BN26 - Begin

I have a period of relative peace as a major client project came to an abrupt close in July. The last year has been very hectic and I have not felt that I have time to do anything other than work or deal with the numerous personal and family challenges that have popped up. I have had very little headspace for exercise or reflection and this has meant that I have spent very little time on the bike. I am not a natural athlete, but being on a bike is my happy place. I enjoy the physical effort and it does wonders for my mental health being out in the world. It helps me filter out the mental noise and chatter and reminds me of what is truly important.

I am always more motivated when I have a clear goal, so my target is over the next two months is to get fit enough to do Marriott’s Way in Norfolk - a relatively flat fifty mile return ride. I have a training schedule of at least three rides a week. For the first week, I will need to do at least 27 miles and this builds up to 100 miles for week eight.

I also know my “bike confidence” was shaken last year when I had a low speed crash that resulted in me banging my head (not ideal for someone who has already had a mini-stroke) and splitting my helmet. The only way I can change that mindset is getting back in the saddle more regularly. I am hoping that there is enough residual fitness left that this won’t be too much of a shock to my system. I also keep reminding myself that I could do 50 miles a day in the Lake District in 2016 when I did the Coast to Coast route.

Coast to Coast - cold, foggy and wet

I know very few people read this blog so this post is a way of going quietly public. Further updates to follow.

BN25 - Writing Update

I’ve been busy with work over the last couple of weeks and polishing my procrastination skills but I have made progress on the next draft of the novel. I’ve edited and rewritten 7350 words. It’s slow, but it is progress.

BN24 - Vaccination

I had my first Covid-19 vaccination on Tuesday. It’s the first time in my life I have looked forward to being stuck with a needle. As a child one of my greatest fears was that there would be a “surprise” vaccination at school. This was the seventies, nobody told children what was going on and you were just expected to accept stuff like a random person in a white coat, who you had never met, insisting you line up in an assembly hall before they stabbed you with a blunt needle.

Forty five years later, things are better. On the day, the process was smooth and seamless. The volunteers and NHS staff were chatty and good natured and it helped enormously that it was a sunny, crisp morning. I arrived at the centre at 0945 and was out of the door at 1005, which included the mandatory fifteen minute wait to ensure that you don’t experience a severe allergic reaction.

After my jab, I sat in the marquee outside waiting for my 15 minute timer to chime and set me free and looked at the people around me. It was mixture of middle aged and elderly people but they all shared one thing: they looked happy. Even with face masks, you could see in their eyes the joy and relief that they had received the jab. It was an experience that I was sharing. Until this point, I hadn’t realised how much internal stress I had been holding about catching the virus over the last ten months. We all have a long way to go to get through this pandemic, but for me, this felt like the start of the end.