I'll Remember Today.

I'll remember today.

 It was a good ride. Haven't managed to get out on my bike for over a week now because of the ice and snow, so it was great. Felt good, and not tired which is a pleasant change! This week has been a recovery week, so the volume of training lessoned. It was a real treat to only have to ride for 2 and half hours! I've been thinking that after the Outlaw I'm probably going to feel great that I don't have to go and do so much long training, and also that I can be brave enough to really push it. Now when I have energy I constantly remind myself to hold back and reserve, and I sometimes miss the fast and furious of going as hard as you can, that's when I feel I've really worked hard!

Seem to be doing that in swimming recently.. Wednesday swim after being told to 'take it steady' I zoomed off and spent most of the session feeling like my arms were going to drop off. That also had something to do with me racing the bloke in the lane next to me though, we both set off at the same time, and at first we were all polite, gliding along in sync, but then as we turned I felt him speed up, and I wasn't having that, so I sped up and overtook, and he wasn't having that either, so then it was full out war, and by the end of the set my face was the colour of a tomato, but naturally I was acting all cool and trying to pretend I hadn't been trying to win him at all. When he spluttered ''I wasn't going to let you beat me'' I knew he was knackered too, so I was happy. (We finished at the same time by the way, I know you all wanted to know who won)

Anyway, I learnt my lesson from the last ride, and today had another pair of gloves on, an extra baselayer, and some thicker overshoes. Slight numbness at the beginning, but that soon dissappeared, and I was toasty for most of the way. The scenery today was stunning, I kept wanting to take pictures, but didn't want to risk my hands freezing, and also didn't want to stop, have everyone ride past and leave me and I get lost. And I would get lost, because I'm one of those people who has no sense of direction whatsoever. Even with a satnav I take the wrong turnings. And a map? No idea what that is about. It just doesn't make sense to me at all. I always find that when someone has a map and explains it to me they always have to turn it round and sideways and whatever, so it's no wonder it doesn't make sense! I just have to nod and make 'mm hmm' noises so they think I know what they're on about. Why not just have the line pointing to where you're going?! Much easier. Nope, maps and I do not click. Pretty much like computers, (What's wrong with a notepad and pen I say) flat pack furniture, (The work of the devil) and anything with instructions actually. There is something about anything technical that makes me glaze over. I  just go, and start thinking about what I'm having for dinner, or the hundreds of more interesting and useful things I could be doing rather than sitting there trying to understand something that is clearly put together by someone from a different planet to the one I frequent.

But today it wasn't me that needed a map, it was a  few others. Some people decided to do a little detour, and add quite a few extra miles on while they were at it. Luckily no one had to chase after them this time, as they were too far gone. We'd become seperated into two groups, and the front group thought they were with the other group, and the other group thought they were with us. No. Said cyclists were in their own little special group, going in the wrong direction. Fortunately one person had taken a phone with them, they were told where we were, and they soon caught up. This was one instance where technology proved very useful! What did people do before phones?! Did they wear reins? or have luggage tags around the neck, ''please return to...'' ? Or maybe they just learnt to read maps. Doesn't bear thinking about,  I'm glad I live in the modern world. Even if I do prefer a notepad and pen.

When we were riding back I felt like today will be one of those sessions I remember, not for any special reason, nothing miraculous happened, but just for all the right reasons. Unlike the last ride I did, which almost bought me to tears several times, today I felt thankful, I suppose, that I can get out and do this. Privileged. Riding along, I looked around at the snow on the fields, the birds in the trees, and felt so happy. Uplifted. 

....the air smelt sweet, the sun was settling on the horizon caressing the contours of my face with the last light of the day, the piano in the background was playing my favourite song... (Just kidding) 

In a nutshell, I just felt lucky to be alive today I guess. And at that moment I missed our friend awfully, and wished he could have been a part of this with us.. I never got to share this with him, never got to tell him my huge and crazy idea to do the Outlaw, or hear what he thought of it. But sometimes I see his face laughing, and remember stuff he said, and I hope he's watching all of us.

Seriously though, tree hugging aside, I do appreciate my life and my health greatly, I appreciate my brilliant friends who are sharing this journey with me, start to finish, and I do think that it's wonderful to connect with the bigger picture sometimes. Be in the moment, and enjoy that moment for what it is.

I'll remember today.