Intimidating? Moi?

A throw back to the old days and an impromptu cycling warm up. When I get on the bike I realise that I should have warmed up for longer, it's so cold. L is concerned that my hands might freeze to the handlebars. I survive the cold and the traffic, just. Someone tried to wipe me out at the road works. They certainly didn’t make any allowance for the fact that I’m braking on only one brake pad. Although one is better than none at all. I suppose. I also pumped my tyres up this morning. Much faster.

I shall bore you with some cycling news from the World Championships in Stuttgart. The depth in the British team gets ever more impressive. With Nicole Cooke injured her replacement, former triathlete, Emma Pooley, who's already finished third behind Cooke in the women’s Tour de France this year, took an impressive eighth place, just 92 seconds slower than the winner Hanka Kupfernagel. Very sensible of her to give up triathlon.



Back on the bike for the ride home. It's still very windy, I almost took off when I went out at lunch for a sandwich. L recommends that I catch the bus home. She does worry. These things are sent to test us. She says someone will have to peg me down. That sounds fun.

Bike straight to the pool. Fairly busy but it's not too bad in lane two. Just me and one other chap, who I soon dispose of. There's three aggressive looking women in lane one, so I keep well out of their way.

On my way home I pass L going the other way, she on her way to yoga. She says I look very intimidating. Intimidating? Moi? I think she's just after my lycra. When I get home there's chilli on the stove waiting for me. She's a star.

I equip Doggo with his winter lights and take him for a run around the pond; we end up at Guides to walk Daughter home. Doggo is very disobedient on the way home and when I let him off for his usual sniffing session he waltzes across the road to see another dog and nearly gets wiped out by car.

We're both tried so we go to bed early but luckily we're not too tired.