March hairs....

So we are one week into March 2017 and my allotted target of 375 miles is looking very good despite the frankly horrendous weather we have been experiencing here in South Devon though I understand that the wind, or head wind as we call it is everywhere on the UK map. Have said it before, but the UK is bang in the gulf stream sweet spot for excessive winds chiming in from the Atlantic via Florida.

I am on 125 miles logged which pleases me due to the weather. It is still cold in cycling terms and I am soooo looking forward to getting the overshoes off, the leggings off and getting the old pins on show to cultivate a bike rider tan. The wind has brought the odd sketchy moment on the bike with gusts and side winds usually preceded or followed by an HGV going past or away from me. Think back-draft to quote a fireman and that is what happens when a 300 tonne lorry passes you. You can escape this by getting across into Dartmoor and away from the HGV mayhem that navigates the bigger roads here, but to be honest only a mad dog would attempt Dartmoor in 20mph + winds. What goes up must come down and in that wind. No thanks. Bonkers.

My progress from semi retirement continues apace and actually, the usual cycling idioms about it not getting easier you just go faster apply. I can recall riding around at 14 mph, then 16 and today felt like long spells were in 19-22mph though when you break it down and analyse your data its a 15/ 16mph average which is fine by me giving what I am lugging about; and its Devon for gods sake. Lanes at best and often muddy as shit. On that note I have shaved 7lbs aka 4 kilos since week 2 Feb 2017 and my target of 1 stone, then onto 2 stone is perfectly achievable. Props to my partner for her ongoing support in that battle.  I've been carrying timber since I was a nipper so that is the never ending war, but there have been quite a few battles between then and now. Just in from a 45 mile zone 2 HR ride with James William Ward, which apparently burns more timber. Nice.  I looked back over the last few years and established that I rode just a staggering 11 (yes, that's eleven) miles a month from October 2013 til March 2015 which is why the bottom fell out of my cycling and my bottom got big in my jeans. And a few of those were enforced miles due to car trouble. Mad to think I was average 400 / 500 miles a month for years. But, from small acorns grow big oaks and my tree trunk time trial legs are coming along nicely.

Anyway, that's it. I am about to re-watch yesterdays Paris - Nice race on Eurosport HD where Phil Gilbert gets caught. Stage 3 live in 20 minutes. Time to dream about riding a bike like they way that mob they call the pro peloton do.   I've got a nice bike :-) That said, I wore Michael Jordan trainers when I was at school in North Bristol circa 83-88 and I was frankly, still shit at basketball.

See you directly as they say. Til' next time.