Turbo'd?

For the second year running I'm organising colleagues taking part in a week long charity cycling event, from March 1st, ending on International Women's Day on March 8th, to raise funds for a longstanding connection, Smart Works.

This, for me, is more of a personal challenge than it should have been, but one which is helping 2023 feel like it's on more of an even keel. I used to cycle a LOT. Before the move out to our smallholding, there was a daily commute of 10 miles each way (on a nice, heavy, upright, utility bike); I raced cyclocross during the winter (I say 'raced', I used to take part in races, with a general aim to be around mid-pack, in fields of 50-80); turbo training with plans from a Scottish former Commonwealth Games competitor... I was never the fastest, but bloody-minded, and capable of 100 miles in a day. Which I did for the Smart Works event last year.

Then Covid finally caught up with me. I was (thankfully) only 'ill' for a few days, but the fatigue lasted 7 or 8 months. I couldn't do five minutes on the turbo without becoming a wheezing mess, legs dead, and no small amount of depression at the thought things would never come back. Cycling fell out of my routine completely. After a few false starts, where I did short rides, thinking I'd just build up gradually, tonight came the 'screw this' moment. 45 minutes, pushing a wee bit harder than felt comfortable, but not enough to run out of legs, and I can still walk.

Which is just as well, for the week from March 1st I'll be covering 100 miles (used to do that just on the commute!), and I'm 'leading' a group ride of 55ish miles round the Forth on the last day.