I didn't really mean it to happen this way. There was a plan, and I was sticking to the plan, and then I got overtaken by events.
(This does happen…)
The original plan went something like:
1. Do lots of stationary bike cycling, building steadily until I'm comfortably doing the distance between my house and work on a relatively high resistance.
2. Repair old bike/ buy new bike and start taking it out for spins at the weekend to get back in the habit.
(These two things can overlap, chronologically...)
3. Cycle to work, aiming for a couple of times a week then building up to every day.
What actually happened went something like:
1. Do some stationary cycling as part of the build-up to The Walk.
3. Explode back into doing exactly the same amount of stationary bike work as I was doing pre-Walk, but not much walking outside of twice-a-week gymitry
4. Decide to "go look at bikes" (after only being back at the gym for a couple of weeks).
5. Fall in love with a ridiculously slinky bike, pay out a wad of money for it.
6. Discover it won't fit in the boot with my partner's bike, which has just been repaired.
7. Cycle home, trying not to freak out over not wearing a helmet, reflective gear, etc.
8. Fail to die/ collapse/ fall off the bike/ be in enormous amounts of pain.
9. Realise that, in order for the bike to pay for itself, I will need to cycle it pretty much every day for 11½ weeks.
10. Washall as much of my old cycling gear that I have specialist tech-wash stuff for in the course of The Great Shed-Clearance of 2014.
11. Despair that my old cycling gear still smells of 2½ years in a shed.
12. Look at the slinky new bike to cheer myself up.
13. Vaguely prep the night before for cycling into work the following day.
14. Flail in the morning between sleep-deprivation, the entrenched grooves of bad morning habits, the sheer irritation of people digging up the road just outside the house first thing in the morning, the flabby determination not to backslide on the very first day of Cycling Into Work, the sheer lack of preparation, and massive fit of nerves.
15. Set off late for work.
16. Take approximately twice as long as I used to (probably) due to:
a) lack of fitness
b) terror
c) unfamiliarity of new gears
d) having the seat up really high to compensate for knees, which means that I can barely reach the ground with my toes, so can't scoot along in a pinch (finding myself shouting "Sorry - I'm a Wobbly Cyclist!" at traffic... entertaining for someone, hopefully...)
e) being very circumspect about:
i) traffic lights
ii) potholes
iii) vans
iv) other cyclists
v) the pavement
vi) dismounting
So that's the story of how I ended up sitting at my desk in work this morning late, panting, with swollen feet due to the mad notion that I should cycle in The Boots, convinced I smelled bad, shaking lightly, with interesting hair.
On an unrelated note: anyone want some slightly odoriferous but functional cycling gear?
9. Realise that, in order for the bike to pay for itself, I will need to cycle it pretty much every day for 11½ weeks.
10. Wash
11. Despair that my old cycling gear still smells of 2½ years in a shed.
12. Look at the slinky new bike to cheer myself up.
13. Vaguely prep the night before for cycling into work the following day.
14. Flail in the morning between sleep-deprivation, the entrenched grooves of bad morning habits, the sheer irritation of people digging up the road just outside the house first thing in the morning, the flabby determination not to backslide on the very first day of Cycling Into Work, the sheer lack of preparation, and massive fit of nerves.
15. Set off late for work.
16. Take approximately twice as long as I used to (probably) due to:
a) lack of fitness
b) terror
c) unfamiliarity of new gears
d) having the seat up really high to compensate for knees, which means that I can barely reach the ground with my toes, so can't scoot along in a pinch (finding myself shouting "Sorry - I'm a Wobbly Cyclist!" at traffic... entertaining for someone, hopefully...)
e) being very circumspect about:
i) traffic lights
ii) potholes
iii) vans
iv) other cyclists
v) the pavement
vi) dismounting
So that's the story of how I ended up sitting at my desk in work this morning late, panting, with swollen feet due to the mad notion that I should cycle in The Boots, convinced I smelled bad, shaking lightly, with interesting hair.
On an unrelated note: anyone want some slightly odoriferous but functional cycling gear?
bicarb of soda for the cycling gear amazing stuff for decreasing odoiferousness
ReplyDeleteSoaking in bicarb and water? Just sprinkling it on? And what does this do to the waterproofing...?
Delete