Ironically, COVID has turned most gyms into slightly sketchy health environments. At least for now.

All things considered, it looks as if it will be some time before I feel comfortable going to the gym regularly again.

I have been looking around for an alternative fitness strategy. Some time back, I started trail running. I really enjoyed it.

Frustratingly, just as I felt I was beginning to build up some kilometric cardio endurance, I suffered a tendon injury (probably definitely from overtraining like an idiot) that has been recurrent ever since.
In fact, if you were to collect all the village idiots around and relocate them into a single village. In that village, I would be the village idiot.
So scrub trail running.

The other activity I really enjoy is riding. I used to do a fair bit back in the day, but for the last x years (where x = mass times the velocity of wifi squared) my bike has been sitting largely neglected in our shed. Well neglected by me, the spiders seem to love it.

Today I pumped up the tyres, oiled her chain and de-webbed the old girl before taking her out for a short spin. And when I say short, I mean 15 minutes.
Up a big hill.
Over some bumpy, corrugated, off-road muddy stuff.
Up a slight grade.
And then coast back home.

It was pitiful really, my legs were gelatinous, and my butt cheeks felt like they had been MMA butt-sparring with Connor McGregor.
But all the fun feels came back, so I think I have found a thing.

I speculated that the risk of overtraining on my first day was high, so I parked up the bike, flopped on the couch and surfed some YouTubers for two-wheeled inspiration.

This dude* was pretty cool. And now I have to buy his book.

*Actually I already follow Martijn Doolaard’s channel. He is currently renovating two off-grid stone cabins in a remote area of Italy. Worth checking out.