Last week was rather frustrating both on and off the bike. The excitement of snow wore off pretty quickly as it made training very difficult – icy roads, freezing cold and wet weather were not pleasant – never thought I’d actually want a turbo trainer but I seriously considered buying one. I took my bike on the train to Malton for a mountain bike spin in Dalby Forest one day, only to abandon it after an hour because the deep, frozen snow was just unridable. After riding 15km into a headwind on the way back with icy, sleet driving into my face, I had to sit and wait 45minutes for the train home. I was soaked to the bone and couldn’t stop shivering – thank god I discovered the little station cafe for a big mug of hot tea and some friendly Yorkshire hospitality!
Then the promise of work as a guide in sunny spain got me all excited but didn’t happen in the end, and I spent a lot of time trying to sort out sponsorship for a new bike which seemed like it was was never going to happen. However, it turned out ok in the end, I survived the cold and managed to get most of my training done, got in a great mtb ride in the Lakes, and the new bike is waiting for me in Dublin – more to come…!