This Year is a Year of CHANGE

I keep hearing that phrase. It's kind of true. Things are changing, and ever-moving.

After settling into life as a cycle commuter in a 9/5 job local to me, my job situation went awry, with the (un/fortunate) result of me being back on the job market. The 'nicest commute in the area' is no more.

The change has, however, given me a renewed sense of self, and a desire to 'go-get' and put myself out there to find the next steps of my career, either as a salaryman or as a more free-roaming creative/entrepreneur. For all the faults that job had, it felt like people were more entreprenurial, scrapping at ideas and side-hustling - being among that 24/7 is quite good for you.

Since leaving, I've had some promising 'big career' job leads, but I've also started a course, am building my online portfolio, creating a local flyer for tutoring/services and networking to find 10 small jobs rather than 1 big job. I've also started thinking about my own business ideas too - and, always, my dream of working in something related to cycling. I've started filming (and learning!) to kickstart a YouTube channel, something i've wanted to do for a long-time, mostly held back by lack of confidence.

For now, it's back to enjoying the good weather, and how fortunate I am to have choices and nice bikes. Ciao.

Life Updates / Next Events

I've neglected this for a while - life has been ever-changing, weird and stressful.

After finishing up the Scarborough Shores event (last post) unfortunately I had Covid (which I didn't realise) which turned into a chest-infection, likely due to the sloggy rides I've been doing.

Thinking whatever I had would naturally clear (I have a pretty good immune system and know my body well), I carried on cycling, doing two 100k rides out to Belvior and Melton Mowbray - one as support for a club training ride, and another at a tempo intensity. The days proceeding that I could feel a lot of lethargy, struggling to do most things, and finding my muscles cramping a lot, even with time off the bike. It's been a weird weather season, so I put it down to that and just slacking on nutrition/water intake.

It's taken quite a while to get over it - I've just finished a long course of anti-biotics, although I haven't rested as much as I would like because... I got a new job!

It's a big life change from being a freelancer - I'm now in a 9-5.30 office-based job, local-ish to me in Peterborough. It's a 30-mile round journey, which is fine distance wise and is mixed terrain - fun in the dry, less so when it's been raining and sloppy! I'm finding a balance with it, riding Tues, Weds & Thurs, and car-sharing Monday and Friday. The weeks are tiring. I received a great comment on Komoot from a follower saying that my route is the nicest commute possible around here, so yes, a lucky man.

I'm also bereft of new challenges, rides and events for the future. With work, training for events becomes harder, but i'm determined to get something diarised so I can look forward to something big. Unfortunately the job (with a long-probation) means it's unlikely I'll go cycling abroad this year (again, sob), but next year I'm targeting *something*. I'd love a short trip out to Girona, so i'm going to look into that and see who wants to go.

For now, when i'm not commuting, i'm going to focus on enjoying cycling, feeling good health wise and enjoying the summer while it's here. Over and out.