Is there a Doctor in the house?

Two years ago, I found myself back in Ride London. A bang on the head made me click the enter button and somehow I won a ballot place.

But Covid put paid to all that. With the pandemic raging, the organisers decided that having over 20,000 sweaty people breathing everywhere may not be the best option.

Having no motivation, I found myself doing more genteel, and short rides, if riding at all.

It is easy to get into a routine but it is also extremely easy to get out of one too. Those occasional excuses - “Oh, I’m a bit busy”, or “It’s a bit wet” - occur more often, mechanicals on the bikes are left for another day.

Next thing you know, you look at the lycra wrapped thing standing in front of the mirror and realise that lockdown takeouts from breweries are fine as long as you go for a ride as well.

So here I am. My fourth and a half time on Ride London. A new route, a new challenge but the old friend in the non-fitness department needs an eviction notice.

And this time I have under 100 days to do it. Under a 100 days to get my endurance back up to the levels they were two years ago. Under a 100 days to re-introduce the bum to the saddle time. Less than 100 days to get my cruising speed back up to those heady days in 2019.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a bear on a bicycle; beer is carb loading! But as the days march on and Ride London looms, I wistfully dream that I was a Time Lord, jumping back in the Tardis to a few months ago and slapping that pint glass out of my hand!