London to Brighton on Sunday-whoopee! should be about an 80 mile run through some nice countryside and even take on some hills! I don't know this part of England terribly well so it'll be a great way to get to know my new surrounds and I'll be onto the maps to try and get a good route pinned down before I go on the Garmin. I'm doing it with a nice chap I knew briefly in Glasgow before he made the move to London a few years back so it'll be a great catch-up (if I can physically catch up with him that is as I suspect he's got the steelier pins...)
Also just signed up for the Spring Onion so that'll be my first sportive of the year I think-13th March so a bit of time to get a few miles in the legs and keep up with the weight loss which has stalled slightly since being in London town... Looking forward to it!
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Sunday 23 January 2011
Train in Vain...
Achey legged stupor today.
Finally got out yesterday for some rather haphazard wanderings into Essex in the freezing cold and rain. A 6.30am start was for nothing as my Garmin refused to co-operate and promptly had some kind of aneurism, leaving me to navigate solo and without map. Cue 40 miles of befuddlement, stressfully packed A roads, cycle lanes full of every vehicle imaginable and general sensory privation.
This may make it sound like I don't like London, I do, but everything from the traffic to the urban sprawl and air quality makes cycling a less appealing endeavour so it's strange to have to really gee myself up to brave the maniacal driving and do something that I otherwise love. Even the cycling infrastructure-laudable in sentiment but, like in Scotland, so half hearted and dumbfoundingly misconceived in its application-seems a total hindrance.
Maybe I just need to acclimatise. Or start taking the train to fairer, quieter climes on the weekend for my main dose of training.
Either way, stagnation is not an option and now that I am here, I've got my bikes and there are no more excuses. In saying that I may get on the hunt for a new turbo trainer to limit the amount of time spent tailing bendy buses or being harrassed by black cabs...
Ah. It was a much anticipated but somewhat disappointing ride so its hard not to be negative-I just need a good one and more of them and I'll be grand... Though the job interview I have for a position in the south of France next week is looking ever more tempting.
Finally got out yesterday for some rather haphazard wanderings into Essex in the freezing cold and rain. A 6.30am start was for nothing as my Garmin refused to co-operate and promptly had some kind of aneurism, leaving me to navigate solo and without map. Cue 40 miles of befuddlement, stressfully packed A roads, cycle lanes full of every vehicle imaginable and general sensory privation.
This may make it sound like I don't like London, I do, but everything from the traffic to the urban sprawl and air quality makes cycling a less appealing endeavour so it's strange to have to really gee myself up to brave the maniacal driving and do something that I otherwise love. Even the cycling infrastructure-laudable in sentiment but, like in Scotland, so half hearted and dumbfoundingly misconceived in its application-seems a total hindrance.
Maybe I just need to acclimatise. Or start taking the train to fairer, quieter climes on the weekend for my main dose of training.
Either way, stagnation is not an option and now that I am here, I've got my bikes and there are no more excuses. In saying that I may get on the hunt for a new turbo trainer to limit the amount of time spent tailing bendy buses or being harrassed by black cabs...
Ah. It was a much anticipated but somewhat disappointing ride so its hard not to be negative-I just need a good one and more of them and I'll be grand... Though the job interview I have for a position in the south of France next week is looking ever more tempting.
Friday 21 January 2011
London Calling
Mon dieu... Londres!
2 Weeks in and it's been a rough ride-done sweet f-a training-wise since arrival, mostly through lack of bikes due to Parcel2Disorganised2Bother messing up the collection 3 times....
Unimpressed, stressed and busy would be the 3 words to describe my experience so far as I get to grips with new job, finding a flat, and negotiating the city but I've finally got my bikes and will be putting them back together tonight with a view of getting up bright and early tomorrow, braving the insanity of London traffic and going out for as punishing a ride as I can manage.... Essex? Flat as a pancake as far as I can discover so far but it will have to do for the moment!
Is it totally ridiculous to be on the first step of a new life, new city, and getting hourly more stressed out and frustrated because-out of all the things going on, demanding my time, energy and attentions-I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RIDE MY BIKE!
But that's ok... tomorrow... thermals on, bike prepped, Garmin fiddled with, maps loaded, off I trot...
2 Weeks in and it's been a rough ride-done sweet f-a training-wise since arrival, mostly through lack of bikes due to Parcel2Disorganised2Bother messing up the collection 3 times....
Unimpressed, stressed and busy would be the 3 words to describe my experience so far as I get to grips with new job, finding a flat, and negotiating the city but I've finally got my bikes and will be putting them back together tonight with a view of getting up bright and early tomorrow, braving the insanity of London traffic and going out for as punishing a ride as I can manage.... Essex? Flat as a pancake as far as I can discover so far but it will have to do for the moment!
Is it totally ridiculous to be on the first step of a new life, new city, and getting hourly more stressed out and frustrated because-out of all the things going on, demanding my time, energy and attentions-I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RIDE MY BIKE!
But that's ok... tomorrow... thermals on, bike prepped, Garmin fiddled with, maps loaded, off I trot...
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