As of ten this morning I was 36hrs into a water fast in an effort to get my food allergies back under control.
I was also somewhat restless and motivated as seems to be the case when I've not eaten for a bit, with little to do in Oxford but a number of things requiring attention at the homestead. Being skint I refused to spend the money on petrol to get back and mused upon my chances of making it back on the bike.
I figured I'd probably not die and set out into the now overcast outside with a rucksack full of necessities / emergency food and a view towards a very steady ride back. Extremities were cold to start with but warmed up after a few miles; especially once the beautiful autumn sunshine had made a reapparance
Lots of traffic on the main roads again; nearly got had crossing one of the roads near Yarnton since the cycle path crossing is pretty much blind at that point and you just have to hammer it and hope, hitting the brakes if you see a car coming from either poorly-sighted direction
As much as it p*sses drivers off tbh I think I'm going to start riding some sections of that road on the dual carriageway as it feels less unsafe than the utterly sh*t cycling infrastructiure that's nailed on as an afterthought..
The traffic was crap heading into Woodstock too, but I largely just cruised past it on the outside before ducking into more secluded lanes and finally onto the nice stretch of NCN5 that runs through fields; made all the more pleasant this time by not encountering a soul on it. This typified the rest of the ride, with very few encounters on the remaining quiet lanes on the way to the village.
I made it back in one piece, a bit spaced and a little achey but otherwise all good, having covered a little over 26 miles and 900ft at 12.2mph and 115bpm for a little under 1000kcal burned. Managed to keep my HR largely below 60% of max apart from on the odd hill; still managed to stay below 85% of max coming over the crest of the worst at 12.5% in the CdF's very welcome 1:1 lowest gear.
It was generally a really nice ride; sunny for a large part and I managed to avoid the looming black clouds occasionally spotted in the distance. The latter part was that quiet that I ended up removing my earphone and just taking in the peaceful ambience; disturbed only by the legit sounds of my drivetrain and less legit creaking from the bottom bracket.. which is something else I need to complain to someone about
I'm hoping to stretch the fast out as long as possible (it usually takes about three days to see an improvement in the allergy symptoms) so the plan is a sedate rest-of-day here, an early night then all being well heading back tomorrow sans any more food
EDIT: Today's ride back added to this one as it's not much to talk about. Got a few things done last night and this morning having got up at the customary and hugely-otherwise-out-of-character fasted 06:30 or so.. felt a little ropey but better after some electrolytes.
Somewhat betrayed by the temperature lag inside the house I opted for the trousers I'd taken with me over the shorts worn yesterday, which I instantly regretted on the long hill on the other side of the valley heading out of the village, although as the exertion fell so did my sweatyness so the rest of the journey was more pleasant.
Today I went for the far less pleasant but more direct A-road route out of the village, joining the lovely off-road bit of NCN5 just outside woodstock having shouted the word "prick" for more times than I think I have before inside a half-hour window, thanks to all the close passes
It was a bit overcast to start with but it got nicer with the autumn sun shining through the overhanging trees and bushes on the cycle path. Rode through Yarnton entirely on the dual carraigeway as I'm sick of the crap cycle paths (generally OK in parts but with atrocious / dangerous integration with side roads etc) and perhaps surprisingly received no abuse. Back into the city on the big roads and down the Woodstock road; slowly reeling in another guy on a touring bike who seemed to be putting in very little effort for the speed he was travelling. Lots of people heading out of the city on bikes too, which was nice to see.
Todays return was shorter but faster than yesterday's journey out (thanks partially to the prevailing wind and gentle downhill on the way back). 19.3 miles and about 400ft at 14.3mph and 134bpm for about 850kcal burned. I've done extended fasts and rides on no breakfast before, but no significant rides on extended fasts.. feels good to explore what I'm capable of if pushed outside my comfort zone, which rarely happens
