Busy Busy Busy!

I have been looking forward to this bank holiday weekend so that I could have a break and take it easy in London. It's often the case that I use bank holidays for the chance to go away somewhere - usually with my bike - and do something challenging. I then return to London feeling like I need a break.

This year I have limited my trips away. I have barely left London this year. Not been out of the country at all - something which I would have done a few times by now. Apart from one trip up to Cumbria to do the Fred Whitton cyclosportive I have barely left the home counties. All this "homing" should be good on my purse - especially since I haven't had to the Euros thing - and be easy living. Wrong. I may be spending less money as I'm not travelling far these days, but somehow I always seem to create work for myself!

So I now find myself using my bank holiday as the chance to stay in London - with my bike - to do a few challenging things that will leave feeling like I need a break!

As I've been involved in the London Women's Cycle Racing League in recent months I need to keep on top of the admin side of things, and keep the mini reports flowing. I've had various emails come in from women who would like to get into cycle racing and are asking how to get started. I also get similar emails from women interested in joining my cycle club, Dulwich Paragon, where I am the women's cycling co-ordinator. I think the good weather has made quite alot of women come out of the cycle racing closet! "I've always thought I could be a racer but I don't know where to go for advice etc.." Result: email backlog.

Writing is taking up more and more time as I've been contributing articles about bike rides in different regions to Cycling Active magazine, as well as little pieces for London Cyclesport.

Also, all that work that I was doing on the community interpreting course has now paid off. I've got my accreditation so I am now setting about looking for assignments - time consuming.

And of course, there's the biking and the bike racing. I'm not even that competitive these days, but it's always good to get out and meet the folks and keep up with what's going on. Believe it or not, even just doing that requires abit of training. I can't get that all-important interview with Vicky Pendleton if I'm too unfit to ride along with her for 10 minutes! I can't do the photo shoots for my articles either. Some of the roots are off-road so photographer Andy can't just drive us to the various spots!

And talking of biking, this time next week I imagine I will be splayed out, feeling shattered, with aching arms after 10 hours of Paris-Roubaix cobbles! I will need time this weekend to take some damage limitation measures!

So, a nice relaxing Bank Holiday weekend....I don't think so!