When you're riding at your own risk.....

As the nice man from the Dragon ride said, "go that way and you are riding at your own risk, with no food stops, no signs, no insurance, and no mechanical support, no official time, so I want your number please if you do".

Not exactly a tunnel of love is it? Skip's blogged things from her vantage point, so I'm not going over old ground (unlike if I had actually got to do the 120 mile route, where you have to do the same climb from the same direction, twice, which is clearly wrong in so many ways).

http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/?m=201106

And I have done a bit of my own venting on a cycling forum, here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12781853

I am left with a feeling of disappointment that for the third weekend in a row I have not accomplished what I set out to do. I was really looking forward to today, and although I felt a bit sluggish on the main climb of the day, actually I wasn't as my average speed was up there with my best sportive performances. It's just that Skip was on one today and seriously kicked my butt going uphill. Heaven help me when she gets fast on the downs, ;-)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90350816

There was one funny moment when we came round a corner, to be greeted by the sight of Port Talbot in all its glory and Skip said, wow, "what a view". I was behind her, watching her wheel, and looked up at the desolate industrial wastelands and nearly wet myself. "South Wales finest", was my paltry response. The Bwlch climb was great, I would have liked to have seen more of the beauty of the Welsh landscape, than be routed through nondescript roads, and dual carriageways.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/456153

So what to make of all this. On the one hand it was a pleasant day out in company, if only with a route that was too short and a bit dull. On the other it was quite a lot of effort and hassle to end up riding only 70-odd miles, with less climbing than I could do round here, but that at least has eased me back from the overtraining trap I was falling into.

Swings and roundabouts, six and half a dozen, every cloud and all that, silk purse and sow's ear. No I know that last one isn't relevant I just wanted to see if you were concentrating. Actually there is a much funnier version of the same sentiment, but it's far too rude to put on my blog. Especially now my boss reads it.

I think I'm still in the "life is too short" programme I have been in since Friday night. So despite my irritation at the thwarting of best-laid plans today, I don't think I care that much. My other big event of this weekend was Kung Fu Panda 2, and the message, "Inner peace", yes I could certainly do with some more of that please....