Day 85 - The Asparagus Run

I was away this bank holiday weekend without my steed so neither managed my early constitutional on Saturday nor this morning. I did, however, manage a 30 minute power walk first thing today, around the particularly sunny and leafy Coventry. I lived 5 years in Coventry and never saw it as green as it looked this morning.

With a 3 hour return journey to Seaton this afternoon, the last thing I thought I'd be wanting to do was to go for a cycle. However, with the sun still blazing and the sea so blue, I actually could not wait to get  out on my bike. I had in mind a cycle over to Beer for a pint of the same. It had been a long hot drive and I was parched. There is a pub in Beer which has a garden overlooking the sea and the draw of this, being able to sit out with a beer watching the sun go down, after an exhilarating ride, seemed a perfect end to the day.

I head out up Seaton Down Hill, a hill I'd not taken since Day 28 when I first made this climb. Pleasingly, I took 9 minutes to make this one mile and 320 ft assent, taking 4 minutes off my last and only time. Turning then left from the Tower out along the main A3052 for two miles before returning south towards the sea along Holyhead Road into Beer. Once in the village, I weaved through the crowds of weekend tourists who were still out enjoying the last rays of sun, arriving at the pub at the five mile marker. I paused looking for a suitable sunny spot in the beer garden, but alas there were none. Meanwhile, while pausing my ipod, I'd managed to close Endomondo! This is one 'feature' of Endo that really does annoy me; the way it closes down at the slightest provocation.

I rode up and out of Beer taking the Coast road and took a slight detour down Beer Hill into Seaton Hole. The reason? .. Asparagus!  Yes, my ' Portuguese' aunt has some asparagus which should by now be bearing produce if not even going to seed. I thought I'd take a look. The crop was not as expected, just 4 small offerings.

Has there been someone else gathering in the crop or is the poor weather we've had to blame? Anyway, finding a new use for my water bottle, I secured the four shoots on my bike and headed off back onto the coast road to complete my somewhat broken circuit.

Stats: 8.67 mi, 49m 47s, Avg 10.45 mph, Max 29.3 mph, 551 kcal