Mid-March Biking Week
Bike and Work, Work and Bike
I received a lovely present at Christmas, my next biking adventure in the Summer. A four-day trip to Scotland and its surrounding islands. I can’t wait.
To make the most of the trip I want to get as ride fit as possible. I decided not to embark on a full-on fitness plan as I won’t follow it, what with a busy work and family life. So, I simply set myself a target of riding at least 40 miles a week. This could be one long 40-mile ride at the end of a busy week, or hopefully smaller rides in the week at lunch or after work. So far so good…and with another great week under the belt the fitness is improving.
Monday : A great start to the week. Instead of a quick ride at lunch on concrete paths I managed to get out to the Fellyfor an off road ride. It was a lovely clear sunny day, but still cold. I stopped on route to get a few photos and short videos to post on YouTube shorts. The two steep sharp hills definitely are easier to climb. I’m no longer getting to the top panting like an overweight donkey who has just run the grand national. I’m out of breath but recover a lot quicker than at the start of the year.
The route is straight through Portland Park, through the Sherwood Business Park and into the Fellyfor circular loop. Then it’s back the same way. The route totals just over 11 miles. Perfect start.
Wednesday: One of my quieter workdays so I managed to get out through Newstead Abbey , Thieves Wood , and Harlow Wood. It was a lovely morning but got gloomy towards the end of the ride. Little did I know that about five minutes after I arrived home it started raining and then didn’t stop until the next day, as in proper raining not just a down pour, lucky for me. The route I did followed route 6 through the Newstead Estate and Ravenshead suburb. I climbed up on the narrow trail towards Blidworth but left route 6 at the top. You can catch the video here. Then it was downhill negotiating the sandy trail into Harlow wood. Through Harlow wood across the A60 and into Thieves wood , before hitting the Cauldwell Dam downhill and back home. At just over 15 miles a great mid-week route.
Friday: I had a couple of meetings in the afternoon, but the sun was shining so I had to get out on the bike. I replayed Monday’s route and headed into the Felly. It’s great practise to keep climbing the hill halfway round. It’s a shame I was pushed for time as I could’ve captured some amazing photos. Another 11 miles in the bag within the hour I had.
Sunday : I was really busy on Saturday so didn’t get chance to get in a long ride. However, my youngest has got the buzz for biking at the moment so I took her out to do half the Fellyroute on Sunday. I was so proud to see her climb some of the hills with a real determination. We made it to Sherwood Park and then looped around to pass through the park for a break and a climb. Another sneaky 6.5 miles to the weeks total.
Another good week completed, clocking just over 43 miles. I’m certainly feeling fitter with my recovery being quicker.
It’s a busy week next week so let’s see how it goes…
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