Friday 12 June 2009

A view from 2 wheels

Well I arrived at my desk all upset this morning. On my otherwise pleasant (if hurried - overslept) ride, a stupid man stepped right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes as he turned to gawp at me:

Me "I nearly hit you!"
Git: "Well ring your f*cking bell then, that's what it's for"
NB Had I done this I wouldn't have been able to slam the brakes on and would have hit him - this seems appealling except that I probably would have been hurt too.
Me: "Or you could not step into the road without looking"
Git: "F*ck off you fat bitch"

It stung. It still stings. A rude, stupid git like him shouldn't have the power to upset me but he did. I am fat I guess, but after a loss of over 3st (currently), I am upset that that's still the first thing that people see. Lainey's comment on my last blog post has gone some way to cheer me up though - awww, thanks Lainey (blushes).

Anyway, my top three of amusing cyclist sights this week (in no order):
1) Girl cycling in 3/4 length sheepskin coat in the strike - was this idiocy? Was she so super fit that she would be cold even when pedalling furiously?
2) Girl cycling along with a rucksack with a pot of herbs in each pocket
3) My favourite - girl cycling along with a large rucksack on her back, open at the top and at least a dozen baguettes sticking out

I bought a cyclists cagoule type thing. Having accepted that I had to cycle in during the strike, despite appalling weather forecasts, I thought I ought to be protected a bit from the elements. Typically the 14 was a bit small and the 16 was a bit big - I went for the 16 which is XL (will come on to that), finding myself thinking "Well at least I'll get a few layers under this come winter". Uh, hang on - winter? Yes, I appear to be considering cycling on into winter. Not non-stop you understand - after 4 days this week my arse is seriously aching. That had better mean it's reducing.

Which brings me on to cycle clothing. The largest size is an XL - and this is a 16. Are we saying that anyone over a size 16 shouldn't cycle? I admit that I look at some of those ultra skinny roadbikes and wonder if they wouldn't buckle under my weight if I sat on them, but surely we should be encouraging people to get out and get active, whatever their size? Grrrr.

On the plus side (no pun intended), I have now lost all the holiday weight bar 1lb. I'm still half a stone (well, 8lbs) over where my clothes will start to fit and a stone over where I'll start to calm down a bit mentall and be more prepared to be philosophical about weigh-ins. And next week I'll only be able to cycle once on Wednesday - on Monday I'm going to my mum's after work and staying over, so that knocks Monday and Tuesday out. And Tuesday I will probably be panic buying after work for the wedding on Thursday in any case! I have a skirt and a fascinator to wear and nothing in between.... Then the wedding on the Thursday, we're off on Friday and then going to the New Forest for a couple of nights on one of those tokens-in-a-newspaper deals, returning the following Tuesday, then off to Wales with my mum on Wednesday until 6th July. Phew! I don't know what that little lot will do to my weight. I really need to be sensible. There will be plenty of walking - in the New Forest and in Wales but I mustn't cancel that out with over-indulgence in foody treats.

4 comments:

Lainey said...

Gah! Comments like that, from that Dickhead (with a capital D). make my blood BOIL! What a prick. I can't actually believe people, grown up human beings, make comments like that. Beggars belief.

Aaaaanyway - sounds like the cyling is going v. well. I really fancy a bike but haven't got the moolah or anywhere to store it. Will suffice with running for le moment.

Are you weighing weekly? Sorry if I'm asking something that is patently obvious - am reading from the very start. And loving it!

Lesley said...

I meant to comment in rage at the rude man...really did but now realise that I haven't done so. Now my rage is somewhat abated though but I can rustle up a "aaaaargh - prick!!".

No really, on the inspiration front, several times I have read about your cycling and it has made me get up off my backside and do some exercise. The thinking is that I know you struggle with it and used to struggle even more with the running so the fact that you do it is impressive and then I think, well, if Peridot can make herself do that cycling then I can get out for a run in the countryside - it's much easier and nicer, not to mention safer!

I noticed that when buying cycling shorts. The XXL (Oh yeah..) were apparently size 16's in the shop I was in but they're not ideal, slightly baggy round the waist but grippy round the tops of my knees. Curse my chunky thighs!

Lesley x

Badger said...

Although perhaps not quite as direct, when jogging recently a man said to me 'Why don't you just stop eating?'. He didn't say I was fat as such...but that's what I took from it.

Badger said...

Oh....and if only it was that simple!!!