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Energy management for committed athletes and coaches.

You find me in my kitchen on a cold overcast and slightly drizzly mid-December morning.

It's a relief actually that the temperature is a bit warmer than it has been of late.

It's been absolutely bitter in recent days but it's a bit warmer today but nevertheless

I've wrapped up in all of my warmest cycling clothing because Ding Dong merrily on

high this morning I'm riding the 12 hills of Christmas.

Now what's the 12 hills of Christmas?

I hear you shout from the auditorium as if this were a pantomime or something.

Well the 12 hills of Christmas is a ride which was devised by a very good friend of mine

called Andrew Brown a number of years ago and it was in danger of becoming a bit of a

tradition but we haven't done it for a few years largely because of Covid but it's as

the name suggests a ride that takes in 12 hills and it straddles the three counties of

Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Now on their own none of the hills are particularly long some of them aren't even particularly steep

but as the 90 kilometres wears on it does become quite tiring especially at this time of

year the lanes can be quite gravely and rainy wet so I guess I'm at the vanguard of cycling

fashion going on a gravely ride in the run up to Christmas but I'm still old enough

and I'm a fashioner boy enough to be riding a winter bike with full mudguards it's actually

my trusty condor which I bought from their shop in central London in the winter I think

December of 2007 so I think this is the 15th winter that this bike has seen me through

it's not a glamorous bike my only means it's battleship grey but I absolutely love it

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