On an overcast Saturday morning I set out from Cunningham Avenue in St Albans. After a delicious meal and even a therapeutic glass of red with Ginny and Chris in their new, soon to be marital, home I set off into a pretty unpleasant head-wind.
The route took me up the Harpenden Road, past the Wasps rugby training ground towards, you guessed it, Harpenden. After Harpenden High Street I headed through a big housing estate up quite a hill to the East onto the B653 to Luton. On reaching Luton I had a little hiccup as I ended up on a dual carriageway heading towards the M1 but I soon realised the error of my ways and corrected it. I knew that I need to go up a big hill and I seemed to find the steepest one in Luton up Crawley Green Road. Having wobbled my way to the top I headed out on the A505 towards Hitchin.
It was then Lilly Bottom to Barton-le-Clay, another long hill out of Lilley with a loo stop behind the hedge at the top followed by a Mr Kipling's brownie. Then Pulloxhill, Flitton, Maulden and on to Ampthill. A couple more nasty little inclines but the weather had brightened up and I was well over half way by now. Surprised by the cute Ampthill High Street I headed north, past Waitrose (good for a snack / break) on the Bedford Road.
The final section is a right to Milbrook, round the edge of the track and into Marston Mortaine. Over the A421 into Cranfield and then the final stretch and hill past Bourne End and into Astwood.
Total Time: just over 3 hours (including a couple of directional stops and D-tours)
Total Distance: 40 miles, 65 km
Average Speed: 22km/h
Comments: Not great speed but dull weather, no pelaton and carrying a heavy rucksack which I like to think ruined my aerodynamics. Didn't eat enough and could have done with some energy gels / carbohydrate + protein mixer (that High5 4:1 stuff is like rocket fuel - I've just bought a load more!). 2x Mr Kipling's chocolate brownies not enough - need to make some endurance-specific flapjacks for future longer sessions to practice eating on the bike. As much as we take the p*ss I do think JK might have a point about boiling up some potatoes. This gives you bite sized savoury carbs which over the course of 13+ hours will be much needed.
Editorial Comment: "I'm realising the hazards of not proof-reading properly before "publishing". The delicious meal with Ginny & Chris, along with the therapeutic glass of red, was the Friday evening before I set off on my cycle the next morning. I've head that body-builders drink red-wine on the morning of competitions to dehydrate themselves but that is not my game!"
ReplyDelete2nd Editorial Comment: "it's a LEFT to Milbrook off the Bedford Road"
ReplyDelete