2013 Week 14

Week 14 (w/e 7 April 2013)
Miles: 142.3

April arrives. Sadly the weather was still in winter mode.

Easter Monday. It seems that the warmer weather at the weekend was just sent to tease us, as it turned cold again for the start of the new week and that east wind was back. I got things underway with a good hour's ride in the afternoon, coming back with 17 miles in the bag. Another half an hour in the evening moved me on to 25 miles. An excellent start to the week. Tuesday afternoon was cloudy but fine. An hour on the bike took me to 39 miles. That became 47 miles once I'd been out in the evening on the usual loop. Wednesday was cold but fine so that afternoon I moved myself on to 60 miles. That became 68 miles once I'd been out in the evening. A three-day 68? Good effort.

Thursday afternoon had sunny spells with broken cloud. The wind changed direction though, this time whipping in from the north east. It was still cold. An hour in the afternoon pushed things along to 82 miles and this became 90 when I'd been out again that evening. Friday was overcast but fine. A 40 minute trundle got me to 99 miles. I went to the pub that night, so stayed on 99 until Saturday. Bonkers.

Saturday was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm! I cycled into town that afternoon, passing the 100 mile mark on my way out. Having returned home, I dashed out again for 20 minutes, progressing to 113 miles in the process. There was time for another ride in the day and I accomplished that mid-evening. It was cold though under clear skies. 121 miles was the total. Sunday was mostly cloudy but fine. An hour's ride in the afternoon lifted my total to 134. Three hours later I was back out there for the final ride of the week, rolling home with 142 big ones. A satisfactory performance.

The stats
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 54 mins
Total for 2013: 1541.5
2013 average weekly mileage: 110.1
Consecutive 100s: 10
Miles needed for 6000: 4458.5
Percentage of target reached: 25.69%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.3

This week felt that I was back in the groove. 25% of the way to 6k, with the summer ahead of me.

Meanwhile, back in 2012
A total of 113.2 took me to 1662.8. The lead is cut to 121.3.

2013 Week 13

Week 13 (w/e 31 March 2013)
Miles: 112

The chilly east wind that dominated the second half of last week was still in evidence as week 13 got underway, but things began to warm up by the weekend.

Monday was sunny but chilly. I dragged myself out before teatime, returning with 9.5 miles. I got distracted by watching the cricket in the evening (the exciting final day of New Zealand v England at Auckland), so didn't add to that. I just about got an hour's cycling done on Tuesday afternoon, slowly moving to 21 miles in the process. That east wind was still blowing, which made it harder work than usual. Another half an hour's ride in the evening moved things on to 29 miles. Wednesday's weather was again fine but cold. I was feeling a bit rough though, so didn't go out on my bike. To compensate, I went out for a bit longer than usual in the evening, coming home with 38 miles.

Thursday was sunny but chilly. I got back on track with an hour's ride in the afternoon, progressing to 52 miles along the way. This became 60 miles in the evening. Friday arrived. Good Friday, as it happened. I got out for a spin in the afternoon and returned with 72 miles. Another ride in the evening saw me roll home just short of 80 miles. Saturday was sunny and it felt warm. A sign of things to come, hopefully. I cycled into town as usual that afternoon. I got back with 89 miles but didn't have time to do my customary supplementary ride before tea as I was off out that evening to see Buzzcocks in Kendal. And very good they were too.

Sunday 31st March marked the arrival of British Summer Time. It's always a point in the cycling calendar that I look forward to as it heralds the approach of those long summer days and evening bike rides in daylight. I required just 11 miles to get the obligatory ton, and the weather was good. I went out for an hour in the afternoon and came home with 103 miles. There was time in the evening for another half an hour's ride, so I eventually halted with exactly 112.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 56 mins
Total for 2013: 1399.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.63
Consecutive 100s: 9
Miles needed for 6000: 4600.8
Percentage of target reached: 23.3%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.97

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
A total of 132.1 took me to 1549.6 miles. A lead of 150.4 miles.

2013 - Week 12 Graph

Graph for the four weeks 9 - 12:

As noted at the end of the previous post, 2012 is pulling away with a lead - 130.3 miles by the end of this phase.

