Friday 22 February 2013

50 Fecking Miles!!

I was freezing when I left and barely warmed up the entire time. I still can't feel all my toes.

It was horrible. Exhausting. But like in line with my zero tolerance on myself plan, I set out to the do the 50 and 50 miles on my bike I did, with 1,214 ft of elevation (it felt like MORE!). I was averaging between 14 and 15 mph for the first 30 miles, but by the end of the 50 it was down to 13.2 mph, and the sight of any kind of hill made me feel quite weepy.

However, I managed it. I am happy. I had two cereal bars and a gel while I was out, at 18 miles, then 35.
And I discovered I am only capable of holding three things in my head at once. As I was approaching the lay by to stop in so I could get my food out of my back pocket without crashing into anything (I'll need to work on this, and get a top-tube bag), I thought I'd better leave the bike in a lower gear, and then my phone rang, and this meant clipping out the pedals was one thing too many, and so for the first time ever, I timberrrrrred over.
Most importantly, there were no cars passing and no one saw me do this.
Very annoyingly I forgot to take a tissue, and ended up asking myself if it was acceptable to blow my nose on a cereal bar wrapper (it is, as long as no one sees that, either)

I initially thought this would scare me for other events, and that cycling 100 would literally result in my death. However, I am not that down-hearted, as the cold was truly the worst part. If it had been even a few degrees warmer, or if I had been wearing more clothes, it would not have been half as bad.

And if I hadn't had to come home to boil kettles to have a very shallow bath in a freezing house, that would have been better, too.
And if my daughter (who is off school due to a few projectile vomiting incidents) didn't announce to me that she'd let plumbers into the house while I was out, and didn't think to remove my underwear which was hanging up to dry on top of the boiler, even when the farmer knocked on the door a WHOLE HOUR beforehand to tell her they were coming, that would have made things better, as well.

However, I burned a mega load of calories, tomorrow is my glorious day of doing nothing in preparation for Sunday's long run, and I feel immensely good about getting past the 50. It's been haunting and daunting me, but no more.

AND I got a message from my brother saying he was sending me a birthday present from Disneyland. I bet it's Finding Nemo related as that's my favourite, hurrah!!

3 comments:

  1. Re: Nose blowing, you need to practice snot rockets and get gloves with a nose-wiping bit on them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even the words 'snot rockets' makes me shudder! I'm a laydee :D

      Delete
  2. I always wear gloves - not to keep my hands warm but to double up as hankies - well done on the 50, next time you won't feel it such a daunting distance! Ironpooooooo! :-) x

    ReplyDelete