Shut Up Legs
Down Under Member
Hi again, all. 
I've spent the last 3 months lurking on CycleChat, but not posting. There are various reasons why, some personal, but probably at least partly prompted by CycleChat's SCPexit kerfuffle. I just got a bit down, and really couldn't think of anything to post that anyone else would want to read.
Over the last 3 months, I spent a bit more time than usual visiting my Mum and Dad over the Christmas / New Year period, because they're both getting on a bit, and my Dad has pancreatic cancer, so any time spent with them is time well spent. Mortality has been in my thoughts a lot, lately because of that, and it didn't help that I turned 50 last year: I really didn't want to know about that.
To stave off encroaching age, I've booked yet another alpine cycling tour, this time just in the French Pyrenees. Last year's trip and the year before that, I cycled both the Pyrenees and the Alps, but this year, I'm focusing on the Pyrenees only. It's longer, this time, with exactly 28 days of cycling planned, 15 based at Pyractif, a cyclists' B&B in Bertren (about 30km north of Bagneres-de-Luchon), and then 12 based at the Pyrenees Cycling Lodge, another cyclists' B&B based in Saint-Savin (about 5km south of Argeles-Gazost). The latter B&B I visited last year, but only for 3 days, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time, the list of Pyrenean cols I'll be visiting is pretty extensive, including such highlights as Col du Tourmalet, Cirque de Troumouse, Superbagneres, and Lac de Cap de Long, and many more. The trip, including flights, goes from 4th Sep to 8th Oct, so I have a long wait for it.
While you're all no doubt eagerly looking for the first traces of spring, I'm hoping for autumn, because it's really, really hot over here (as any of you following the Australian Open tennis will have noticed). Where I live, it was 31°C on Friday, then 21 overnight, 34 on Saturday, then 24 overnight, 37 yesterday, then 28 overnight. I just lay in bed all night sweating.
It's forecast to be 35 today, then finally a cool change will arrive, and it will be about 21 tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that.
My legs are handling my new longer commute reasonably well. It used to be about 285km a week with about 3300m climbing, but for the last 2 weeks of December and the last 3 weeks, it's been 310km a week with about 3700m climbing. This should help me handle the Pyrenees tour reasonably well, particularly since the tour is self-guided, since I'm just using the 2 B&Bs as my base for various out-and-back type rides, so I can do them at my own speed.
Regards,
--- Victor.
I've spent the last 3 months lurking on CycleChat, but not posting. There are various reasons why, some personal, but probably at least partly prompted by CycleChat's SCPexit kerfuffle. I just got a bit down, and really couldn't think of anything to post that anyone else would want to read.
Over the last 3 months, I spent a bit more time than usual visiting my Mum and Dad over the Christmas / New Year period, because they're both getting on a bit, and my Dad has pancreatic cancer, so any time spent with them is time well spent. Mortality has been in my thoughts a lot, lately because of that, and it didn't help that I turned 50 last year: I really didn't want to know about that.
To stave off encroaching age, I've booked yet another alpine cycling tour, this time just in the French Pyrenees. Last year's trip and the year before that, I cycled both the Pyrenees and the Alps, but this year, I'm focusing on the Pyrenees only. It's longer, this time, with exactly 28 days of cycling planned, 15 based at Pyractif, a cyclists' B&B in Bertren (about 30km north of Bagneres-de-Luchon), and then 12 based at the Pyrenees Cycling Lodge, another cyclists' B&B based in Saint-Savin (about 5km south of Argeles-Gazost). The latter B&B I visited last year, but only for 3 days, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time, the list of Pyrenean cols I'll be visiting is pretty extensive, including such highlights as Col du Tourmalet, Cirque de Troumouse, Superbagneres, and Lac de Cap de Long, and many more. The trip, including flights, goes from 4th Sep to 8th Oct, so I have a long wait for it.
While you're all no doubt eagerly looking for the first traces of spring, I'm hoping for autumn, because it's really, really hot over here (as any of you following the Australian Open tennis will have noticed). Where I live, it was 31°C on Friday, then 21 overnight, 34 on Saturday, then 24 overnight, 37 yesterday, then 28 overnight. I just lay in bed all night sweating.
It's forecast to be 35 today, then finally a cool change will arrive, and it will be about 21 tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that.My legs are handling my new longer commute reasonably well. It used to be about 285km a week with about 3300m climbing, but for the last 2 weeks of December and the last 3 weeks, it's been 310km a week with about 3700m climbing. This should help me handle the Pyrenees tour reasonably well, particularly since the tour is self-guided, since I'm just using the 2 B&Bs as my base for various out-and-back type rides, so I can do them at my own speed.
Regards,
--- Victor.
