11th May 2012

After a very easy Thursday more due to the weather than anything else, i decided id get a decent spin in, 80km I thought to myself that get me over mark for week and then top up on Sunday. So had my porridge, its growing on me with the seeds i add in and a bit of banana. And packed a glucose 750ml and two bananas in the back pocket, and off i set after just 8am.

Not lying in has been helped with wanting to get out and done early with the cycle. Headed out kildare direction and decided id make way towards punchestown and see how i go from their.

The single picture from the day, from here i bypassed Naas via the backroads and headed in the direction of Newbridge, so decided in the moment that was in it id pay a visit to the Curagh. Being my bad luck the rain also paid me a visit at the same time i took shelter but failed to take a photo, after dying down i made my way to kildare before ended up in Rathangan, via the very long way. Starved i stopped and downed a chocolate cookie and a poor mans pain au chocolat which i scoffed on the road back towards newbridge, anything tastes nice when you've got the hunger, that topped me up but i have say the smell of mcdonalds as i passed newbridge tempted me for first time in years. At this stage the 100km was coming close, but with half a bottle of energy drink left i knew if i pushed on i could make it home in good order.

The legs felt good, the back solid enough, the rain hurt my spirits, and i found it so mentally diffcult to ride solo especially on the long main roads with km's without much bar worrying about cars to do. Theirs only so much thinking a man can do on his bike, i need to find some new music i may have outplayed the current collection.

Once i passed Naas i pushed on wanting get home in good time, i knew road well and with just one proper climb left i knew wasn't much to push me, i did well on climb which is good sign with 120km + on clock at that stage. Rolled in 137km on the clock, biggest day in saddle this year and haven done it whole way solo i think it was a good test.

Curragh was nice getting see the horse been ridden out, going thru towns breaksdown the rides, old men love a good wave as the man in lycra flys by on his not so shiny after the rain white bike. I probably look like some sort pro been out at these times of the week.

Lessons learned you can never have too much food in the pockets, and no matter how much i hurt i know the guys on tv cycling when i go home are hurting more. Delighted to have my biggest weekly total and climbing, plan to break the 150km soon, and keep ticking over looking forward to day off tomorrow but  i may be tempted into a short spin.

Today : 137km  948m
Weekly : 300km 2,520metres.