One big circle

For reasons that need not concern us today was my last ride for 2010. I'm pleased to report that I have completely overdone it on the food, drink and late nights, and celebrated Christmas with great gusto. To be fair, one of the reasons I was up at 4.30AM this morning was to take my mother-in-law to the airport, and it was nice to see the snow and ice turning to slush and hear the drip, drip, drip of what I hope will be a permanent thaw.

Round about this time last year, I sat at this very desk and did a post called "Best year ever". For many, 2010 has been an annus horribilis, but for me on the cycling front at least, my dreams, hopes and goals all came true and I really have had my best year ever. Including today's 35 mile loop, I finished the year having done the grand total of 5107.05 miles. I did wonder where they all came from and although I did a fair few on the commuting run, it only amounts to about 24 round trips to work, so that would be around 600 miles.

About a third of the mileage came in sportives (1767), and the two multi-day trips I did, the Raid Pyrenean and the Three Moors Tour down to Land's End. So that leaves around 2500 miles of pootling about, ACG rides and just having fun. Of the rest of my activities, there have been a few goes on the Exercise bike, some walking and earlier in the year some football, but for once it is about the bike.

Last year my best acquisition was Charlie, well this year it's my red new bike. Now safely in hibernation for the winter, it is an extravagance I don't need. But it sure is fun, and I hope to corner like a downhill expert on it by the end of next year.

This post is not about achievements but I can't end the year without looking back for one last time before drawing a line firmly under what I have done. The Raid Pyrenean was obviously the focus and the highlight for the year. But the 3 Moors Tour was also important. I met some new cyclist, rode for three days in a row, and raised money for a worthy cause and a special memory.

Three of the sportives stand out- White Horse challenge fed my ego by the award of my first ever silver classification, Dartmoor Classic, where I got a bronze that means something but more importantly I actually enjoyed a beautiful day in the hills, and of course Cheddar. OK, I only rode 100K rather than the full distance, but my ego was further stoked by the gold classification- but I was so fit after a week’s rest from RP, I feel I could have done anything that day. Very vainly I have bought my one and only photo of me from that day. It shows me coming down High Ham, concentrating, and looking fab on my shiny red bike and in my ACG gilet. Like I said, vain. I really need people to keep taking me down a few pegs please (step forward Wonderboy, your role is now).

Honourable mention to the Tour of Wessex (when I first realised RP was doable because I could do 3 days hard riding in a row) and to Exmoor Beast because it was tough, the weather was foul but I never doubted I could do it even though my knee hurt, and tiredness had kicked in. They did from halfway through 3 MT really.

My favourite moment? No contest. It was that magical early-morning climb of the Col de Port, described in the RP post. There's a photo up top.

So what of today? Well the thaw has started and it was just possible to ride to the A38 along a narrow tram line of tarmac, between the slush-covered humps of ice on our road. I just wanted to ride for a couple of hours really, and until the roads are well and truly clear of ice I decided to stick to main roads and avoid the hills. There was also a strong south-easterly wind which I wanted at my back on the final leg.

So I headed out to Sandford, cut across to Worle, then down to the sea-front, down the A370 past Sanders Garden World, left turn to Mark, Blackford and Wedmore, before finishing with a protracted sprint up to Cheddar and home. Once or twice i had a look at a couple of back roads but they were still too icy. A big circle in fact, almost all flat, and I think I saw one other cyclist. But as you can see from Charlie I kept up a reasonable speed and cadence for the whole way round. Bit like this year really.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/60809184

The roads are covered in an indescribably grime. One thing hasn't changed-I still hate cleaning my bike. Today took longer than usual for the sheer mixture of salt, grease, farm-muck, you name it, all of it had attached to my chain. Over the next few days all the slush and ice piled at the side of the roads is going to melt and turn the roads into a horrible mess. The only respite will be after a few day's of rain. And that won't be nice to ride in, despite the warmer temperature.

All of this is my re-framing exercise, because I'm leaving the country for a few days, somewhat surprisingly. Early in the summer when I mentioned to Mrs Mendip Rouler that I'd love to go and watch Cav win on the Champs Elysees, I think she didn't hear the crucial part of the sentence. Still, I'm sure we will have a great time, France is rapidly becoming my second-favourite country after all.

