Z doesn't cycle much.

There hasn't been time. I find that I have to have the best part of an hour spare to go in and do the shopping and it hasn't been possible most days. It's not that it takes so long to ride in; not much longer than in the car, but whilst I used to get all my shopping in one weekly visit, I've been doing it every day, so it takes as long every day as it did in one. I did need extras of course, particularly vegetables, but I'd pop in as I went past in the car on my way home, or else give Al a ring and ask him to bring it with him.

I enjoy it; it's all very pleasant and leisurely. I usually start by going to the furthest place, which might be to the school or the library if I've got more to do than fetch the day's provisions, or to the butcher which is down a side street half a mile from the town centre. Then back to Al, put all the heavy stuff in the panniers, trot into any other shops I need food from, having sociable little exchanges with people - all very Mapp and Lucia it is, though the Royce has been replaced in crowding the street by 4x4s nowadays. Once all is bought and nicely balanced, I set off homewards, stopping to leave my bike outside the post office (the last remaining now; not so long ago there were at least 3 in town and another 2 within another mile or so) while I go into the wholefood shop opposite. I might go into the deli, but everything sold there comes within the definition of 'occasional treat' so I usually pass it by. From there it's a mile home.

However, the past week, I haven't done it. On Sunday, I biked in for the papers. On Monday, I needed a lot of shopping and would have had to go in at least twice, for which I didn't have time, so I took the car. On Tuesday, I hosted a meeting and lunch for 12, so all I did was bike a few hundred yards to the next meeting at 5.30. Wednesday is a blank in my mind, maybe I cycled in then. Yes, I remember chatting to the (other) butcher, so I must have. Thursday, I drove into Norwich to take a coach to Ely and yesterday it rained all day, so I didn't use the bike. Today, it's raining again and I have a wedding to get ready for.

So, no exercise and I've been eating cheese too, as there was some left over from the lunch. The week has been a disaster.

Next week, most things are within three miles, so I should do better. I'm not sure though - blood donor clinic on Monday is 5 miles away and it's uphill on the way back, so I don't think that's very wise. I'll use the bike to go to the hairdresser afterwards though. Tuesday, something in Norwich and then at the high school - all depends when I get back, whether I go straight to school or back here first. Wednesday, a meeting in the village in the morning, then back to the school in the evening - I'll cycle if it isn't raining, Back to school again the next morning (huh? What is this? - I'm only a bloody governor) and (blimey, this is getting worse) things on at the school at 10 on Friday morning and 2 in the afternoon. If I cycle to all these, as well as fetching the papers on Sunday and shopping on Saturday, it'll be about 25 miles in the week. It'll depend on the weather though, I can't turn up to meetings looking awful.