Six Pounds Down, One Ride Up, and a Head Full of Snot

Well. This week did not unfold exactly as planned.

Let’s start with the good news, because it feels important to acknowledge it before the excuses pile up: I’ve lost 6 lbs this week. That’s not nothing. That’s six actual, real pounds — presumably evaporated through a combination of riding, stress, and coughing up what feels like my entire respiratory system.

Now for the rest of it.

The Week That Wasn’t

Between a brutal opening week back at school, a horrendous cold that has taken up permanent residence in my head, and Storm Goretti deciding that Derbyshire needed a couple of inches of snow, training options narrowed fairly quickly.

As a result, this week’s cycling portfolio looks… minimalist.

Ride One: Snow, Suffering, and Solidarity

I managed exactly one outdoor ride — a short 11-mile snow ride, completed at a majestic just over 8 mph, alongside my brother. Progress was slow, grip was questionable, and style points were firmly off the table.

Still, we got out. We stayed upright. We laughed at how ridiculous it all felt. In winter, that counts as success.

(Photos will follow, partly as evidence and partly because no one believes you unless there’s snow in the background.)

Ride Two: HIIT, Indoors, and Questionable Life Choices

The second session was a 40-minute HIIT workout on ROUVY. Short, sharp, and unpleasant — but effective. The kind of ride where you feel simultaneously pleased you did it and annoyed you ever pressed “start”.

I’ll admit here — quietly — that I’m occasionally using ChatGPT to create workouts. This feels either like a clever use of modern tools or the beginning of the end for structured coaching as we know it. Possibly both.

Still, it got me sweating, breathing hard, and momentarily distracted from the cold, so I’m calling that a win.

The Cold (Still Here, Thanks for Asking)

The cold hasn’t shifted. It’s the sort that doesn’t knock you flat, just lingers — dull headache, blocked nose, low energy, and a general sense that your body would quite like a lie down.

That’s probably why the training volume dropped. That, and the snow. And work. And life. You know how it goes.

What I’m Taking From This Week

Despite appearances, this wasn’t a write-off:

• 6 lbs down is significant, even if it feels slightly suspicious

• I still rode — outdoors and indoors

• I didn’t push through illness like an idiot

• Snow miles count double, morally if not on Strava

• Consistency sometimes looks like survival rather than progress

I’ll be posting a couple of photos and a Strava screenshot with this, partly to document the week and partly to remind myself that even scrappy weeks leave a paper trail.

Next week? Hopefully fewer germs, less snow, and a slightly more convincing training log. But if not, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing: turning up when I can, laughing when it goes wrong, and trusting that the long game still works.

Because it usually does — even when you’re averaging eight miles an hour and breathing like a Victorian invalid.

Christmas Cracking

 

Finding Shape in a Messy Week

This week felt a bit all over the place — not disastrous, but definitely untidy. I rode three times, indoors and out, with mixed results and fluctuating energy. The kind of week that doesn’t fit neatly into a plan, but still adds up to something useful if you look at it properly.

26/12 – Boxing Day, Outside and Honest

I kicked things off with an outdoor ride on Boxing Day, which already felt like a small win.

• Distance: 13.92 miles

• Elevation gain: 1,309 feet

• Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

• Weighted average power: 192 watts

This was probably the strongest ride of the week. The power was solid, the climbing unavoidable, and the effort felt purposeful rather than forced. It wasn’t fast — it never is round here — but it felt like proper work, the kind that leaves you tired but satisfied.

Gravel, gradients, and no hiding places. Exactly as it should be.

27/12 – ROUVY and Structured Suffering

The following day was a ROUVY session — Hilly Base Intervals.

• Distance: 9.64 miles

• Elevation gain: 864 feet

• Time: 58:02

• Average power: 132 watts

This was more controlled, more measured. Nothing heroic, but a decent aerobic session that ticked a box. I’m still finding it hard to fully commit to very rigid plans, but this felt like a sensible middle ground — structure without overthinking it.

