Sunshine all the way.

Whilst the guys are away on their golfing jaunt to Portugal, Deirdre and I are swapping dog walking duties which is working fabulously for all four of us! She fetched Finn this morning and I donned my gear for a ride on my own. I packed spare tyre (as well as the one I carry with me all the time!) and bike levers. Very prepared but whether I'd be able to actually use them effectively if I had a puncture is a moo point (as Joey from Friends would say). Also packed phone, money and high energy sweeties. Forgot the water. Pah.
Had a bit of a contretemps with one Trusty Ironman via text last night about upping our speed on Saturday. Not keen on this (as I think he found out) but did take his comment about using the big ring more often on board and did just that today. Not that it made a jot of difference to my speed, in fact I was a darned sight slower than on Saturday. Think this may be due to the hilly route I picked for myself. Plus the strongish wind on various sections.
I tackled the vicious hill in Sedgewick after a minor panic that my chain had come off. I do tend to mash the gears when I know there is an impending climb. Must try and cure that habit. Hopped off the bike at bottom of hill to fix chain only to find it wasn't off. Very grateful for that, as like the tyre changing issue, not sure I'd be able to do it! Hit 48km per hour going down Bourne Hill in Kerves Lane. What a blast!
I stopped at the garage to pick up water and had a pretty enjoyable ride down and beyond Cowfold and then back up the A272 home.
Now I was pretty pleased with myself until I checked both the info from the monitor I was wearing and Beth's blog for today. I only covered 15 miles (listen to me...only!) in 90 minutes which, as I said earlier, is slower than Saturday. Beth covered 15 in one hour fifteen. Now I know we aren't meant to be comparing or competing but I can't understand how come so slow unless it is to do with the hills. I will have to get John to check the data when he gets home. Oh my how DOES Lance cope with the emotional ups and downs of it all?????
Plus its all time in the saddle and as today was supposed to be one hour forty five then I guess I was a bit nearer that than if I had gone faster! Like my logic?
When I got home I spent an hour or two in the garden trying to make some order out of the mudpatch that is the lawn. Such a wonderful day, almost like spring has arrived!