Miles: 131.2
Sorry, boss. Here we go. The first full week of July didn't show much improvement with the weather from the last week of June. There were still plenty of showers around. Ho hum. On the plus side, Euro 2012 had ended so there would be no more distractions from that direction to stop me dragging my bones out on the bike. Sadly, Monday proved to be a washout. It wasn't a day where it rained constantly, more of one of those annoying days when heavy showers turn up just when you think the roads will have dried out sufficiently for it to be time to get the wheels rolling. It was coming down steadily at 4 for a couple of hours, which nobbled my usual cycling time there, then it happened again mid-evening. So that meant a zero. Moving on, Tuesday was overcast but fine, so I was able to get the weekly run chase underway in the afternoon with a 14 miler. The usual half an hour in the evening pushed this along to 22 miles. Wednesday saw showers again early in the afternoon - showers that returned a few hours later, scuppering my plan to get out on the bike. At least the evening was dry, so I took myself out at 9 pm for an hour, rolling home with 41 miles.
At least the weather perked up on Thursday. Hazy sunshine was the order of the day. Well, the afternoon at least. I got an hour's pedaling done before tea, taking myself to 58 miles in the process. A heavy shower passed over at 9 pm but it soon cleared up, allowing me to dash out again to add another 8 miles to the total (so 66 then). Friday afternoon was blustery and grey with... yes, more showers here and there. With one eye on the rain radar I went out on the bike an hour earlier than I normally do, so as to avoid the bands of rain that I could see moving in. Half an hour's ride took me to 74 miles. I encountered some spots of rain in the air on the way, but nothing more substantial. After calling in back home for a quick coffee break, I sprang out again twenty minutes later while the going was good. The steadier rain was just arriving as I raced back home, but I made it back with 81 miles without getting a soaking. The weather cleared up in the evening so I was able to do another 8 mile loop which made the earlier frantic rush seem a little silly. At least I pushed the score along to 90 miles.
Into the weekend, and Saturday was sunny! I was due to drive over to Hebden Bridge in the late afternoon to go and see the Stephen Holt-fronted Inspiral Carpets there, so before getting ready I dashed out on a 12 mile ride that at least saw me creep over the 100 mile mark - to 102, as it happened. Unfortunately, mechanical failure meant that I never even made it into Yorkshire, never mind to Hebden. Damn it. Oh well, Sunday's weather was at least pleasantly sunny in a hazy kind of way, so I got just under an hour's worth of cycling done in the later afternoon that took me to 117 miles. I was in the mood to push on a bit for the final ride of the week, so at 9 pm I got out for close to another hour with the result that I came home with a total of 131 miles. Considering that I'd spent most of the week dodging showers, this wasn't a bad result.
The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 11 m.
Total for 2012: 3304.4
2012 average weekly mileage: 122.38
Consecutive 100s: 26
Miles needed for 6000: 2695.6
Percentage of target reached: 55.07%
With 25 weeks to go, average weekly miles needed for 6000: 107.82
I was quite surprised this week to find that I'd smashed the record for the fastest time to get 100. I'd shaved four whole minutes off the previous record, one that I only set two weeks previously (and matched last week). Crikey. I also nudged my 2012 weekly average to a new high.
While I'm here, last week I reached the 26th week of the year, which is the halfway point as far as my cycling calendar is concerned. Out of interest I thought I'd compare the performance of 1998 with the current year. In the first half of 1998 I managed 3072.9 miles at an average of 118.18. As you can see if you scroll down, this year it's been 3173.2 at 122.04 per week. The second half of 1998 was significantly better: 4108.1 miles at an average of 158 per week exactly. Phew, that will take some beating.
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