28th April: Pompey

One of my school friends who escaped the mundanity of a 9 to life in Britain to chase his dream job in Oz was back in the country for 2 weeks.

Ade invited all of us who were at school with him to meet-up down in Portsmouth for a day at the seaside. This allowed me to chase one of the items on my physical bucket-list: Ride from home to the coast.

This is something I had wanted to do for a couple of years after having cycled to the centre of London from home one Easter gave me the idea. For ages the route has been planned and just sitting on the computer awaiting the chance to go for it! What has put me off from doing it previously was the fact that a return train ride from Pompey would set me back £27!.. Money that could be better spent elsewhere.

With LSS going down there as well, the chance for a lift back had presented itself, so with her blessing I arranged to meet her down at Gun Wharf to stash the bike and my ruck-sack in the back of the car and enjoy the day.

Setting off at 8 to meet everyone at 11 I knew I should make it with time to spare, so into the chill morning sun I set off, noticing the late frost still on the ground!

The first part of the journey was a simple ride to Alton along the main road, then it was off across country and the fun part of the ride... riding on roads I have never driven on. The scenery was lush Hampshire countryside; woodlands, farmlands, private estates and ancient churches. Through Farringdon and down through Tistead the countryside became more rural until we hit the Meon Valley and the South Downs. This was by far the best scenery over the rolling hills, a couple of killer climbs and good downhills under the beating sun.

Glad of my Garmin and the ability of it to tell me when I strayed off-course I soon found myself cycling past Hambledon cricket club the oldest cricket club in the world still playing on its original pitch. Sadly I turned-off before I reached Hambledon itself and soon I found myself in Waterlooville and the start of the urban sprawl of Pompey.

Soon I was at Gun Wharf having ridden the 42 mile route in 2h 50min, and relieved to get the back-pack off and clothes changed in to something civilised.

It was great to catch up with Ade and all the others with whom I went to school. It is great that considering we finished college in 1994 before heading off to uni and life's other adventures that we are still well enough in touch to meet up every now and again, although the gatherings now have lots of children around as well as the other halves who have transitioned from boy and girlfriends to husbands and wives and now mothers and fathers.

So now I have knocked 2 items off my physical list - the other being running to the furthest point you can see and back again, which are my runs to the top of Winter Hill and back, I'll have to add others now!