So before I end the year I'd like to say a big, big thank you to everyone who has encouraged me, laughed at me, ridden with me, or just read this. Most of all to the people I hope consider themselves friends (hopefully you know who you are, put it this way, if you are in the ACG, that's you), but also people I’ve met, casual acquaintances and more longer term buddies. Most of all to Bunny (you are married aren't you Bunny?) and to Skip. I think I must have done most of those miles with those two, it is a pleasure to eat the grit from your wheels.

I love that ACG photo from the Cheddar sportive, hope it's the first of many.

Next year will be less about goals and targets and more about fun. For starters there is Ireland, new land to be explored (on an old bike, really must get new tyres for it), and I also want to go to the Pyrenees again and ride different cols for the fun of it.

But I also want to go faster in 2011 than in 2010 in events like Tour of Wessex, Dartmoor Classic, White Horse challenge and of course Cheddar. There are also some new rides-Mad March Hare for one, who knows what else? (If I can find a computer with Internet access on Thursday night I hope to enter the Dragon ride). Judging by all the fitness work and determination going on, just keeping up with Knight, Boots, RPM, Wonderboy and of course Skip will be enough. They have all got very serious recently, just as I want to be less so! As Bunny (you are married aren't you Bunny?) runs off into marathon land, I’m still very much on the bike.

Allons-y mes braves.

Perfect love drives out all fear

Cycled to work again today and boy, that north-east wind was an arse. Like being sandblasted by the air from your freezer, I really hope I get a polar buff for Christmas or my face is going to look like Robbie Williams in that horrible video, if this weather continues.

I left a little later this morning so it was 8.30 and daylight by the time I pulled into the basement at work. Our new building has a lovely basement, were it not for all the cars and pillars it would make a great track racing circuit.

The wind pushed me home I think, because i can feel no other explanation for an average speed over 15 mph. I'm bushed. Maybe it's that old cycling lore saying "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster". I had no real need to ride today, but the roads were pretty quiet and a bit drier, if still with loads of ice piled up at the sides. I think the secret is to trust your instincts, your tyres and whatever God you believe in to get you there safely. Worked for me today.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/60453098

You will be pleased to know I didn't do too much thinking. So here is your five part Christmas quiz of random thoughts that occured today:

1. Which British comedy actor was in Love Actually and Truly Madly deeply?
2. What book, (and who is the author) is the Police hit song "Don't stand so close to me" based on?
3. What is the technical name used to describe how radioactive substances decay?
4. Which King split the Church of England from Rome and why?
5. What is God's telephone number and how is it connected to this post?

Bet you wished I'd stuck to cycling.

Have a good Christmas everyone and hopefully the roads will soon be warm and dry.

Achievements

Hmmm. It's cold outside, as Gary Numan once said. But outside my house there are no men with hats or long grey raincoat or smoking cigarettes, only snow. And ice. Lots of it. Been like that since last Friday night, which for me has not been too bad because I have a "gas-guzzling" turbo-charged, very environmentally unfriendly Toyota 4x4. Don't get me wrong, Clarkson fan I am not, nor Hammond or May. Given the choice I'd chinwag with bloke Sting brought back from the rainforest, although I'd draw the line at Sting. I do, however like to get to work and be able to drive to my house, so it's handy.

Unfortunately for the Mendip Rouleur family, which currently includes mother-in-law Mendi Rouleur, there is no such escape for them. Stir-crazy is not the expression, let's just say they wanted to go out today. Anywhere, and given their inability/lack of desire to walk very far, Mrs M.R. put in a requisition order on the car. The added complication was a broken-down boiler, which made it almost as cold inside as out.

So I had no choice, really. I sought advice from Skip and Bunny (who is married, aren't you Bunny?) who either advised use of the Kona Blast mtb, or to stay and work at home, but of course I ignored all that and got K-1 out of the shed to do the necessary.

I had to walk the first half mile this AM and the last this PM, and I've commented before that cleats also double up as rather good crampons, so no tumble today. Or on the bike, the main roads, which I stuck to, were pretty good. Ice at the sides, but with relatively little traffic it was easy to keep a fairly central position most of the time. I think the dark was an added advantage-out of sight, out of mind.

Here's Charlie:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/60373497

I tried to avoid hills, going up was OK, but down? Not fun really despite the joke above. With an overall moving average of over 15 mph today I didn't make too bad a job of it, aided by a very vicious tailwind on the way home which was good. The bad news is Mother in law is having her hair done so I'm riding again tomorrow, and that wind will be a vicious headwind. Better go and get some sleep!