Total figures after twelve weeks:

2013 - 1287.2
2012 - 1417.5
1998 - 1272.9

The difference between 1998 and 2013 was also quite tight over this period. I had a lead of 58.9, 63.9 and 43.6 in weeks 9, 10 and 11 respectively but this was shrunk to 14.3 miles in week 12. Gulp. I can feel its breath at my shoulder already.

2013 Week 12

Week 12 (w/e 24 March 2013)
Miles: 108.9

Another week of attritional mile-collecting.

The week began in a dank and wintry fashion. The rain kept me indoors during the afternoon and the drizzle in the evening had much the same effect. Tuesday was fine and dry until 4 pm, then steady light rain moved in. I didn't get out on the bike because of this until the evening, when I got the week's run chase underway with a 30 minute trundle along the usual loop. 8 miles later, I was back home. Wednesday was grey and cold, but at least it was fine. An hour's ride in the afternoon pushed me on to 22 miles. This became 30 miles once I'd been out and back in the evening.

The weather turned cold again on Thursday for a few days: A finger-numbing chill thanks to that unwelcome eastern wind. I took myself out in the afternoon, with 43 miles the result. I nipped out again at 10 pm. The wind had really whipped up in the hours in between rides and it was damned hard work. I came back with 51 miles. Friday was a wild day, with a blustery wind pushing in sleety showers. I struggled out there for 40 minutes to move on to 60 miles, but it wasn't fun. The wind appeared to haved dropped a touch in the evening, although there were still bursts of drizzle here and there to endure. I dragged myself out and came back with 67 miles.

Saturday continued to be bitter and wintry, with occasional flakes of sleet blowing around. I didn't bother making my customary trip into town, as the weather wasn't great and I didn't really need to go for anything. I went out for a ride instead a little later, coming home with 80 miles. A second trip at 9 pm resulted in a new total of 88 miles. That 100 was edging closer. Sunday was clear and sunny, but that bitter wind was still howling in. It seemed to be gusting a bit harder that it had been. I went out in the late afternoon for a 12 mile ride - just enough to get the ton sorted, then scurried back home into the warmth. Conditions were still fine in the evening, so I nipped out on the usual loop to add another 8 miles to the weekly total.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 7 hrs 4 mins
Total for 2013: 1287.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.26
Consecutive 100s: 8
Miles needed for 6000: 4712.8
Percentage of target reached: 21.4%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.82

20% of the way to 6000. Another slow week (average speed of 14.14 mph to get to 100) thanks to that grinding, bitter east wind that arrived mid-week.

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
A total of 167.3 took me to 1417.5 miles. A lead of 130.3 miles takes 2012 somewhere over the horizon. On my averages, that's effectively a lead of a whole week's worth of pedalling.

2013 Week 11

Week 11 (w/e 17 March 2013)
Miles: 126.5

Monday was bitterly cold with frequent light flurries of snow swirling around in the air. Despite this, I got out for 13 miles in the afternoon. I didn't bother venturing out again in the evening because it was literally freezing. In contrast, Tuesday was sunny and it felt warm. An hour's cycling in the afternoon took me to 28.5 miles and this became 36.5 miles once I'd nipped back out that evening. Wednesday was again clear and sunny. An hour in the afternoon pushed me on to 51 miles. A trip into the countryside that evening saw the day out with 59 miles, but it was bitterly cold. My fingers suffered very much.

Rain moved in on Thursday and eventually called time on any hopes of play. It was raining again on Friday morning but the afternoon cleared up so I took myself out for the best part of an hour, rolling home with 74 miles. There was drizzle around in the evening but I went out anyway and finished with 82 miles. Saturday was overcast but fine. I cycled into town in the afternoon. After coming home, I dashed out again for half an hour and thus advanced to 98 miles. Light rain moved in on Saturday evening, but I went to the pub anyway. Sunday was grey with occasional drizzle. I dragged myself out for a slightly longer than usual ride in the late afternoon, coming back with 118 miles in the bag. I nipped back out later in the evening under clear skies and so ended the week with 126.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 42 mins
Total for 2013: 1178.3
2013 average weekly mileage: 107.1
Consecutive 100s: 7
Miles needed for 6000: 4821.7
Percentage of target reached: 19.63%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.6

2013 Week 10

Week 10 (w/e 10 March 2013) 
Miles: 110.6

After a promising start, the weather turned dank and drizzly so this was one of those attritional weeks where you have to take your chances when they are presented to you and battle your way to 100.

