Despite packing as lightly as I could, my rucksack felt heavy and cumbersome. Terry and Mark, who had decided to cycle to work with me on Sunday morning and had already teased me for being 10 minutes late, thought my bulky bag was hilarious.
I needed to carry a change of clothes and a packed lunch. I was commuting to work, not going out for a leisurely ride. I also needed to carry lots of food and water to keep me going on the bike. I refused to run out of energy this time!
I checked my watch. 7:15am. Would I make it to Southborough by 8:45?
The three of us pedalled up onto Ashdown Forest in thick mist. We said good morning to people in hi-vis jackets waiting for an organised cycling event (I was tempted to shout out that we were the breakaway group) and accelerated downhill, remarking on patches of warm and cold air that reminded us of patches of warm and cold water in the sea.
I lost sight of Terry and Mark before the bottom. I wasn't taking any risks on the damp road surface. When I finally caught up with them I hitched a ride in Terry's slipstream, keeping my front wheel inches away from his back one. Saving my legs. Saving my energy for the hill out of Groombridge.
It paid off. I couldn't believe how well I climbed the hill with a rucksack. I felt bad about cycling away from Mark but I needed to keep my cadence high and bounce in the pedals. I needed to find my own rhythm and go at my own pace. Besides, Terry soon cycled away from me. I crested the hill and cruised through dense woodland on my own.
Suddenly a deer leapt into the road in front of me. I squeezed my brakes hard and the bike skidded and the back wheel slid sideways, startling the deer which turned 180ยบ and bolted back into the woods. I eased off the brakes. The bike straightened and I sat back down in the saddle.
Wow. Fear, exhilaration, wonder - I felt all three emotions in that single moment. What a beautiful creature. Stunning. I only wish I hadn't scared it.
Terry, Mark and I regrouped at the next junction. It was 8:20am. Only 25 minutes to go! We cycled together through Fordcombe, Penshurst and Bidborough, and I headed the charge into Southborough just before 8:45am.
I had done it! I had cycled to work. Well, we had cycled to work. And contrary to Google's prediction, it was exactly 22 miles.
Now all I had to do was a day's work and then cycle home again...
Fortunately work was less physically demanding than normal, and I felt recharged for the ride back. So much so that I accepted Terry's extra challenge and took a detour to Hartfield, increasing the return journey to 28.34 miles.
I had cycled 50.34 miles in one day! Hilly miles. With a rucksack on my back. I was amazed by what I had achieved.
At the beginning of the month I wished that I cycled to work. Yesterday I did it. Over the course of 4 weeks I rode my bike 12 times, experienced cramping calfs and burning thighs, consumed thousands of calories, braved the roads after dark, almost hit a deer and travelled a total of 274.44 miles. That's roughly the equivalent of cycling from London to Newcastle.
Now that I've cycled to work once, I can do it again. I'm fitter, stronger and more confident riding my bicycle than I was at the beginning of the month. Next time I won't worry so much about the hills or the traffic or whether I've eaten enough. I know I can do it.
In a previous post I wrote that my brother-in-law Terry likes to know how far and fast I've cycled. Why? Because he's talked me into entering the wiggle New Forest 100 Sportive with him on Sunday 12th October.
I'm going to cycle 81 miles in one go. Wish me luck!
What do you wish you could do? Start doing it in October and amaze yourself.
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