It would be nice if I could mark the Spar shop in Backwell with a plaque, for it was there that the 5K was finally reached. That's a joke BTW. I promise that is the last of it. Although the 11.82 tattoo still appeals, but I'll probably grow out of it. I do think I need to get a bit of humility back into myself though, and calm down a bit about meaningless targets. Maybe.

You see I've been thinking again, dangerous, almost as dangerous as wishing. It goes back to something I said a few weeks ago, about best or first. Cycling is a way for me to achieve something, and this blog is an outlet for me to get the thoughts about it out of my head so I can sleep at night. There has been a lot of death around the peripherary of my life this year, we English don't like to think about all this, but we should. I haven't really achieved that much with my life. Yet.

So 5k miles on a bike is not really an achievement, so things are going to have to change. And it's not about the bike.

Just done it.....

So far this year I have cycled 5009.18 miles, more later......

Risk

I once had a small framed poster on my desk, as was the fashion at the time. Inside waas a pretentious picture of two baseball players, one about to catch the ball, the other about to make the base. The caption, and the point, as if it needed labouring, was this: "you can't make second base while you've still get your foot on first".

I thought about cycling to work tomorrow. But the A38 is covered in ice and slush, and I mean covered, not just the sides. I'm all for risk-taking, but I like my shoulders un-dislocated. I speak from experience, I've tried the dislocated version and I don't want to risk it again.

So I'll just have to find something else. I had some very nice feedback today. I liked it particularly because i tried something new and it seemed to work and it was effective. A bit like pushing your outside foot and your inside hand down as you go into a corner. It looks good in all the advice columns but you don't really know if it will work until you give it a go.

Last week I made a very bold and foolish statement on these pages, you know the one? About a blizzard and a two week frost. And 11.82 miles was in there too, it's everywhere else. Be careful what you wish for, even what you don't wish for, in fact anything to do with wishes? Be careful, they are very dangerous things. Because everyone is telling me I can't cycle at the moment and I feel like that moth flitting around the flame, just waiting for the final piece of instinct before plunging in.

I'm still thinking about next year, and I'm going to blog my goals after the first January ride. Take a few risks maybe.

But first I have the 11.82 to sort. and it's getting me down. Have you noticed? And I know 35 of you have, unless I have one person looking at the site 35 times since i put the counter on the site at the weekend. So I decided to manage my mood. And yours. And this clip is truly, truly amazing in that it combines my favourite song, with my favourite athlete. Have a look and be uplifted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Ebwx4bXDw&feature=related

Room 101

Because it's the 101st post obviously.

If you have read the book, and if Orwell could have imagined it, like I am imagining it, it would be a room full of the following, a huge widescreen TV, the volume turned up quite loud, but with no buttons or remote control, and your own worst programme on wraparound, for ever. Forget about a boot trampling on a human face, because this room would have impenetrable walls, except for a small window, which could not be opened. The glass is so thick that you can just see out, but you could never break, or escape from, it.

Outside the window is a bicycle.

But every cloud and all that. At some point last night, towards the end of a bottle of Shiraz, Skip and I exchanged texts and arranged to meet for a walk up to Crook Peak.

So I got to faff about what to wear after all, and dolled up in walking boots (old and full of hole, and now salt-encrusted) coat, base layer, and even water=proof socks. Just like old times, even gaiters.

The place was dererted and I think we saw about 3 pedestrians as we walked to the top of Wavering Down, putting the world to rights and speculating whether this weather will ever end. (Did you see what I did there? Very pleased with that).

Eventually we returned home by another route, via Compton Bishop and Cross, Axbridge and the bit of the Strawberry Line that goes through the tunnel. Well I did the tunnel bit anyway, specifically because I was being told by an elf from Safety that I couldn't. The icicles were pretty spectacular it is true, and if one had fallen on my head it would have hurt, but we should be encouraged to take risks for the chance to see something that stunningly beautiful, shouldn't we?

Still stuck on 11.82. Skip is going to get a chainring tattoo at the end of next season, as a way of marking (pun intended) her forthcoming achievements. Never had a tattoo myself, but I am contemplating having that number inscribed somewhere where I can see it, as a reminder of patience, hubris, pride, perspective, beauty, honesty, and well, because when you know, you know.

11.82........

So near and yet so far

11.82 miles.

Right now it feels I can almost touch it, reach out, throw the handlebars forward and I'm over the line.

But I'm stuck in 6-7 inches of beautiful, picturesque, "looks great from the outside but is a hell-hole to be in when you want to be somewhere else" snow. Going nowhere quickly.

