Look away from the numbers

 

I watched a film that made me think about my rides in a different way. I tend to have a distination in mind or a distance to complete. And it's normally all about getting there and back or covering the distance as quickly as possible.

I do look for subjects to photograph, but I think I miss a lot of them. This is especially true as I head for home. 

 

My recent trip to Felpham was a case in point; all of the pictures I took were as I rode to the coastal town. I did have distant views of Arundal castle on the way home, but chose not to stop. 

Next time I'll visit the castle, see the town and take some pictures.

This could be a side effect of using Strava and a cycling computer. I now have a way to see my speed and heart rate as I ride. Maybe I'm now more focused on average speed and effort because I can see the numbers in realtime. It is useful as a sat nav, rather than trying to remember where I am going.

If nothing else, increasing the pictures on posts will make them more interesting.

I'm not going to stop using the computer, reverting to maps or notes for navigation is okay on a shorter journey or when the weather is okay. But if the weather is bad, I don't want to be fighting with paper or relying on my memory.

I live on the edge of or close to Surrey, Kent and Sussex.

I'll try to look away from the numbers, maybe slow down and pause to realise how lucky I am having great countryside so close to me.