They say that regular exercise will change your body and I have certainly seen that. In my last post – that seems oh so long ago – I talked of my desire to drop a trouser size and I’m pleased I’ve achieved that. My 38 ‘inchers’ have been consigned to the loft – I’m sure it would show more confidence if I actually put them in a clothes bank – but that’s another subject – and a few shopping trips have seen me gather a series of size 36 chinos and jeans – the “chinos of many colours” as my wife has christened them.
I am getting comments that I look ten years younger and a lot slimmer; all changes for the good. I was slightly taken aback though when I was invited to ride in the “Women’s Tour” at Aldeburgh. That was a change I hadn’t anticipated! Despite the ambiguity of the initial invite I shouldn’t have worried. The request was not based on a belief that the many hundreds of miles sitting on a thin hard saddle had made irreparable changes to my gender but an open invite from the Aldeburgh Business Association for both men and women to ride in a charity pre race event ahead of the official race stage finishing in the town later than the day.
The day was excellent. I chose to cycle to Aldeburgh, and home later, to take part in the event, something I wouldn’t have even contemplated this time last year, and actually felt like a cyclist as I mingled with other bike enthusiasts during the day. As the national news is currently talking about the fall off of people taking part in exercise it seems that cycling is bucking the trend.The Wiggins, Froome and Cavendish effect seems to have taken many men off the golf course and in to Lycra. Not necessarily great from a from a sartorial point of view but should reduce the amount of statins being prescribed by the NHS in the coming years!
As my training has recently taken a knock as the family care for our post operative puppy I must now get back in to the regular swing of being out on my bike at least three times a week and in doing so contemplate more musings for this blog.
See you soon.