After February's skiing affected mileage drop, I was determined to get "back on it" in March. Longer rides at weekends have started to become the norm, and I managed four 100m+ weekends on the trot. Weekday mileage has been patchier, with one pretty poor week, and one of over 200 miles.
The poor week was mainly affected by work/beer/travel - including a night in Ripon at the gala dinner to launch the 100 days til the Tour comes through Yorkshire. Thackray and I met Bernard Hinault, Brian Robinson and a poet called Kate - and drank a substantial amount of beer (me) and beer and wine (Rob).
We rode the Petit Depart route one Sunday, which was a battle into the wind up to Newby Head, then last weekend we did the southern bit of the Etape du Dales route, with Fleet Moss, Coal Rd and Dent Head, all before a last climb over Pen y Ghent to Halton Gill. Glorious weather saw me in shorts for the first time this year.
Total mileage for March was over 800, and was (I think) the 4th highest I've done.
Main concern now is shedding a bit of weight before the Fred in six weeks - I'm probably 10lbs over what I was at my lowest, and would like to get half a stone off - it's actually relatively easy (if a little tough on willpower) as I know what to do - I can cut out c500kcals a day pretty easily just by having a more sensible breakfast and lunch (however as I type this I'm about to dig into an East Coast full English...).
I'm also changing my job at the beginning of April - this will involve more travel, mainly to Solihull, and doing some days in north Leeds at Scarcroft. Scarcroft is just under 30 miles from home, so I'm thinking of making it a "one way" bike commute a couple of days a week. My Solihull days will involve a night or two away, so the options for keeping fit there are either to rent a flat (assuming they'll pay) in Brum and commute by CX bike (singlespeed, maybe?) along the canal (my preference), or to find a friendly hotel that'll let me keep a bike there - or failing that I'll just have to go running!
