I’m back in Servants’ Quarters, my bahookie slightly tingling, after doing the ‘challenge’ (47-mile) version of Pedal for Scotland. Here’s the cyclemeter data and map.

I had hoped to do the route in less than 3 hours 30 minutes (roughly 13·4 mph average speed), ideally less than 3 hours 15 minutes (roughly 14·5 mph) – I’d even fantacised about achieving less than 3 hours (faster than 15·7 mph). But this was not to be – I only did 11 miles in the first hour and my overall average speed was only 12·9 mph. Perhaps I should have kept a better eye on my speed but my gloves no longer work with the iPhone screen, and I’m also wary of running down the phone by powering up its display too much

I’m not sure why but I didn’t have any real push in my legs during the first hour. However, things got better after Airdrie (realising that I’d escaped the big city) and better still after the turn-off to Caldercruix, when I came to life a bit more. I am pleased that the distance felt almost trivial and that I didn’t need to stop except for traffic lights. However, I’m slightly disheartened that I was left choking on a 10-year-old roadent’s dust at Linlithgow. He was seriously impressive – I look forward to a Scottish road champion in the next few years. Ah well, at least I wasn’t overtaken by any Brompta this year.

So overall, I’m content with my performance, but next year I’m going to do the sportive (110 mile) version. I will be slow – I’m not a fast cyclist and I’ll be on a touring bike but finishing that will be an achievement I can be proud of.