I woke up at half six on Saturday morning, deliberately, much to my frustration. Waking up before it gets light is never easy, particularly when knowing what lies in store. I had signed up for my first ever Audax, you see, a 107km ride from Bristol - in south-west England - over the Mendips to Cheddar, through Wookey Hole (yes these are real places) and back up and down to home. Not the most taxing ride I’ve ever done, but given I’ve cycled less this year, and particularly this autumn, than I have since before the pandemic, it felt like a lot. With 1200m of elevation, there was certainly enough on the menu.
Somehow, just about, I got up, ate my porridge, downed a coffee, and convinced myself that leaving my house that early on a weekend would be worth it, and it was. It was a great morning, poking into the afternoon, it left me feeling re-energised and wanting to do more. I know someone who takes part in a 5km Parkrun every weekend, setting up her Saturday perfectly, and this is what my first Audax did for me. My Garmin doesn’t think I’ve recovered yet, though.
