More rides...

I went our for another ride early yesterday morning. To begin with, I was a bit saddle sore from the day before, and my thighs felt a bit tired, but after a while that all went away. Quite often, when I go out on my own, I don't have a particular route in mind. Instead I just see how I feel as I go on my way. That said I always go straight to reservoir at the top of Brock Hill, as this is the quickest way to get out to the countryside from home. I can either do a lap of the reservoir (13 miles) or loop out as far as I like and then loop back in on the far side of the reservoir. The only constraint I have is if I have to get back for a particular time.

Yesterday, I started cycling round the reservoir and looped off through Galleywood, past the Viper at Mill Green and through Mountnessing, before heading back for home, a total of 35 miles. I would have quite liked to have gone to Blackmore for a cup of coffee and a cake, but the I had to get back. My route criss-crossed with the London to Southend charity ride a few times, so there was the usual display of bad tempered driving from a lot of motorists. I find it amusing sometimes, as they remind me of little kids having a paddy because they can't get their own way, but they're not so funny when they start driving like idiots and endangering cyclists.

Tonight I got home from work at 7, bolted my dinner down and went for a quick lap of the reservoir before it got dark. I gave my legs a good workout and I didn't feel at all saddle sore, which I'm pleased about. So a total of more than 100 miles in three days - not bad! I've just got to keep on doing more of this to "get the miles in my legs", as they say.

I received an e-mail from the Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia a few days ago. We went on a family holiday to Spain a couple of years ago, and earned enough loyalty card points for a free one night stay, but the e-mail advised that these points were about to expire, so this prompted me to use them when I stay in Madrid after the final stage, the night before I fly home. I now have a premium room in a nice hotel just off the Gran Via. I think I will have deserved a premium room at the end of this tour! I have also booked hostels for the end of stages five and six, so three rooms booked, four to go.