Very cold day to train...

Very happy with 60 miles today given the temperature and a lack of enthusiasm since Christmas.  I have been training at the gym but as I was reminded by a very sage man, specificity is the holy grail. I cycled to Drayton to pick up Spence, we did 25 miles around Abingdon, Kennington , Bagley Wood and the Thames at Abingdon to Drayton.  Spence bailed for a shower and a cuppa, I settled for an energy gel to get me home for tea and buns.

I set off again to do a 23 mile loop to Uffington, Fawler back on the Wantage road, through town onto the Harwell road and then turned left at Lains Barn.

Learnings from today:

• Avoid energy gels at all costs - you can cope with a dose of rusty p*ss at home but in and out of a tent will be miserable. The sell by date was June 11 though which has lead to me ruining the toilet.
• Relax and cycle easy - avoids tense shoulders, numb hands and protects a dodgy knee.
• Don't focus on the end goal - it only makes you feel miserable and inadequate. Just cycle!
• Eat/get off little and often. Avoid the empty feeling.

My left foot went numb with the cold and the horrible chilly damp feeling was with me all the way. It was unpleasant but this was offset by the amazing countryside in which we live; it was spectacular in the late afternoon sun.

I would say that this represents a morning's cycling in that I wasn't completely out of fuel when I finished - at this point I would be looking for a place to have something hot and have a reasonable rest.  Given that the longest day on the whole trip is just over 100 miles, that leaves another 40 to cover before bedtime. The average day is about 86 so another 26 miles in an afetrnoon would be ok even with weight on the bike (which I did not have today).

Total time out was 4.75 hours, total peddling time was 4hr 7mins; used lights from about 4pm. It will be slower with kit but the important thing is that a typical day's cycling is achievable - good news with only 4 months to go.

Came home to an e mail from the gym, apparently one of the members was going to do LEJOG but it fell through, he may be up for some rides so I will drop him an e mail tomorrow.  The gym are keen to help with the challenge and I am hoping to sort a meeting soon.

I will celebrate with a malt and two codiene.....