2012 Week 22

Week 22 (w/e 3 June 2012)
Miles: 152.2

And so we glide into June.

The smashing sunny weather of the previous week continued here until Wednesday at least. Beginning the week on Monday, as is the custom, I noticed that the wind had changed direction again. The gusty easterly that had plagued my weekend had become a much more typical north-westerly. It had also dropped in ferocity, which was nice. Although it was still very warm, the sunshine was much more hazier than of late. Still, dry and fine cycling weather is always welcome, so off I went in the late afternoon for my usual trundle. I took my camera with me, hoping to take a few more photos to use on this blog, so my hour only yielded 13.5 miles this time as I was stopping and snapping. I nipped back out on the bike in the evening and pushed on to 21 miles for the day. Tuesday's weather was cloudy at first but by mid-afternoon the sun had burned away the cloud cover and it felt hot out there. An hour of afternoon cycling took me to 36.5 miles, which then became 45.5 miles in the evening once I'd been out for my supplementary trip.

Wednesday. The sunshine was a little more hazy today but conditions were still fine. I pushed on to 60 miles in the afternoon and then in the evening my usual loop to there and back saw me on to 68 miles. An excellent foundation for a big total by the weekend, I hoped. These hopes took a slight knock the very next day, when rain greeted me on rising. Fortunately it stopped in the early afternoon and remained fine thereafter. I was able to get out on the bike in the afternoon for an hour, rolling home with 80 miles. I would have more than likely added another 8 to the total in the evening, but I went to the pub instead. The hot and sunny weather returned on Friday. Glorious stuff. Off I went in the afternoon for an hour, waltzing back with 101 miles in the bag. Job done with two full days to spare again. I wasn't finished for the day though and another 9 miles in the evening pushed me along to 110 for the week.

Come the weekend, the weather worsoned. Saturday was overcast and cool, with spots of rain often in the air. A typical English summer's day in many respects. I made my usual Saturday afternoon trip into town then dashed out for another half an hour when I got home. That nudged my total along to 129 miles. No more cycling was done in the evening because I went out for the night instead. Sunday was grim and grey with steady rain when I emerged from my slumber with a fuzzy head. When the rain cleared I was able to get out for a good 30 minutes or so around 6 pm, which took me to 137.5 miles. It was drizzling again by 9 pm but I was determined to push on and record a decent total, so I ended up doing an hour in the descending gloom to finish the week with 152. Good work, Jenkins.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 19 m.
Total for 2012: 2686.2
2012 average weekly mileage: 122.1

Consecutive 100s: 21

Miles needed for 6000: 3314

Percentage of target reached: 44.77%

With 30 weeks to go, average weekly miles needed for 6000: 110.46

Last week I set my fastest time to get to 100 miles and this week I've broken the record again... by a whole minute. I also take my average weekly mileage to a new year high.

I've had a very fine three weeks in the saddle, with scores of 147.1, 162.3 and 152.2 yielding 461.6 miles at an average of 153.8. That's a very welcome shot of pace to put some distance between 2012 and 1998. I'm going to need it. I just hope it can continue. It's also shaved 4 whole miles off my "average weekly total needed to get to 6000 miles" figure. I'll soon have it under 110 at this rate.