today’s riding was the apotheosis of winter training, with a firmly stressed first word in that collocation. WINTER. WINTER. it was so damn cold i couldn’t breathe. i was speaking to Peter Graham today (name drop) and he said it was like breathing in sawdust. i’ve never been so cold. the ride was of benefit if only to show me how cold it can really be. it’s like the time i rode a 50 mile time trial in some sort of summer cyclone; nothing else seemed all that bad for quite some time after.
i am behind on the miles because of saturday’s insane dronkenesse. all i can think of is chaucer’s fantastic words on the iniquitous drink; ‘dronkenesse is full of stryvyng and of wrecchednesse. Oh dronke man, disfigured is thy face, sour is thy breeth, foul artow to embrace’.
i swear on Goddes digne bones i am still hungover.
During my hour from 9.30pm yesterday, in minus 6 degree temps with a 10-20mph NE wind, my teeth hurt from the cold air. It was like I spent the entire session biting into ice-cream. ‘Sweet-Spot Training’ has taken on a new meaning.
Total ice cream headache this morning. I felt sick afterwards.