Fluorescent Slut

I make the most of the blue skies and decide to make it a cycling day.  I promise myself that I won't get waylaid again.

At the bottom of Christchurch Road, another cyclist appears ahead of me.  He looks the business, a proper cyclist, all the kit.  Cyclists in front are always helpful, something to aim at.  He's slow to get going, and quickly I catch him and shoot past.  By the time I get to the lower reaches of Pokesdown Hill, it's clear I've gone too soon, and as I drop a couple of gears he powers past and on up the hill.  I try to stay on his back wheel, but by the time we reach the top he's pulling away rapidly.  It's only thanks to the traffic lights that I manage to catch up.

Now on the flat, I resolve to try and stick with him as much as possible.  He's pretty quick though, traffic gets in the way, and slowly but surely he puts distance between us.  All the way through Boscombe, he teases me, occasionally appearing up ahead at junctions or weaving through traffic.  Eventually, at the roundabout, he heads straight on, whereas I take a left and mourn the loss of my companion.

I coast down Bath Hill and onto the Pier flyover.  At the bottom, a truck turning right slows the traffic, and me with it.  Unexpectedly, the fluorescent slut appears from behind, on the outside of the cars, and zips past once more.  It's great timing - up ahead is The Hill.  I step on the power in an effort to keep up.

The Hill is everything I fear it will be.  It's lung-burstingly steep.  It's short but not short enough.  Your thumbs are numb from frantically pushing the shifters, praying that a lower gear will magically appear on the cassette.  At times, you pull so hard on the bars that the front wheel lifts slightly, and you fear being thrown into the road.  The only solace I take is that my target up ahead also looks decidedly uncomfortable, albeit still quicker than me.

At the top, the eggs and banana breakfast threatens to make a reappearance, and it takes a good few minutes of drifting along to regain my breath and my legs before I can get up to speed again. The thought of having to do this hill straight after a 30 minute open water swim is unpleasant.  On the plus side, by July I hope to be fitter, lighter, and not be carrying 2st of laptop and other paraphernalia on my back.

At my destination, a 14.6mph average is a decent achievement for a ride through traffic, including a personal best for the Iford to Pokesdown section.  Tonight, I may even treat myself to a beer.