The sunlight hurts my eyes

I was off work sick on Friday. It was a beautiful and very sunny day, and when I went to get up to cycle to work I found two things had happened to my body. One it seemed to be strapped to the mattress, although I couldn't see the straps, but something was making it extraordinarily difficult to get out of bed.

That was soon cured however by an equal and opposite compulsion to exit the bedroom with sudden alacrity and move into the smallest room as fast as I could. These two forces, the effects of the virus that has invaded my tonsils, and something altogether more unmentionable, meant I spent the whole day looking out of two windows, wishing I was cycling.

I was still ill yesterday when we went to my Parents' house in Dorset, I really think I should start making my own paracetamol, I'm going through a packet a day. And I was still ill today, although I feel better than I did at 7.45 this morning, when I knew I had to go down to Axbridge in case anyone was joining the ride I was supposed to be leading. No-one had said they were coming, but we now have all kinds of insurance-related issues if an officially designated ride leader isn't there. I won't go on, it's too boring to type. I made myself go cycling.

I'm not sure if it was a good idea or not. Half way up the hill out of Clewer, (it may be John's hill) I thought it wasn't as I left my breakfast by the side of the road. Good job I was on my own really. In fact I'm not sure if it was an ACG ride or a solo ride, how will I classify it in my very sad spreadsheet?

So I did a loop round the levels then over Brent Knoll, up the coast to the Brean beach cafe, then back via Canada Coombe and the Banwell caves (not actually inside them, past them). It was very sunny, and (whispers quietly) hot. So much so that I think I'm going to need suncream next week for the White Horse Challenge. There you go, just ruined the weekend weather for next week.

It was a lovely day as well, but there didn't seem to be many cyclists out, maybe they are all doing events like Skip who did a sportive today, or Bunny who did a duatholon yesterday. I still don't know why it's called that when there are three legs to it, I know there are two sports, but the taxonomy seems all wrong. I need to get out more.

But fair play to them both, Bunny as usual is modestly stomping up whichever leader board he's entered for, and Skip had a fantastic performance in a long sportive in the south east. I had hopes of a Gold for next week, but that would mean I need to do the 150km in sub 5 hours 20, and with this virus being hard to shake, I may just settle for enjoying myself, particularly as it's going to be pouring with rain.

On the subject of sad statistics, my K-1 odometer reads 7000.0 miles as of today. Which is quite something in a little under two years. I've done mileage on the other bikes and a hire bike as well, but I think that's about the equivalent of cycling to Santiago in Chile, assuming you could cycle across the ocean. Well, all right, I know it is because I googled it, but it's a fair way in any direction. I shall be watching closely for the moment it hits all the sevens. Ushuia in case you were wondering, always wanted to go to Tierra del Fuego.

Sorry for the moaning, my usual cheerful self will be back next week.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/212983