I'm gearing myself up (pardon the pun) for some proper training. By this I mean I going to stop phaphing around in the gym trying to do a chin up and dust off the bike, pump up the tyres, put new batteries in the lights and get out on the road. Yes, all before Christmas...

I'm going into the Phys. Lab on Friday afternoon with Dr. Mark for some baseline testing and this should give me some data to work out my training zones (which I'll try really hard not to ignore) and also a measure of my progress as the miles and weeks tick by. I do like a nice graph or two (geeeeeeek) so I'll be posting them up as and when I have something to show for myself (and the fellas). Training is then going to start in earnest when I head back up to Wales for family festivities and I'm going to get straight into some hill training. It's all hills where I'm going, there's no getting away from them, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it's going to be colder in the hills, so I'll be packing some extra tights...