Cycling against the wind

This morning I attempted to lay in bed and enjoy a rest, after breakfast I returned back to bed just so I could read a book and lay there a little longer.  If it were not for Stinky the cat meowing his head off I'm sure I would of got more sleep, he's lucky to be alive.  But something happened and I had to get up. It was about 10 a.m., so much for a long lay in.  So in order to carry on with a week of attempted health I went out for a cycle ride along the Thames.  Which can be quite pleasant especially when the sun is out.  It was half out, but even half is better than nothing.  Except the one thing I didn't account for as I cycled up river was the wind.

A jogger passed me as I took a moments breather to drink some orange squash.   I thought to myself, go on mate, I used to run, but with my cycle I'll catch up with you in no time it will be no effort.  Somehow I then contorted myself to drop the bottle of liquid into a pocket of my ruck sack and began my pursuit of the jogger.  Standing upright and cycling is a good way to get up speed quicker, it allows you to put more effort in especially if going uphill.  On this occasion though I was on a flat, but what I didn't account for was the strength of the wind.  It was full on and incessant.  I had a large surface area on account of my mountain bike forcing your to take a less aerodynamic cycling style.  I could see the jogger in front of me about two hundred yards.  However, it seemed I was going nowhere fast and using a hell of a lot of effort, I wasn't even sure if I was going any faster than the jogger.  My coat flapped open as I unzipped it, the effort was making me pretty hot.  I kept pounding rotations of the pedals, even trying to bend down a little so the full force of the wind wouldn't use my surface area as a break.  It seemed to be of little use because of my ruck sack on my back.  I kept changing gears hoping to find one which would be a little easier, but the easier gears meant I was dropping to a slightly faster than walking pace.  I kept pressing forward and the wind whipped tears from my eyes streaming down my face.  It must of taken about a mile before I was able to overtake the jogger.  It was one of the hardest cycles I have done and most of it was on flat ground.  The worse bit was being overtaken by a female cyclist or a road cycle.  I tried to consul myself road bikes are made to go faster, mine was more for rough ground.  I soon veered off and went to a cafe, in need of sustenance.  Sausage on toast and a cuppa tea, which went down so quickly.

It is day seven of my regime.  So it has been, no crisps, chocolate, biscuits, one sweet, and a little alcohol but less than normal.  Well going completely cold turkey is difficult.  Tomorrow I'll weigh myself, but I'm a little dubious whether I lost any weight, because nowadays it no longer drops off.  The fat on my body feels like it's attached stronger than a limpet mine.  I've done my best to reduce carbohydrates but I don't think it is enough so tomorrow morning could be a disappointment.  So losing weight is very much like cycling in the wind, difficult to say the least.