Facing the commute

A picture that was taken on my commute late last year.

Today was the first day this year I commuted to work. The last time I commuted to work was about 2 months ago - and boy, did I feel it.

My commute starts around 08:00 in the morning and begins on a steady uphill. I'm not a morning person - I have to put that out there. Mornings are difficult for me because I struggle eating early, and with no fuel, the body does not like doing anything, let alone cycling. So when I start climbing the first hill, I don't have a lot of enthusiasm.

Relive 'Not quite as fast as I used to be, but I'm still happy with it.'

Thankfully what goes up, must come down. I tell myself this a lot on my commute because I seem to live in quite a hilly area! My commute has 3 noticeable climbs each way. Immediately after the first descent, I begin climbing again. This climb is quite nice as it's through a quiet residential area, meaning I can spin the pedals at a gentle rate without annoying too many other road users. I take my mind off this climb by looking at the really fancy houses either side of the road, fantasising about one day owning such a place.

Once I survive that climb, the fun begins. I cross the road and dive into a wooded area which soon opens up into a nice fire road around a military grenade range (sometimes you can hear them explode from my flat - about 3 miles away).

There are two reasons why I like this part of my commute so much. Firstly because of how quiet it is (even when the range is live, they sound distant which is surprisingly soothing). Living so close to a town, it's hard to get that pure silence. The trees separating the road from the fire roads silence the traffic.

The second reason for why I like this part of my commute so much, is that there is a long descent, which begins on a bumpy section where I bounce my bike off all the roots. Today there was a runner watching me as a pumped through this simple yet entertaining section, and he had the look on his face that I knew he just wanted to have a go.

The fire road continues downhill - faster than I can pedal, so I just stand up and enjoy the ride, swooping around all the puddles, purposefully pulling my back break near the edges to scrub my back wheel out for fun.

The puddles aren't so much fun at night.

It is this hill that I climb on the way home that makes me doubt my cycling decision...

In my previous blog post, I talk about a ride along a river bank in Staines. It was 23 miles, through the rain and muddy puddles. But I'm telling you, this 5.9-mile commute on the way home is so much more challenging. The hills and the loose gravel make it feel like there is someone the other side of your pedals pushing the other way. Whenever you stop to roll and get some energy back, you literally stop after 2 feet.

During my commute, I do wonder why I put myself through it, but then I think about how lucky I am to enjoy such views, and to have that free time to just clear my head before and after work. I think it's important for everyone to take some time out in the middle of nowhere, be it walking, cycling, or just having some kind of adventure away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

My commute will be a vital part of my training to my 100-mile sponsored ride through The South Downs, a constant flow of fitness between my more serious rides with Paul. Hopefully, by the end of this year, I won't even think of my commute as a challenge.