Yesterday I cycled 40 miles. The combined total for the week is 200. It's double what I normally do and although my legs are a bit sore my overall feeling is just exhaustion. I cycled 15 miles home very late last night after performing at the Barbican and got home at around 11.15pm, which didn't help.
But I've learnt some important lessons. Food is so important. I already knew to drink water but yesterday, having cycled around 20 miles across the morning I arrived at work dizzy and feeling really odd. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and hadn't really taken on enough water. I was late so I shoved my lock on and ran in.
At 5.30pm when I left a very angry member of the company cycling network was striding around the car park in his jersey, shorts and cleats. 'Is that your bike?!' 'Ummmmm yes....' 'Well why have you locked it to mine?!?!?!?!?!'
I was so ashamed. In my daze I'd put my D-Lock through the bodies of both bikes. I know this can happen accidentally but I've never done it before as I'm usually very careful and it was obviously through both. I was hugely embarrassed and apologised profusely. Luckily the network member in question is very very nice and when it became clear how sorry I was he reassured me it was fine and was incredibly civilised. If it had been me I would have been livid.
I'm sure my error was the result of not eating enough. As soon as I had lunch I felt like a new woman. The same happened in the evening. I got up to Barbican in time to go for a Wagamama before the concert. I had a chicken ramen: chicken, leafy green veg and noodles in stock. My mood, muscle strength and exhaustion levels all stabilised once I'd eaten and I'm sure it helped that it was something nutritious. I'm glad I know this before the Brighton trip as it means I'll be packing serious calories in the panniers.
Oh and another top lesson learned: Sudocrem and saddle sores, a match made in heaven!
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