28/12 – When the Tank Is Empty

The third ride was also on ROUVY, and this is where the cracks showed.

• Distance: 3.5 miles

• Elevation gain: 565 feet

• Time: 30 minutes

• Average power: 135 watts

I cut this one short due to a complete lack of energy. Not soreness, not pain — just nothing there. One of those sessions where every pedal stroke feels like it’s being negotiated individually.

Stopping was the right call. Digging a hole for the sake of a tidy training log never ends well.

Fuel, Recovery, and Small Experiments

Post-ride, I’ve been experimenting with a simple recovery drink:

• Frozen bananas

• Milk

• A tablespoon of collagen powder

Nothing fancy, nothing Instagram-worthy — just something cold, easy to get down, and vaguely helpful. Whether it’s making a measurable difference is hard to say, but it feels like a small act of care, and sometimes that’s reason enough.

Plans, or Something Like Them

I’m still struggling to follow a very specific training plan, so I’ve signed up to ROUVY’s weight loss plan as a framework rather than a rulebook.

Alongside that, I’ve set myself a simple, realistic goal for the coming week:

• 2 × 30-minute rides

• 2 × 60-minute rides

• 1 × 3-hour+ ride

It’s loose, but it gives the week shape. At the moment, consistency matters more than perfection.

The Weight Bit (Because It Matters)

Mid-afternoon, after a ride, I weighed in at 274.5 lb.

That little sad face is doing a lot of work there.

It’s frustrating, obviously — but it’s also just a data point. One reading, at one time of day, influenced by fatigue, hydration, and probably a Boxing Day buffet somewhere in the background.

The danger would be letting that number overshadow the fact that I’m riding, climbing, and putting in work. Weight will move when the habits settle. For now, the habits come first.

What I’m Taking From This Week

• Outdoor riding still delivers the most value, mentally and physically

• Energy management matters more than stubbornness

• Loose structure is better than no structure

• Stopping early is sometimes the smartest training decision

• Progress doesn’t announce itself — it accumulates quietly

This wasn’t a perfect week. It wasn’t even a particularly tidy one. But it was real, and it moved things forward in small, unglamorous ways.

Next week is about rhythm — not intensity, not heroics — just turning up, again and again, and letting the bigger picture take care of itself.

Week 4: A Pause, A Reset, and a New Target on the Horizon

 

Week X: A Pause, A Reset, and a New Target on the Horizon

The last few weeks have been… quiet. Not in a peaceful way, but in that slightly defeated way where work piles up, illness steals your energy, and the bike gathers just enough dust to make you feel guilty every time you walk past it.

I haven’t trained much — if I’m honest, I haven’t trained at all.
But life gets in the way sometimes, and that’s not a reason to quit. It’s just a reminder that this journey won’t always move in straight lines.

With the fog lifting and my energy slowly returning, I’ve found myself looking at something new: the Dolby Devil 160km gravel ride. It’s earlier than the Kielder Triple Crown, shorter (just), but still a proper challenge — the kind of ride that forces you to respect the distance and prepare properly.

Part of me wonders if entering it might be the spark I need. A mid-season milestone. A reason to stop drifting and start training again.

So next week, I’ll begin rebuilding the routine:

• A couple of steady endurance rides

• Some gentle turbo sessions

• A focus on getting my weight trending downward again

• And, hopefully, the feeling of momentum returning

I’m still carrying too much — 268lbs, morbidly obese by the cold logic of BMI charts, and definitely not built for long climbs. But I am built for stubbornness, and that counts for something.

If you’ve ridden the Dolby Devil, or if you’re a gravel rider who’s tackled other long-distance challenges, I’d love your advice.
How did you structure your training?
How did you fuel your rides?
How did you stop the hills from breaking your spirit?

Drop your thoughts, stories, or tips in the comments. I’m listening — and learning.

Right now this journey feels like starting again, again. But maybe that’s the point. Success isn’t a straight ascent; it’s a messy, winding gravel track — and I’m still on it.