Cycling or alcohol

Day 50. Allow me a moment to shout that out loud again - " Yes, it's day 50 without a drop of alcohol" and it sounds just brilliant to be able to say it.  I'm chuffed to bits of course, but when can I truly say I've cracked this whole thing? I don't think I can quantify that question with some arbitrary number of days  - maybe I will just know!   I have to be cautious of course, but I keep asking myself how could I go back to drinking now? Is it too late for that now I've seen the light? Now I've experienced how good I felt every single one of those 50 mornings, seen how my fitness has returned with a vengeance, measured the BMI improvement and even carved a brand new hole in my omnipresent brown leather belt, seen my monthly spending plummet, noted how positive my thoughts are and how content life is - and frankly done so bloody much more with my life? Yes, I feel like a brand new person and suddenly if feels harder to give this new life up than to h...

Sierra Nevada stands 2075 meters high. Ben Nevis, in comparison, the best the UK can muster stands a mere 1345 meters in stature. Even Alpe D'Huez, the most famous and most gruelling Tour de France obstacle only boasts 1860 meters - Phoa! 'small fry' I thought!  Getting there would be the highest ride of my cycling life without a doubt - at times during it, it started to feel like my last - but eventually, very eventually, 35km of agonising climbing to be exact,  it was reached, achieved and duly ticked off the bucket list.  The ice-line appeared around 1500 meters up, by 1750 meters it was minus 2 and thick snow was lying on the ground. Fortunately the main roads near the top had been well gritted but still treacherous in places. The  off road, mountain gravel tracks lower down even more dangerous - thank god for the versatility of the recently invented gravel bike - even so, it took well over 3 hours to complete the climb.  A lot of thoughts flash through you...

'It doesn't matter when in life you do it, just so long as you get out there and do it' I was starting an email to Adam Hugill, a guy that I have admired greatly for the last few years since I discovered his bike touring videos on YouTube. I've watched them all, chronicling his solo adventures around the world. By the time I had watched a few of them I was hooked - duly liked, shared and subscribed!  I soon realised we share many of the same beliefs - to get out there and ride is the most liberating and joyful activity possible on this earth. If you don't do it before you die, you have not lived, to name but one. We used to tour the same way too. Long days in the saddle meeting people from all walks of life across foreign lands, followed by meals and many drinks in the evenings - meeting, singing with and usually hugging many more by the end of the night.  We are opposite in one respect though. Adam did his touring early in life and was late settling down. He bike t...