It has been a very long time since welshcyclist posted, but I am going to try and make time to keep this blog up to date. I am now 69 years of age, still working as a signalman at Port Talbot signal box, and currently only commute by bicycle half way back and forth, approximately nine miles each way. To be honest I struggle to keep it going on my Pioneer, and I cannot fathom how I used to manage when I cycled all the way there and back, roughly 20 miles each way??

A DVT episode put me on the sick three years ago, for a few months, it was then that I kind of lost the habit of riding my bike. On top of that, the non activity of not commuting by bike made me lazy, or should I say even more lazier. I put back on weight that I had lost while I commuted that 40 miles a day, and felt unfit, sluggish and sorry for myself.

I knew what I had to do, it was simple…..or was it?

I had to get back riding my bike regularly. It’s amazing when I rode it seemed to give me more energy, I slept much better and I burnt off all those calories that signallers like myself love to consume.

Just like when I first built up to commute by bike, after not riding a bike for 30 plus years it has been a long haul. I had a lot more enthusiasm for the task back then, but this time round it has been harder, because I know I had put myself back 10 years or more physically. Piled back on at least two hard lost stones, and feeling lethargic most of the time.

Yes, put simply I needed to get back to where I was three years ago. I’ve been trying, not as hard as I know I can or should.

Possibly, because I am older?

My head tells me to discount that straight away, but should I? It’s the usual story, I suppose, in my head I am still twenty something, but my knees and sluggishness tells me otherwise.

Possibly, because my life is more complicated?

This probably rings quite true. I should be slowing down to retirement. In reality I was due to retire 4 years ago, but changes to our pension scheme put paid to that, and to retire without her indoors and myself having to struggle, I need to keep going till next year?? We’ll see. But I am fortunate, I enjoy my job and still feel healthy enough to do it, even if I don’t feel as good as I did three years ago.

I have a twin sister who has had the misfortune to suffer from MS which means she is stuck in a wheelchair, has to be cared for, and lives, as she tells me, with her mind in a constant fog. It weighs heavily on me, and is very upsetting.

Of course this current coronavirus pandemic exacerbates everything.

Where am I in this attempt to restore myself back to where I was three years ago.

I have been quite successful in getting back to commuting, and now do it regularly, albeit less than half the distance I used to do. As I earlier stated I marvel at how I used to do the full commute 20 miles each way with a 12 hour shift in the middle. Up at 04.00 in bed by 21.30 at the latest.

Asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Loads of energy.

Alert.

Fantastic, no wonder I want to get back there.

Two or three hours a day on the bike in all weather (except snow and ice), is the answer. Riding a bike is just as good as it gets, without doubt.

But there is something holding me back, I no longer feel safe riding the roads. Currently, I stick to the canal tow path and dedicated cycleways from Neath to my work. Cycling through a small town such as Neath has changed for the worse. I used to put up with the occasional frightening close pass by impatient drivers, and the odd bit of verbal abuse.

But now it happens every time I ride through the town, and it feels very uncomfortable.

To get back to the full commute in appropriate timings would mean riding the roads in traffic, I don’t feel I can.

So my comeback is on hold, for now.

Part commute rules.

(Got carried away with this, my post was originally to be about my bike ride today.)

Cheers.