Monday afternoon was clear, sunny and very pleasant. I managed 16.5 miles in two spurts that afternoon. This became 25 miles once I'd been out and come back in the evening. Tuesday was similarly pleasant, so I went out with my camera first to see if I could find any snaps for this blog. Taking the camera back home, I set off again and then rolled home at teatime with almost 43 miles on the clock. I was back out in the evening, closing the day with 51 miles. Come Wednesday, the weather had worsened and it was grey and drizzly. That chilly eastern Russian wind was back. I still got myself out for an hour, pushing on to 65 miles. This also meant that I sailed through the 1000 mark for the year. I was back out again later that evening, arriving home with 73 miles. A three-day 73? That should have been the platform for a big score, surely?

On Thursday afternoon I got distracted by having to make several phonecalls to Sky TV, so didn't get out on the bike. Come the evening, light rain had arrived. So that was that. Friday was grey and cold. The rain radar told me that there was a band of slow-moving rain heading this way from the south west. It had almost arrived by the time I got out on the bike. Spots became light rain before too long and it was just starting to get firmer when I came home 40 minutes later with 82 miles. There was still misty drizzle in the air later in the evening, but I went out again anyway and arrived home with 90 miles. Only 10 more required and all weekend to do it.

Saturday was again grey and cold. Rain started to fall at the time when I'd usually cycle into town, so I didn't go. The rain was around until late in the evening, but I had an appointment at the pub anyway so no miles were added to the overnight score. At least Sunday afternoon was fine. The bitterly cold eastern wind was a blustery factor I could have done without. Having been delayed by football on TV, I only squeezed in half an hour of cycling in late afternoon, moving on to almost 97 miles. I was back out there at 9:30 pm though, eventually coming back with 110 for the week.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: Not recorded.
Total for 2013: 1051.8
2013 average weekly mileage: 105.18
Consecutive 100s:6
Miles needed for 6000: 4948.2
Percentage of target reached: 17.53%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.81

Meanwhile, back in 2012...
I did 137.1 miles which took me to a total of 1113 exactly. So 2012's lead is now 61.2 miles, up 26.5 miles on last week.

2013 Week 9

Week 9 (w/e 3 March 2013) 
Miles: 155.8

A week of fine weather enabled me to post a decent score this week.

Monday afternoon? 17 miles. I was back out in the evening to finish the day on 25 miles. Tuesday was clear but pleasant. I went out a little earlier that afternoon and took the photo of the snowdrops you see above. Then it was time for a bike ride. 45 minutes worth took me to 36.5 miles and another half an hour in the evening pushed things along to 44. An hour on Wednesday afternoon landed me on 57 miles and then the usual loop on a misty, cold evening saw me reach 64 miles. An excellent start.

More clear blue skies greeted me on Thursday. This was the last day of February and... it felt warm! 55 minutes of afternoon cycling pushed me along to 79 miles. This became 87 miles by the end of the evening. Friday 1st March was cloudy but fine. I went out for just under an hour in the afternoon and rolled home with the 100 sorted. Always a good feeling to get it done on a Friday. Naturally I headed out again in the evening for half an hour, finishing the day with 108 miles. I cycled to town on Saturday afternoon. I think this was the first Saturday of the year when I made it home in daylight without needing to put my lights on. It's a landmark I always look out for with some pleasure as it means lighter evenings are on their way. As is my way, I nipped out again 45 minutes after coming home, rolling back with 124 miles. I wasn't finished there either, as the third ride of the day later that evening through freezing mist took the total to 132. Sunday was cloudy but fine again. I went out for an hour in the late afternoon, coming home with 146 miles. The final ride of the week took place at 9:30 that evening, when I came gliding home with 155 miles in the bag.

The stats:
Time taken to get 100: 6 hrs 46 mins
Total for 2013: 941.2
2013 average weekly mileage: 104.5
Consecutive 100s: 5
Miles needed for 6000: 5058.8
Percentage of target reached: 15.68%
Required average weekly mileage: 117.65

My weekly average bursts through the 100 mile mark at last! I managed that in week 6 last year. The biggest total of the week so far should have closed the gap on 2012... unfortunately, this time last year I also enjoyed a bumper week with a very similar score of 152.5. So the gap is 34.7.