So today, Matthew, I'm going to be Ernest Shackleton and set out on foot to go and bring back bread from the Co-op. Keeps me busy I guess. Not even The Blast will navigate these roads......11.82 miles.......


And I'm looking to the sky to save me
Looking for a sign of life
Looking for something to help me burn out bright

I'm looking for a complication
Looking cause I'm tired of lying
Make my way back home when I learn to fly

Be Patient

We humans are flipping bonkers. Sounds like a truism in a way, but it's visceral today. Many reasons, not least the snow, which amongst other things confines me. I do have a trick up my sleeve. Or in the shed to be precise, it's called a Mountain bike. Then there is the exercise bike. Got to exercise or I'll have too much time to think, and I really don't want to do that after the 24 hours I've just had.

First. I won second prize in the raffle at the work Christmas do. I didn't even know I'd entered that particular competition. But given the prize is Next vouchers, and they don't sell lycra in there to my knowledge, I'll have to give them away.

I drank a lot. I know I must have because I danced. Like I had my cleats on I should think. It was a great night though I really enjoyed it, hope everyone got home safely in the snow, luckily I only had two floors to go down, and i was probably doing my best Rowley Birkin impression. Definitely love that man.

Then today I was helping out on my volunteering day. I'm not going to say anything about it, but as you all prepare for the festivive season I want you all to stop and ask yourself these three questions:

What do you really need this Christmas?
What lengths will you go to make sure you get just what you need and reject what you only want?
How patient can you be while it all happens?

The Mendip Rouleur would say he need a dry, smooth piece of tarmac, a 5% hill, no cars and a bit of mist. And a 12/27 on the back and a compact 50/34 on the front. But I don't know anymore, is that it? Really?

So sorry for coming over all heavy at party time, it's about fun too I know. But a song from, you know, them, is spinning round my head tonight: I'm not telling you which one it is, you'll have to guess, answers on a Christmas card......(or be my friend on Facebook because I posted a link!)

Merry Christmas.

Best or First?

If you have ever seen Toy Story (1 or 2, it doesn't matter which) you will be familiar with Mr Potato Head. Manufactured by Hasbro it's not the best toy ever invented, in fact I bet hardly any are even sold nowadays. But Mr Potato Head did something that no other toy will ever be able to do. It, or he, was the first toy to be advertised on television and no-one can ever take that away from him.

Now contrast Mr Potato Head with Subbuteo, circa 1972. An 8-year old boy unwraps his present at Christmas and nearly wets himself with the excitement of opening the FIFA World Cup edition of said game. The next 6-7 years passed in a blur of school-playing field-Subbuteo, and occasional bike rides to the beach. And not much else. Polystyrene cement glue was bought in copious quantities to fix all the men after they were knelt on by the boy's big brother. Whole competitions, leagues, cup runs, almost all won by West Ham kept me enthralled on dark winter nights before the invention of shit television and electronic games.

But have you ever heard of New Footy, invented in 1929 and an early rival of Subbuteo? Of course not because it was rubbish in comparison. But it was the first table top football game, a bit like Mr Potato Head.

This was the question I pondered today on the ride to work and back. Will I ever be first at anything on the cycling front? Not now Wonder Boy's arrived, and there will be others like him. But I can be the best. The best I can be, and ultimately in the last moments of consciousness that we are all going to have, that is what I want to remember. That I did the absolute best I could at any given moment.

I nearly had those last few moments this evening actually when a car I was overtaking decided to do a U-turn. Fortunately he had his window down and heard my startled exclamation.

It was cold this morning, near freezing in fact. But because it was foggy there wasn't much ice about and by the evening it was a very pleasant 4 degrees. I almost boiled on the way home. I've also got my light-rig set up a lot better so I have a reasonable chance of seeing where I'm going. Unfortunately I can not shared this with you since Charlie packed up on the way home and didn't record. It was the usual sort of route. Winscombe-Sandford-Churchill-Langford-Wrington-Felton-Long Ashton and then the office. Similar on the way back, and today I tried to keep to a few more back roads. There may be a bit of slipperiness and of course the dark also slows me down, but I'd rather that than compete for traffic on the A38.

So a round trip of just over 40 miles, which means that providing the weather is OK, the 5K mark will be on Sunday. I need 11.82 miles and only a blizzard and a two week frost can stop me now.

So was I the best I could be today? Given the circumstances yes. I was slow, and I was cautious, but I was happy. And that surely is what counts.

