It’s going to be a short one this week blog fans. Mainly because there’s not a great deal to say that’s not been said before. In fact, although I’ve been off Audaxing it’s a ride that I’ve done before, and nothing much exciting happened, so there’s not a great deal to tell you about.
Saturday saw me lining up bright and early after a quiet night in the van, for the Morris Major 200Km Audax, a cheeky little jaunt from Kelmscott (near Lechlade) up through the Cotswolds towards Bromsgrove, before looping back around the top of Stratford-upon-Avon and back towards the start, via another hilly few miles through the Cotswolds. Heavy rain Friday evening had left the morning muggy and overcast, but still pleasantly warm despite the onset of Autumn, and with the forecast for the day to remain dry I set off with a spring in my step and the promise of another great day out. A promise that was not immediately rewarded when I picked up a rear wheel puncture within the first 10 minutes. Standing by the roadside as my fellow riders streamed past wasn’t the best start to the day but flipping the bike upside down it didn’t take long to identify the culprit in the form of a sliver of flint, which must have been nearly a cm (1/2”) long, firmly embedded through the tyre. The pliers on my multi tool which I lug around wherever I go but rarely use, came to the rescue, and enabled rapid removal of said flint (I’ve no idea how I’d have got it out without those pliers so they’ve now more than paid for the extra weight penalty) and a quick patch and tyre re-inflation had me back on the road within 10 minutes, but now firmly at the back of the field. Luckily Audax isn’t a race, so front of the pack, or well off the back, makes no difference, it’s all about challenging yourself, and resuming my normal pace I was soon back enjoying myself as the countryside passed serenely by.
Climbing steadily towards the high points of the Cotswolds the morning soon warmed up, and with the high humidity it wasn’t long before I had to stop and remove my light jacket, leaving just my base layer, which if I’m honest was still too warm for the day’s temperatures.
By the first checkpoint I’d made inroads into regaining the time I’d lost due to my puncture, and as I stopped to get the answer for the Info Control there were a number of riders who had passed me earlier taking a break. Pushing on towards Snowshill I made steady progress, arriving at the next control point with the first group of riders, who were just tucking into the selection of cake on display as I pulled up. A slice of Lemon Drizzle cake to stave off the hunger pangs and then on the road again, for the flat and fast run up to the Northerly turn. Fruit orchards, once lush and laden with apples and plums, now often derelict and left to return to their natural state replaced the rolling hills as I headed through the Vale of Evesham and I made good time to the next checkpoint which marked the halfway point. Turning East things got a little lumpier than the previous few miles, although not lumpy enough to present a problem for legs that have already done 7.5K miles this year, and nothing compared to what’s gone before or is still to come in order to get back to the start. Through the early afternoon I slowly ate up the miles, noting the change in scenery yet again and the name changes that often intrigue. Astwood Bank came and went, with a climb to the village at the top of the “Bank”. That would be “Astwood hill” in other parts of the country, but you often see bank used as the preferred term as you move further North. Likewise, as I passed through the checkpoint at Wellesbourne and turned yet again to head for Chipping Campden the stone used for houses and walls slowly changed, the reds and browns gradually replaced by the synonymous pale yellow coloured Cotswold Limestone. I’ve said it before and I’ll no doubt say it again, but that’s the beauty of traveling by bike or foot. You have the time to notice those things that you would miss as you flash effortlessly past in a car, or just never see as you sit in endless motorway traffic. In my opinion the motor car has lured us away from the slower pace of life we all used to enjoy as we race from place to place for another bite of instant gratification. There’s no instant gratification to be had as the road starts climbing sharply again on the way to Chipping Campden though, and any thoughts of an easy few miles to the end are replaced with the effort of long steady climbs to regain the high Cotswold plateau. Reward for the effort eventually comes in the form of fantastic views though. It may be hard work but it’s nearly always worth the effort as you catch a glance of the landscape opening out around you through hedges and gateways as you slog endlessly upwards, trying to match your breathing to the effort of turning the pedals as you inch ever skywards. Chipping Campden is thronged with day trippers and tourists taking in the sights and enjoying the afternoon sun. Any thoughts of stopping for an ice Cream are swiftly banished amid the traffic mayhem, and I push on for the final checkpoint at Bourton-on-the-Water in the face of yet more hills. Bourton-on-the-Water is another tourist hot spot, and as I approach, the quiet countryside roads which I’ve enjoyed for so many miles, are replaced by another endless stream of cars edging their way through the village, each in search of a parking space as close to the centre as possible. Again, I don’t stop, opting to push straight through. I’m on the home stretch now and I know from previous experience that there’s only one more real climb to overcome and then it’s a flat run to the end. I also know from previous experience that this rides slightly over length. My odometer is already showing 126 miles (200km) and there’s still a few miles to go. It’s not a problem though. Any miles are good miles and I’m still feeling pretty good considering that I’ve not really stopped all day apart from the few minutes snaffling cake at Snowshill and a brief stop for a sandwich and resupply at Wellesbourne. The last few miles pass effortlessly as afternoon slowly turns to evening (that’s happening earlier and earlier with each day) and I roll back into the finish at 17:45, with 138 miles completed, and a touch under ten hours since setting off. More surprisingly and despite having been at off the back of the group at the start, I’m first back by 15 minutes, which must mean I’ve made good time throughout the day and just goes to show that despite not being a particularly fast rider, the old adage of keeping the stops to a minimum and not faffing around pays dividends.
And that was about it for another weekend. I had planned on getting a few running miles in along the Thames path on Sunday as I was up that way, but after a good night’s sleep I woke up with a sharp nipping pain in my left Glute and despite getting as far as putting on my running kit and trying for a few meters to run it off, I felt that I was only going to make matters worse, so elected to slink back home early instead.
A good stretching session and bit of fun with the foam roller soon sorted out the little niggles and I even got as far as thinking about going running again. However, a change is as good as a rest, so I wandered up the allotment in the afternoon sun and had a few very enjoyable hours generally pottering around, tidying up, and picking the never-ending supply of tomatoes, beetroot and carrots. Unfortunately, I left my phone at home, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that things on the plot look very tidy and that now we’ve had a bit of rain they’re back to being green and lush again. And that my friends was about it for another weekend. I’ve got a bit of a bigger adventure planned for next weekend, so if all goes to plan, I’ll be back to tell you all about that, and if it doesn’t go to plan. Well, I’ll probably still be back, it just won’t be as interesting!
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
March 2024
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