No charity invitations today, so I was free to have a sneaky lie in and follow my own route.
A quote I’d seen on Twitter during the week had inspired me:
I don’t like the hills so I can avoid the hills, but I know I need the hills and must conquer the hills
- Ted Spiker, The Marathon Virgin
OK, it’s a running (spit) quote, but you get the idea. I need the hills, so I set myself a bit of a challenge with a route that was longer and hillier than anything I’d attempted this year so far. And with no sensible reason other than “Let’s go to Lisburn”, I plotted a path through Belfast and set out.
Conditions were good, with some sun but a breeze and an occasional short shower to keep things cool. Initially I kept the pace fairly easy along the Antrim Road down into the city, then ramped up the effort a notch along the Malone Road out past Drumbo, Lambeg and on into Lisburn itself. I was soon out the other side of Lisburn though on the Saintfield Road heading for Carryduff. The hills were beginning to bite.
Turning off the Saintfield Road itself I took the Comber road into Carryduff and passed through again on towards Moneyrea. This is an undulating road in open countryside and it’s one of my favourites to cycle along. Some days I wish it wasn’t quite so far away though.
The turning point at Moneyrea is always deceptive. I know I have a big descent coming soon, down the Ballygowan Road, but I always forget that there’s a fair bit of climbing to do immediately after Moneyrea before I get to that! Getting sore, it was a matter of grinding that out – and having a few words with a white van driver who got a bit close – before the road fell away down towards Castlereagh.
I stopped for another of my quick photoshoots of the progressing demolition of my old school, before heading back through the city centre and along the M5 cycle path home again. I passed a little kid on the cycle path coming around a bend; he was having a great time according to the jet engine noises he was making!
Sunday Ride 2010/06/13 - Route Map
I ended the ride with just over 45 miles and 1,200 feet of climbing on the clock, and an average speed of 15.5mph. Full details are on the RunKeeper track. Despite now feeling every mile and foot climbed, I was very pleased at how I’d fared on the distance and the hilly route. I’d been doubting my fitness this year but today’s ride gave me some much needed confidence about entering the 2010 Lap The Lough. Now I just need to actually go ahead and submit my entry!
