P51-D Mustang circling overhead. Obviously I wondered why so I did the necessary Google research when I got back; there was a “Victory Show” featuring an air display at Cosby, a few miles to the north.

Listened mostly to footy on 5 Live but also to the Stones’ Dirty Work, which against my expectations is actually not bad at all.

I was on call but it’s been so quiet this last few weeks that I didn’t even think about it, let alone stress about it.

Back on 63.67 miles so already, it’s a Double Fondo September! That was this year’s 23rd fondo. I’m hoping to do 5776 miles this year to equal the 2016 distance tally, my second-highest.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9776872636

With the wind coming from the east for a change and a light wind at that, I left work early in the hope of getting the September fondo in early. I’d been looking forward to doing the traditional eastbound route for a while. So I did. Went as far as Eastwell crossroads, came back exactly the same way.

I listened to the last few hours of the Reacher novel, Nothing to Lose. I’m afraid that this one, the twelfth in the series, didn’t quite hit the mark. The plot is sillier than a Roger Moore Bond film, the ending is preposterous and the way that Reacher works out what the bad guys are up to is just not believable in the slightest. He’d have to be psychic. Having said that, it did maintain my interest and I enjoyed it. But it’s well daft.

Then I listened to the Stones’ Undercover, which as I expected is a weak record.

Nice out there, A bit too warm after the first twenty minutes but fortunately I’d thought to take a backpack so I stuffed a layer into it after 20 miles or so. I treated myself to a Magnum ice-cream lolly on the way back, from the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds.

Back about a minute after a beautiful sunset. I’d put my rear light on a few miles from home, coming through Thringstone. Yep, it’s that time of the year when you have to start thinking about lights on a ride after work.

62.27 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/9764056001