The weather has been dismal this last few days but the forecasters promised no rain today. I wrapped up warm and set off on the Boardman at about 10:20, in the hope of doing 30 or so. To my pleasant surprise, it wasn’t as cold as I’d expected out there. Damp and a little foggy. So rather than doing a Twycross I turned in the direction of Coalville and Thringstone, to head out East. After a few minutes, I decided I’d do 50 or so.
Although the roads were a bit wet, the fog lifted and the Sun came out for a bit after 11 AM. I hoped the roads would be a bit less flooded, and in particular I hoped that the flood that had closed the road under the bridge at Six Hills had gone. Thankfully, it had – not even a puddle. I think they must have unclogged a drain. I encountered a bit of shallow water flowing across the road near Cotes, but other than that the roads were fine.
By the time I was cruising along Six Hills Lane, I’d decided to do a Fondo. I already had the Strava Fondo badge for November, but thought another one wouldn’t hurt. I turned back the way I’d come about a mile short of Eastwell. Would have gone all the way there, but was conscious of the need to get back home while there was still a bit of light, as I only had flashy blinkers on the bike.
I now memorise the Fondo distance in miles, 62.14 – by thinking of the start of the Beatles’ chart career (’62) and the start of the First World War (’14).
I did come back exactly the same way for a change rather than detouring through Diseworth or Coleorton.
5 Live switched from its Premier League show to the Prime Minister’s speech at the Conservative manifesto launch at 2pm, and I was just buzzing. He hit just the right energetic, enthusiastic, can-do note, I thought. Just so much more positivity and optimism in the party than Theresa could ever have generated, and he managed a couple of zingers. Carbon-neutral by 2050, and Corbyn-neutral by Christmas. Brilliant.
My DAB battery ran out not long after that, so I fired up the MP3 app on my phone and listened to The Yes Album, which was a bit of a Sunday afternoon tradition in my teens, all those years ago.
Unfortunately a heavy drizzle descended, two miles from home. Shame I didn’t get up half an hour earlier.
I bought a new GPS watch from Amazon on Friday, a Garmin Instinct. Gave it a trial run today. Stylistically it’s quite like a G-Shock, but very light on the wrist. Has a lovely hi-res, high contrast LCD screen and a long battery life. You can customise the data visible on the screen while you’re riding – I have clock time, elapsed time, battery status and (of course) distance done. It syncs to Garmin Connect, and thereby to Strava, by bluetooth. Very handy.
I didn’t actually need it of course. Just one of those things that’s nice to have. I’m a sucker for gadgets.
Home on 62.43 miles which takes me to 313 this month. I’m happy enough with that but the weather looks a bit more accommodating toward the end of the week so perhaps the November campaign isn’t done yet.