Tour de Garage

Anniemay and I have a lot in common; we have the same view of the world, we like the same things - bikes, cameras, pork pies, haggis and the occasional fizzy wine (but not all at the same time).  But one thing we do not share is a love of exercise.  Or rather, I don’t share her ‘love’ of exercise.  

Anniemay is one of these people who does not see exercise as a necessary evil.  She looks forward to her classes - currently about 5 a week - and afterwards comes bursting through the door, tail wagging, like a drug-detector spaniel, having found the stash and now eagerly awaiting the reward.  In a previous life she was an aerobics instructor.  Say no more.

I, on the other hand, do not share this enthusiasm. I do enjoy going to my gym; I get tea and biscuits and a chat with friends.  But it’s only once a week and so we are expected to exercise at home.  I always start off with good intentions - buy the weights and the squeezy ball - but my enthusiasm never lasts long.  I prefer doing ‘real world’ things like riding my bike.  I could happily do that for hours.  

But at the moment I can’t, so I’ve done the next best thing which is set up a bike in the garage on a turbo-trainer.  My new month’s resolution is to ride it on the days that AM goes to the gym.  Like this morning.  I have music on and a drink nearby and I fill my head with pictures of some of the places we’ve been on our bikes.  I realise that I quite like exercises like this; where you can empty your head of all the rubbish and just be lost in the moment - what my professorial band-mate, Neil, calls mindfulness.   

Riding a bike on a turbo-trainer is not an easy option - 20 minutes on this is equivalent to about an hour on the road.  Today I managed 17 minutes.  So the hour is within sight.