Getting nowhere fast

Two steps forward, one step back. Not sure Paula Abdul had my cycling training in mind when she sang Opposites Attract, but she's hit the nail on the head all the same.

The week started well, with a properly difficult session on Sunday, a couple of days' break, then a really intense turbo hour on Wednesday while watching the Carling Cup semi-final. Real progress was being made.

Only for Thursday to come along and with it the first of the year's cycle commutes. A piddling distance of just less than four miles proved infinitely more difficult than the hours I've been putting in on the trainer and this has filled me with an awful sense of foreboding. I'm aware proper outdoor riding is more difficult than the pseudo-cycling I do indoors, but after only 500 yards I was feeling the pressure.

Granted, my old Specialized Crossroads Hu8, complete with juggernaut-weight rear wheel, is difficult to shift even with a tail wind. But I was seriously wheezing by the time I got to work and that's poor.

It could be something to do with the return of the catarrh, which yet again has raised it's mucoid head and ruined the end of my week. I've also had a visit to the doctors to get this aching chest pain looked at, but at least that was reassuring. Mind you, I came away with appointments for an ECG, a chest x-ray and, worst of all, a blood test. I fucking hate hypodermic needles, so Monday morning is going to take on an even more fearsome aura than usual.

Still, if I get a clean bill of health at least I'll know I can start hammering the training with more reassurance. I am beginning to feel slightly fitter and the doctor did say I have quite a low resting pulse rate, which apparently is a good thing.

The fear of Monday will be marginally offset by the fact I'm off to drool at bikes on Sunday. Can't buy one yet, but it's about time I started getting measured up and putting a few through their paces. And now the work steed is all fixed up, by my own hand as well, I can at least start testing myself against the local hills.

Meanwhile, I still haven't got around to sorting the justgiving sites. It's proving problematic as I don't know whether I need two separate ones for each charity or whether I can just set one up and divvy the moolah up at the end. If anyone knows, be a looby, let me know, yeah?

Ta.