Absurd

This is actually an improvement on what we had at the start of the year. I don't mind if it's wet, as long as it's sufficiently above freezing that your tyres stick to the road.

Earlier this week I was riding up a hill near Timsbury that was so bad that even in the saddle, if I tried to put any power down, my back wheel would start spinning. It became an exercise in smooth pedalling at snail's pace but I eventually made it up without mishap. I did it as a test to see how bad the lanes were when it was 0 and had rained the previous night. Now I know. At least the scientist in me isn't dead.

It was nice to get back on track with training this week. I did my first hard tempo ride today, compared it with an identical ride at this time last year and ... I was slightly slower but the conditions were crap. Heart rate and splits along the flats were the same, so I probably lost most of the time taking it easy on the muddier bits of the bike path.

It would have been nice to be a couple of weeks ahead but it's hard to achieve when you don't actually ride the bike. Training is quite simple in that regard. Onwards, upwards, bigger, better, more and I'll see where I am in three weeks. Probably here.

What else is happening? It's the Chippenham club do this Saturday, which will be a good laugh. I'm even in line for a prize this time. Result!

I'm reading Beryl Burton's autobiography, Personal Best. She was an amazing athlete. She must have been one of the first women to break a men's record (277 miles for 12hrs in 1967) ... and it was on the same day that the men's record was set! Her 12 hr mark stood for two years until another bloke broke it. No woman has come close to 277 miles since then, even after tri bars and disks were introduced some 20 years ago.

Lots on at work. It's been go-go-go from the moment I got back. BikeRadar Live, new triathlon mag called Triathlon Plus launching, shows, trips, blah, etc. Better 'n being bored innit.

The absurd thing is that despite being 6'0 tall, I'm about to become the second shortest member of our team. Four of the others are taller!