As we all know in life “timing is everything” and in recent months I have really been paying attention to……………………..the weather.
This is in order to make my cycle life the best and easiest it can possibly be. Cycling, weather watching – what’s next? Train spotting, bird watching maybe a stamp collection?
Unlike the long Oxford run, on last month’s Strava challenge, when I just had to brave it due to no let-up in the storms I have found myself having to find and seek out my windows of opportunity to avoid being punished by the wicked weather. The good news is that these rare opportunities do exist but it is just catching the right time or the right wave.
Unfortunately the storms have returned again to the UK with a vengeance recently bringing more flooding, winds, hail, rain making it very hard to find the motivation to get out in it and train. However, now that I am almost a qualified BBC or Met Office weather man I knew there was a possibility of surviving. You would not believe it but I now have a set of websites, screens and alerts all in place (like CTU in its prime) that would make Jack Bauer proud if he was ever concerned about catching terrorists in the weather.
So after my full extensive analysis and believing or relying in the cyber world things would be alright I took my opportunity. I was out in it where others wouldn’t dare and I kinda like that. I was also one of the only cyclists in my cycle club to be out at the weekend after others were saying how much they used there indoor turbo trainers. There is no substitute for the real thing……..as we all know……
So the ride was glorious and I enjoy my 50k unscathed by any form of weather and even enjoyed some Vitamin D from the big round yellow thing rarely seen in England. The wind was a bit of an issue but you can’t have it all. Ultimately and to sum up I felt very smug actually because as soon as I got back after nearly 2 hours in the great outdoors it started pissing down. Lee 1 vs Weather 0. I have be beaten many times before by the weather but this was my starting point as now "I am competing" with all my weather aids and devices.
With only 72 days to go until the big event I really need to start mid-week training and this will involve training in the dark. I am not looking forward to that but it is a must.
This is in order to make my cycle life the best and easiest it can possibly be. Cycling, weather watching – what’s next? Train spotting, bird watching maybe a stamp collection?
Unlike the long Oxford run, on last month’s Strava challenge, when I just had to brave it due to no let-up in the storms I have found myself having to find and seek out my windows of opportunity to avoid being punished by the wicked weather. The good news is that these rare opportunities do exist but it is just catching the right time or the right wave.
Unfortunately the storms have returned again to the UK with a vengeance recently bringing more flooding, winds, hail, rain making it very hard to find the motivation to get out in it and train. However, now that I am almost a qualified BBC or Met Office weather man I knew there was a possibility of surviving. You would not believe it but I now have a set of websites, screens and alerts all in place (like CTU in its prime) that would make Jack Bauer proud if he was ever concerned about catching terrorists in the weather.
So after my full extensive analysis and believing or relying in the cyber world things would be alright I took my opportunity. I was out in it where others wouldn’t dare and I kinda like that. I was also one of the only cyclists in my cycle club to be out at the weekend after others were saying how much they used there indoor turbo trainers. There is no substitute for the real thing……..as we all know……
So the ride was glorious and I enjoy my 50k unscathed by any form of weather and even enjoyed some Vitamin D from the big round yellow thing rarely seen in England. The wind was a bit of an issue but you can’t have it all. Ultimately and to sum up I felt very smug actually because as soon as I got back after nearly 2 hours in the great outdoors it started pissing down. Lee 1 vs Weather 0. I have be beaten many times before by the weather but this was my starting point as now "I am competing" with all my weather aids and devices.
With only 72 days to go until the big event I really need to start mid-week training and this will involve training in the dark. I am not looking forward to that but it is a must.
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