Exercised three times per week including long bike rides (09-3405 - Saunders v. Astrue)

When I found out that TJ and I wouldn't be on home leave together, I decided to sign up for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, an event I had wanted to participate in since I was kid. Problem is, I wasn't a kid anymore, and if I was going to ride the required average 50 miles per day, I was going to need to get in shape. My fitness level was pretty high after training for a half-marathon, but still, I needed some butt conditioning, if you catch my drift. My training regimen provided a good excuse for me to schedule a weekend trip to the Cotswolds, where I could find a variety of long "hills and headwinds" rides. 

So I booked a room at a B&B in Shipton under Wychwood, which seemed to be a good base for loop rides located conveniently close to a train station. I left work early to catch my train, but didn't find out until one stop away from my destination that my bike couldn't get off at the close train station, so I ended up going one more stop and doing a short training ride -- with my backpack -- to get to the Wychwood Inn (top left). I wonder if my hosts, who generously allowed me to store my bike inside, questioned whether my sweaty, disheveled self matched the flowery, orderly room they gave me (top right). Although the rooms were modern, the inn was old, revealing wood beams prevalent in the region (bottom left). The restaurant below was a gastropub, so I began my weekend trip with a locavore meal, another feature the area is known for (bottom right).

 

 

The Cotswolds are very bike-friendly, with various organizations promoting cycle routes. For my first day, I decided to combine parts of route 3 and route 6 from the Cotswolds Conservation Board. The overall loop consisted of about 40 miles, so I felt entitled to order the full English at breakfast before I set off (left). The first town on my route, Charlbury, was just waking up and experiencing some showers when I passed through, so I pushed on through the countryside (right).

Burford, on the other hand, was bustling with activity, which was not a surprise, considering it is one of the main gateways to the Cotswolds, right off a major highway. I found a cozy pub, The Angel, on a side street (top left), where I refueled with a pasta lunch (top right). As I headed out of town, I followed the River Windrush, which gives its name to the Windrush Way, a popular and well-marked walking trail (bottom left). Although I traced my route on a map, it was quite comforting to have so many road signs reassuring me that I was heading in the right direction to get home (bottom right).

After freshening up, I decided to spend the evening in a nearby town within walking distance, Milton under Wychwood (top left). I enjoyed a pint and a few pages of Cider with Rosie, a memoir of a Cotswolds childhood, in the beer garden of The Hare (top right). When the sun went down and a chill came in, I moved inside to sample the pub's farm-to-table fare. I opted for fish stuffed with seasonal vegetables (middle left), followed by a treacle tart, also known as the best dessert ever (middle right). Belly full, I called it an early night, so I could rest up for another ride the next day (bottom). 

The plan for my second ride, a combination of route 7 and route 4, was a bit shorter, considering I would need to catch a train back to London in late afternoon. That morning, I broke my fast with some salmon and scrambled eggs on toast (left). Then I set out to Bourton on the Water, another popular Cotswolds base due to the fact that its downtown business district clusters right along the river (right). 

After passing through many lovely fields (top), my next stop, Moreton in Marsh, was a bit of a disappointment. The market town is inhabited more by locals than tourists. I didn't even get to peruse the market because it is held on Tuesdays. So that meant the highlight was The Bell Inn, which claims to have been J.R.R. Tolkien's inspiration for an inn in The Lord of the Rings (bottom left). I was making good time, so I didn't stop for lunch, but I did stop for a drink at the Horse & Groom in Upper Oddington, which had an aesthetically pleasing but entirely unnecessary fire burning in its hearth (bottom right).

I made it back to my B&B in plenty of time to pick up my stuff then head over to Kingham, the not-so-close town with the nearest train station, for lunch. I wasn't dressed very spiffily, but they didn't seem to mind at the Michelin Star-winning Wild Rabbit (top), perhaps because I found a discreet seat in the bar area, where I late-lunched on some pig-cheek croquettes (bottom left). It was really difficult to not "accidentally" miss my train; thankfully, on the way back home, I had a lingering reminder of my uplifting weekend (bottom right).