One Day One Photo - 11

I didn't know what profile of woman would be riding the Cycletta event or what the pace would be. All I knew was that I needed to get at least 11 vox pops, and some words from Victoria Pendleton. I would also have to press the flesh with organisers, the Sportsister girls (who had obtained an entry for me), Halfords PR and of course the cycling magazine crew. I made alot of mental preparation in terms of how I was going to go about fitting it all in, as well as giving guidance to the photographer. Then there was the bike ride itself. Would I ride the 25 miles hard and try and get back to the HQ early to interview folks? Should I just ride slowly and mingle during the ride and obtain vox pops then? After a while you have to stop thinking and just let things flow naturally. Well, at 5am on a rainy Sunday morning I wasn't in much mood for thinking anyway! In the end it was a good day. I talked to the people I needed to, and more. I interviewed our Queen of the Cycle Track, Victoria Pendleton - who I must say was very amenable and charming. And we even had a surprise visit from the sun!

One Day One Photo - 10

Many folks who live in other parts of the country imagine London to be so choked with traffic that there must be nowhere for Londoners to cycle - at least nowhere nice. They think Londoners are reduced to cycle training on turbo trainers at home, or on a balcony if we are lucky. Well, maybe for some Londoners that is true! But for many, it's not the case at all. Living in South London it is quite easy to reach the countryside and ride through the lanes of Kent and Surrey. And as for off-road cycling it's equally easy. Just by twiddling steadily you can find yourself in woodland without much effort at all. I set off from near Croydon and managed to get to Chipstead, Banstead and Epsom Downs. Furthermore, these places are all within the M25, the motorway that encompasses the Greater London area. I then pressed on through Walton-on-the-Hill, up near Box Hill, and finally arrived at Reigate. It was all a very pleasant jaunt within the London area, and hardly a car in sight - just a few cows on Colley Hill that were pretty nonplussed to see me! But hey, I was happy to be there.

One Day One Photo - 9

Friday was spent sorting out all the paperwork and logistics for the Cycletta ride at Whipsnade Zoo which I will be covering for the cycling magazine. As a free agent like myself there's alot of thinking ahead to be done when attending events. Sometimes it makes my head hurt, especially when I'm thinking about other deadlines at the same time. My mind gets cluttered like a boy's bedroom. I'm sure it's so much slicker when you're staff on a newspaper or magazine and everything gets sorted in advance by a very efficient secretary with a tight bun in her hair, wearing a sharp suit and speaking in a crisp voice. Maybe not! A press pass for me was not really crucial as I already had an entry to ride the event, and the star of the day, Victoria Pendleton would be riding among us anyway. The main reason I was sorting out a press pass was so that the photographer could gain free access into the zoo. Also it wouldn't be a great idea to have some random bloke taking photos of women in sports kit, I guess! Anyway, thanks to the friendly guys at Participate Sport the paperwork was sorted even more efficiently than our fictional secretary with the tight bun in her hair.

One Day One Photo - 8

I get so tired these days. I can't do the things I used to do even one year ago. If I go for a training ride I need three days to recover before I get on with any other physical activity. If I don't allow enough days to pass before I do any further exercise I'm just worn out and my legs fall apart. I can't believe this is the same person who managed to ride from Dieppe to Nice last year. If that was me, it was certainly a lifetime ago. Strangely enough my aerobic capacity is fine. It hasn't gone downhill in any noticeable way. So, I have to admit it, age is catching up with my legs. And soon it will get my back, my arms and my lungs. I'll be ready for the knackers yard. Shall I resign myself to a future of sitting in a rocking chair doing crosswords and crochet or shall I try and fight this process that is surreptiously taking over me? Who knows, let me have a rest and then I'll decide!

One Day One Photo - 7

It's always good to hear about one of your local areas in the news - for the right reasons, mind you. The long awaited resurfacing of Herne Hill track was completed and the velodrome was reopened yesterday. A few prominent people like the Minister of Sport, the local MP and cycling legend Chris Boardman made the trip to the opening ceremony. That's great news that the track has been resurfaced. But hey, let's not get carried away - sadly, the rest of the facilities are still running to rack and ruin and we are along way from having a stadium that's anything like it was in the glory of the 1948 Olympics. It would be great if Herne Hill could benefit from the sports legacy that was proposed in the London 2012 Olympics bid. But that sounds far too logical! We just have to hope that the Save the Velodrome campaign is successful in its project to build a sports facility that is fit for purpose, which local cyclists deserve.

One Day One Photo - 6

It's all go during September....I just can't keep up sometimes!

One Day One Photo - 5

Running is my alcohol. Well, it's my other alcohol. I like to indulge in it. When I do, I feel good. If I indulge in it too much I suffer the consequences the next day. When I was younger I indulged in it a lot more without it giving me any problems, but nowadays my body tolerates it less and less. Sometimes the morning after a running session I feel glued to the bed in pain and struggle to emerge from under the duvet. Once up and about I have to take it easy, and have a quiet day. It's debatable how good running is for me given all the wear and tear it's been progressively inflicting on my knees. But hey, I'm still going to do it. I like it. I want the endorphin hit. I like that feeling of being bright and alive - just like when drinking a good wine. So I'll keep on running, and I look forward to doing my half marathon next month. Hopefully I won't succumb to cirrhoses of the knees in the meantime! (photo by JJurkiewicz)