First bit of news - 18 stone 9lbs 9oz!
I wasn’t expecting it, because I didn’t feel great getting in the saddle last night. However, by 15 miles I still felt reasonably fresh, the girls had had their tea so there was no pressure to get off, and I had “The Bourne Ultimatum” in the DVD player. “Screw it”, I thought - and went for it.
I averaged 18mph, although miles 11-13 were done over 20mph with a heart rate of around 150-160bpm, and mile 18 was at 24mph just to get the heart rate up a bit. I’d had some Quality Streets at work that James H brought in, so my sugar was up, and Beth handed me half a cookie half way through.
The short term (August) aim is 54 miles (the distance of the Great North Bike Ride), and I don’t want to just amble through it. 22 miles (the next target) is half way, so a pretty good marker to reach.
One of the problems I need to address is the Orbea bike. After getting fitted for the Burls, riding the Orbea is extremely uncomfortable as I am stretched and find it difficult to get a good position. I need a shorter stem (it’s already a 90mm though) and an inline seatpin like my FSA on the Burls. This will make the longer distances more bearable.
Hopefully, when the weather gets finer in Spring, I will be able to start putting the longer distances in on the Burls outside.