Improvisation

It was cold again today. What a ludicrous way to open a post, of course it was cold, we are in the middle of the coldest prolonged spell since records began, or some likely statistic like that. It was more remarkable that it was warm yesterday, over 9 degrees C in London and probably close to that here.

9AM this morning, it was near freezing according to my HTC phone, and there was ice on my car. But the sun was shining, and there was no fog. Time to hook up with the ACG for an official ride which I was route-planning for. (Please excuse the poor grammar in that last sentence, I'm rushing and multi-tasking at the moment, so it'll have to do.) But the road looked reasonanly safe, which I took as a good sign, given it gets no sun between 1st December and 31st January.

Down in the Square there were six of us (Me, Skip, Knight, Doc, Boots and Shipham MTB), and we were meeting Wonder Boy from last week at a cafe the other side of Bridgwatwer. My initial plan was scuppered by the information that part of the route had half a ton of hedge clippings all over it. So we headed out past the Webbington Hotel and across towards Brent Knoll.

Shipham MTB was going for it, but he wasn't moving that fast when his bike suddenly slid from under him on a corner and down he went. It was now apparent that there was ice everywhere there was shade, except on main roads. He seemed OK but quickly discovered his bike wasn't. His gear shifter was kyboshed so all he had was top gear. He headed for home.

So we adapted the plan and decided Brent Knoll was not a good idea, and headed over to Mark on a south-facing road. To Rich's Cider cafe for a nice chat and bacon sandwich, by which time Knight had peeled off to go and sell stuff to Christmas shoppers in the gorge in his sparkly new shop. Actually I don't know if it is sparkly but I'd hope so, it is Christmas after all.

After putting the student fees issue to rights, we headed out on a loop through Bason Bridge and Burtle, via Westhay and Blackford to Cocklake and the sprinting road. It had been a delightful ride, lots of chatting with Wonder Boy sprinting off on a long leash, and having to wait for the codgers to catch him at junctions.

As we bombed into Clewer Wonder Boy was off. Skip told me to chase him, and in my head I knew it was pointless, but eventually I had to try didn't I? Doc had fallen out of the back by now, but Boots sat on my wheel as we tried vainly to chase WB down. Like I said, pointless. WB went off to plough up and down the gorge, whilst the rest of us headed for the sofa. Skip is doing a sportive with him in April, I think her best bet is not to let him eat anything before or during the the ride. That way, as there is not an ounce of fat on him, he might blow up after 40-50 miles, leaving Skip to sail on by and bring him in on HER wheel. Maybe not.

I looped around Winscombe on the way home, coming up the hill the hard way, to keep the legs in. It's been a good week, just over 80 miles all told, and that magic countdown now standing at 53.28 miles to go. No problem.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59482853

Appraisal time

I had my annual appraisal at work today. I won't go into details, just to say I'm happy with the outcome. But it set me thinking that it's getting to the tme of year to look back at all that has past and see how I did. But because I have to eat, order the shopping and get to bed in time for an early start tomorrow, it'll have to wait. I have a long car journey tomorrow, so I'll give it some thought.

It was the first cycling commute for quite a while today. After all the freezing temperatures of late, the mercury was nudging into the positive, so I thought I'd give it a go. It was the first trip I have done entirely in the hours of darkness too. And when I was about 10 miles in I realised I'd left my mobile phone at home, so after that I thought I'd better stick to the main roads. They may be busier, but at least they can find you if you crash.

There was a little bit of ice on a couple of sheltered roads this morning. But by the time I hit the outskirts of Bristol the roads were frost-free. They were, however, coated in this rather horrible amalgam of salt, mud, oil, melted ice and other generally unpleasant material. If truth be told I was also carrying a little bit of excess baggage. I'm still eating for the Tourmalet, but exercise like the Blue Peter tortoise. So the end result is a certain increase in girth.

So the commute is as much the first stage in the training for next year as it is also the end of the road in 2010. With just over 40 miles in total, at modest pace (hampered by a headwind on the way home), as well as a light failure, which precluded rapid descent of Wrington Hill, I'm now into double figures on the 5K countdown.

While we are on the subject of useless data, I have also done over 267K of expended calories of exercise, an average of over 700 for every day of the year. Now that impressed you! The ACG rides again on Sunday, I'm taking them over Brent Knoll, weather permitting. Anyway, food is calling, enjoy the sunshine.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59293661

Something interesting for the weekend

Last night was the ACG Christmas bash. If I was a psychologist, and interestingly someone at work recently told me I should be one (not sure if this was a compliment, given I work in a law firm), or an anthropologist, I'd be able to write my whole PhD. thesis on the events of last night. One title might be "The dichotomies (just for you) of social groups within a class-based society" or maybe, "The effect of romantic comedy on relationships clouded by grief".

