Rubysoho, thankyou so much for your post You did an awesome job on your cycle and I hope I can do the same. I think your point about keeping things in perspective is also important - after all it's just a cycle and there are people who are and have been though a lot harder things than that.

I was happy with my spin tonight - i did a hill that I really didn't think i would be able to make it up and I made it up, not once but twice! I'm trying to concentrate on some shorter rides during the week with more of a focus on doing hills and then a longer ride on the weekend. This weekend I have a 100km ride planned with about 1000m of climbing. One of the big hills on that cycle I have done twice before (but needed a rest stop). The other hill i last did 12months ago on my heavy hybrid and had to push up so it will be interesting to see how i manage it this weekend. If I've got anything left in the tank after 100km there is one more hill that i could do which i haven't done before.