You've Got to Live Before You Learn

What a great feeling it is to wake up on a Sunday morning and hear the wind gusting outside and to hear the rain pattering on the window and then slowly realise you can just turn over in the soft warmth of your bed and go back to sleep or even just - lie there. That's exactly what I did this morning. Sod the stupid bike ride! Ha!

But not for long. The spirit in me eventually lifted me out of the bed and dragged me downstairs to sort the dog out while others slept, some deservedly, having been on a night shift, I might add. I then slowly made myself some tea and a super-carb breakfast and, despite taking ages over every item, found it was still raining and blowing as hard as ever. I was scheduled for a 20 miler today and determined to stick to it so it had to be done - and it was - almost. I set off with the best of intentions but was so cold I veered off to the shorter 11 mile route. The main thing is I got out there and did something and that's important to me. The other thing is, despite prolonged stiffness from Fridays effort I felt more than OK at the end and will be right for tomorrow's effort. In fact I felt I deserved a proper drink so I concocted a meeting at St Pats rugby club in order to plan for next year's under18s team. Between us we sorted a few things out and here I am now. I think I will now have a cup of tea followed by an early night in anticipation of Round 2 of Tom v Weather.

The good thing about adverse conditions like today is that it is the only way to learn about how bad it can be. I mean I doubt it will be 3 degrees in March when I set off and also a few memos - windscreen wipers for my specs, waterproof gloves - in fact waterproof everything would not go amiss. A solemn thought is that today I could look forward to a warm bath on my return. What will I have to look forward to as I plough through the rain and wind of Europe and beyond?

I think I will probably not bother if it's raining. I'll just roll over in my sleeping bag and promise to do more the next day. Don't worry about me. I'll be OK.