March 2016

March was, on the whole, a reasonably solid month on the bike, even if the numbers don't exactly scream elite athlete. Twenty-eight rides totalling just over 114km and 838 metres of climbing, with an average heart rate of 123bpm — which, if I'm honest, suggests I was either taking it fairly easy or the hills around here have got shorter. I managed to sneak in 13 Strava achievements and 5 personal records, which I'll take, even if most of those PRs were probably set on mornings when I couldn't actually remember the route. The solitary run — a 1.5km lunchtime shuffle at 8:31 per kilometre — is probably best described as a brisk walk with ambition rather than anything that would trouble a race organiser.

So, compared to February, the volume is down across the board — fewer rides, fewer kilometres, less elevation, and a heart rate that suggests March-me was working noticeably less hard than February-me (123bpm versus 136bpm, since you ask). February had 35 rides and nearly 144km, which on reflection looks impressively committed for the depths of a British winter, so perhaps the lighter March was the inevitable comedown rather than a conscious decision to ease off. The days are getting longer though, and there's something about April that always makes me think I should probably be doing more — a thought that will no doubt collide fairly quickly with reality and a packed diary. Still, the legs are ticking over, and that's at least something to build on.

Summary generated by Claude