Europe....

...or was it Bon Jovi? (for a good friend of mine, you know who you are if you're reading this!)


The FINAL COUNTDOWN! ARRGGHHH!!!


Managed an 80mile epic yesterday and can't believe that I can actually still walk today (maybe it'll hit tomorrow). It was a real eye opener - further distance I've ever done, highest top speed (34mph) and longest day on a bike. Whilst I am delighted to have done it, it's made me even more apprehensive about L2) because there's 4 consecutive days of that to come! EEK!


My route was home to Oxford city centre, taking the A4074 which I had thought was going to be like taking my life in my hands, but at 10am on a Sunday morning, it wasn't too bad, and not half as bad as some of the other sections of my ride. Made it to the top of St Giles and then turned out through Summertown, then Marston and out to Islip and properly into the sticks!


Then a sequence of really pretty little villages before I hit Banbury. I was scarily pleased to see a Tesco petrol station because my liquid reserves were running a little low. Then I negotiated Banbury (didn't quite get lost, but it wasn't quite as easy as I had hoped, as one little, but critical, section was just off the map!). 


Got out of Banbury and once more into the countryside. I stopped for my 60mile break in Sandford St Martin which is a really beautiful little village. Then I started to see name places I recognised, and having had a difficult 50-60 miles, once I got past the 60miles, somehow I got a second wind, and a smile came across my face as I knew I really was on the home stretch.


I found the Banbury Road, and grinned all the way from Wootton, through Kidlington and back into Summertown. I made a decision to get to the Magdalen Bridge and see how I felt. That was 73 miles, but I really wanted 80. However the light was fading fast and I managed to leave my front light at home. Given that I had the main road to negotiate back home and was feeling pretty tired, I decided to make a call home. I arranged to meet up at Sainsburys on Heyford Hill as that worked time-wise and distance (or so I thought!).


So 20 mins later, my other half arrives at the car park at Sainsburys, to find me peddling round like a nutter because my cycle computer only read 78 miles! I went round and round and round until it clicked 80 and then stopped with a huge grin on my face! Delighted!!! Then I remembered that the button part on the wheel (which transmits to the computer) had twisted round at one point on the ride, so I'd lost some mileage readings, probably about 2 miles in hindsight), so I had already covered 80, I just didn't have the computer readout to prove it to myself! Doh!


Anyway, biggest ride done, chilled training rides between now and next week (ha ha!) and a week tomorrow, I'll be packing my bags!