But, I am neither of those things, and after my last few posts I am in danger of disappearing inside my biological exit, and gazing out, in a zen-like fashion, from the hole left by the umbilical attachment. Enough. CYCLING IS BACK.

I was challenged by Knight of the Realm to make sure my blog stays interesting, if I don't grab him in the first few lines he switches over to Youtube to watch re-runs of Strictly Come Dancing or some such guff, so I hope you're still here. Mrs Mendip Rouleur found the conversation slightly tedious last night, so I was very grateful for the grace that she showed in humouring us all for so long. This morning she was off to church bright and early, (it's a long story), which partially delayed our Provisional ACG ride start time until 10.30AM. Given the religious theme-a blessing in disguise.

So my priorities for today:

1. To ride my bike, outside on the road
2. To stay upright
3. To stay warm
4. To enjoy the company
5. To enjoy the ride

Mrs MR arrived back to tell me it was a bit icey on our road, it doesn't get sunshine between November and February and the temperature was -2C. Still once on the main road down to Axbridge I convinced myself it would be fine on the levels, what with the nascent sunshine and all. I met a very sceptical Skip, together with Boots and we headed off towards Cheddar, picking up the Communicator on the way.

We were due to meet a 16 year old cyclist Skip had somehow taken under her wing, in Cheddar. The meeting, not the other stuff. As he was a bit late I cycled up and down a bit to keep warm, and because if I did that he was bound to turn up when I wasn't in sight. Which he duly did. Off we went towards Wedmore.

As we dropped down onto the levels the fog enveloped us in its freezing moistness. Our new Schleck lookalike has joined Tor 2000 cycling club, I think we may be a sort of academy feeder system for them. They get their newbies to ride with the old codgers, teach them a few old tricks (wheelsucking for example, we were great at that today, me particularly), before they develop a stellar career as a racer. He was good. When he wasn't shivering to death for lack of clothes, or crashing into the curb, or trying to work out why he wasn't dropping the grey-hairs and the baldies.

By the time we got to Glastonbury, having safely negotiated some decidedly slippery roads, we were all covered in frozen condensation. Hilarious. Too cold to sit outside the cafe, we retreated to the warmth of two pieces of cake for pound, and a few anxious looks from yours truly at the local spliff-rollers trying to walk straight outside. I, of course, was worried about the bikes being nicked, until I realised they could barely stand up straight, never mind work out the complexities of SPD-SL pedals.

On our way back we opted for the safety of a gritted main road, although this had a few drawbacks due to the increasing intensity of the traffic. Just before Wedmore one cut in front of Boots and he admirably flicked the driver the Vs, perhaps my favourite gesture, and one that is fading fast from popular use in favour of, err, others. We even manged a cursory sprint, the Communicator came charging past me at a rate of knots at one point, aided by his weight loss. What with the Knight doing all this exercise recently, and looking very lean, I am going to have to work hard to keep up.

Back in the square I was plain exhausted and a bit spaced out. I have things on my mind if truth be told. Things that can not be committed to a forum like this, involving work, home, my soul and obviously cycling. The latter all boils down to a sense of anti-climax mixed in with a lack of focus. I also feel a bit flabby not having ridden for a while. But I achieved all of my objectives for the day, and best of all was reminder about the "G", I was pretty good though wasn't I?

I am aiming to hit 5000 miles for the year, with today's 41-odd I'm now down to 136.13 miles to go. Only blizzard conditions will stop me, and then I'll get the MTB out, grit a stretch of our road and cycle up and down it for Christmas. That'll be different.

Finally a big thank you to Bunny for his present to me on my birthday. When people gives socks as a present it usually means dull, unimaginative etc. Not these socks. I wore them today for the first time and they kept my toes splendidly toasty. How blessed I am with my friends, just need him to extend those blessings to a few other areas now.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/58849204

Happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat

If you know the answer to two questions, then a) you are a true film buff and b) you can say that you know me better even than I know myself.

Make it three questions:

a) Which film does the title of this post come from. Film, not painting.
b) Why have I stayed up to be so moved by it?
c) Who am I paraphrasing in the opening line of this post, and who was he pretending to be?

OK, five questions.

I'm bored with this weather now, I. Need. To. Go. CYCLING.