We're gonna Ride.....Forever.....

Well, those Are the words to the song..... they may have meant horses....
So, as yesterdays planned attack on the roads of East Dunbartonshire was called off due to a large lunch and the resulting snooze, this morning I needed to make amends...
I rose early to catch the start of the IM France on the internety gadget thing (laptop) but missed the start, as they are an hour ahead of us.....Anyhoo, as I watched, the swimmers were exiting the flat calm blue waters of the Med and running for their bicycles. I had some breakfast and followed their example :-)

Again I climbed from Milngavie over the hill to Strathblane, swapped waves with the cycling club who were congregated in the carpark of the Kirkhouse inn, and swiftly turned right toward Lennoxtoon. The day was overcast, and reports of the hottest day on the planet were obviously wildly exaggerated, but never mind.

Messages from the engine room (knees) suggested that power was low and warp factor nine was not be to expected, and I almost called off my hill climb as a result, but decided to give it a shot anyway. I made a stronger start at the base, whilst being careful not to blow a gasket, and found my pace was slower, but steadier. At the summit, with a following breeze, I chose to follow the road over to the far side, into the valley of Fintry; where the elves and pixies live. Apparently.
The downhill is exciting, lots of twisty turns, made all the more dramatic thanks to an appalling road surface, "Dodge the crater" was a new game I invented, these must have been left behind by marauding Orcs, or dinosaurs, some had Grass growing in them! Once my pulse was more normal, I coasted into Fintry, and turned my trusty steed back to face the hill. A quick nudge in the flanks, a glance at the flight deck, and a stern word with engineering, and we blasted back the way we'd come.
The climb back up was less painful, although, at one stage an interesting "POP" from my left knee made me wonder if things were coming undone, and a light shower washed me down as I made my ascent. Over the top and down into Lennoxtown again and invigorated, I turned left and followed my now familiar route to the A803, and then Kirky, Bishbrigs, Beardsen and finally home.
Today's spin took in two happy hills, and a total of 42 miles, (67.5km) in 3hrs 3 mins. Not bad. :-)
On reaching my door and the comfort of the couch, I again tuned in to IMF, Lots of competitors were now on the run section, and shortly after this, while I did a quick impression of a drowning mutt at the pool, the winner of this years event finished......
It's enough to wear you out, isn't it?

Later Folks

Dark Knight