Back to Normal

It is easy to explain to young children that the Christmas and New Year season has finished.

There is the encouragement for them to remove their pile of presents from their selected corner of the living room and relocate them to their own rooms or appropriate places in the house.

The physical process of taking down the tree and decorations is both sad but also strangely inspiring in readiness for a fresh start to the year.

One look at the inside of the fridge clearly demonstrates that all of the treats and festive foods have been used up.

The temptation to stay up late and watch a familiar film all of the way through wanes as the return to work looms in the not too distant future.

All of the above can be summed up in three words "Back to Normal".

There is another aspect to the end of the Christmas period and that is the acceptance that for most of us it is time to get back to a sensible diet, sleep pattern and take some exercise.

I have somehow managed to keep my inevitable winter weight increase to a reasonable level, admittedly still about a kilogram which gives me a good head start to regain some of the fitness that I have enjoyed over the last six months.

It was still, however, a rude awakening to my system today with the very first bike ride of 2015.

I have not actually been out cycling for about two months what with work commitments, bad weather and a twinge at the base of my spine which made any activity other than in stooped posture and of pitiful appearance difficult.

First job this morning was to give the bike a thorough check and service, Eight weeks of it being stood in the garage can have implications for the mechanicals especially the links in the chain and the moving parts of the gear changers. It seemed to be in good working order and so with a pumping up of the tyres and a few strategic squirts with the oil spray I was pretty confident of a mishap free ride.

Not so my clothing.

In cold weather I have a lycra bib suit. To the non cyclist the concept is difficult to explain but it is a one piece thing combining long below the knee shorts and an over the shoulders upper part with zip fastener. Those familiar with the weight lifting exploits of Precious McKenzie in the 1970's will now have a visual image of what I am attempting to describe.

In the cold of the garage the material seemed to have shrunk. I was certain that my body shape had not altered that much over the intervening period and so persevered with trying to put the bib suit on. If there were ever a possibility of sustaining a sports injury before even engaging in sport then this was it.

After a bit of contortion and wriggling it was on and with only a few suggestions of  twinges and muscular cramps.

Layering is important to keep out the wind and rain and by the time I was ready to put on my high viz top layer I resembled the Michelin Man.

A couple of hours had elapsed since I started the preparation and the weather outside had noticeably worsened , particularly the strength of the westerly gale. I could hear the swirl of leaves just beyond the up and over door getting faster and more erratic.

The determination to get out and ride had not waned and humming the theme from Thunderbirds I opened up the double sized door and rode out. The phrase of you never forget how to ride was seemingly wrong as I wobbled down the road having to constantly correct my balance as though hopelessly drunk.

It was however a good feeling to be out on two wheels and the initial aches and pains from over-stretching of limbs, the flexing of the creaky knees and ankle joints were soon forgotten in the rumbling sounds of chunky tyres on tarmac and the reassuring harmony that exists between a man and his bike.