Joyous February

Weather: still stupid. The dryness has given way to less desirous elements although it hasn't snowed darn sarf yet.

Saturday was the best. The temp started at -0.8°Ré but got up to as much as 4°Ré by midday. Thus, the lanes were a bit icy in the morning but at least there wasn't much mud or wind. Robin and I did a slightly longer but less hilly Mendips ride (Cheddar, Burrington, A39 up from Wells) than last week and I finished up with 135km.

Sunday started at 4°Ré and stayed there, although the 5 Beaufort wind (that's 40km/h in real money) made it chillier. I went norf towards the Severn and did a lap of the old Dursley hilly 24 course. 720m of climbing(!) in just under 40km and I thought I did OK to get around in 1hr24. Then I found out that the actual course that'll be used for the race in April this year is a modified version: 47km total, 1010m of climbing/860m of descent(!) That's what I call challenging.

After doing that, I faced a rather sapping 40km ride home into the bloody wind, 140km total. Still, I appear to be gaining some fitness. Another month until me first race. Whee!

In the social drinking stakes, I've finally managed to get to the Old Green Tree, which is a really fine, albeit small pub. It's one that attracts 'characters' rather than just being a pub where the locals are a bit odd. I hasten to add that I am not one of these characters. I'm perfectly sane and I have a certificate to prove it somewhere. I was inveigled to try a few pints of local stout, which was alright until I had a Leffe and realised what beer should taste like. Then I spotted some Chimay...

Reading Writing Home by Alan Bennett. It consists of various observations on his life, a collection of diaries over a number of years. It's quite good once you get into it.

I watched Wales beat England in the rugby, which was unbeloivable. Hasn't been done in 20 years!