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Mum loves the coast, my sister loves the forest, but for me its got to be the rolling expanse of moorlands. here's one of my favourite veiws, taken on one of my favourite rides from the top of Dunkery Beacon (one of my favourite beacons!.

It's great to get back to somerset for the weekend. After an early start I arrive in time for breakfast at my mum's before heading out onto Exmoor on the bike. This Saturday i'd planned a 3 or 4 hour ride, to be back in time for a nice leisurly afternoon with mum; a spot of shopping in town and resting up after a tiring week. But the sun was out and the sky perfectly clear and I could not resist the temptaion to explore a couple of new routes up an over the Beacon. I only just made it back to Taunton before dark, and in time for the carnival.

It was a hard ride - almost 7 hours in the saddle, covering 95 miles over the tough Exmoor terrain (I ride much of the route of 70.3UK and the "Exmoor Beast" cyclosportif) with only a couple of breif stops to check map, take a pitcure and pick up some flap jack at Whedden Cross - and I was glad to be able to set my own pace. I felt strong, but not powerful. It is interesting that it's bike form that I seem to loose the fastest and then find hardest to re-gain. Last year, despite plenty of long rides, it was summertime before I really began to feel strong on teh bike. So, I will be looking to start my campaign of power-specific bike training (which did the trick last year, in the end) much sooner in my season's schedule next year, with the hope of being ready for IM new zealand, in march.

That' s my justification of missing quality tiem on the high street with mum anyway - i need to make the most of this period of leisurly endurance rides admiring the views!