Miles and miles and miles...

I feel like a baby fur seal.... that has been clubbed a few times. I put my head down for 5 minutes after getting home, and woke up an hour later feeling totally whacked. Eyeballs are stuffed with cotton wool, can't walk through the house without crashing into door frames.

This is what comes of charging home tonight. Two weeks ago, after the Xmas break, I did a measly 100km for the week. That went up to 140km last week, with no ill effects. I was looking to crack the 100 mile mark this week, but was derailed by breaking a pedal on Tuesday. The result is that I came in just shy of 130km this week. Not a great distance for those that live in flat country, but a bit of a chore on the hills of Sydney.

I rode home with a bloke last night who lives in North Rocks. I could Google it, but I don't want to know where it is. Mainly because it is north of Parramatta, and the bloke looked about 50. He tries to ride to work 3 times a week, and each leg must be at least 30-40 km. Or more. Makes my paltry efforts seem... paltry. The result was that he was about half my size, which is why I am trying to push the weekly mileage up towards the 200km mark, and to keep it there. I have already gone in a couple of belt loops since Xmas, but I have a lot more to go. I will be happy when my pants fall down one day.

I have a biography of Jackie Stewart on my Amazon wish list. It is now down to 29 books, and I came close to buying the lot today. I am not sure what is holding me back...probably the feeling that I should reduce my unread pile to say five books, down from the current 8 (I finished Frank Chalk's book yesterday, and gave it to J with a recommendation to read it). I mention Jackie Stewart because I love the Top Gear episode where he gives Captain Slow a driving lesson, and all you hear for five minutes is Jackie yelling out, "More power, more power, full power".

That refrain was going through my head on the last leg home tonight. It was raining when I hit the Bay, which meant it was utterly free of the usual post-work congestion of a million strollers. Even the cyclists had taken the bus. I just opened the taps and thought "More power", until my legs could take no more. They are still shaking.

Thank you, Jackie. Best ride home I have had this year.