A day earlier than usual this week:

I was photographed by two lads in a white van while we were waiting at the junction outside Craigleith retail park. I think they liked my baked beans jacket. (Unsubtle hint – I’d rather like an I pay road tax jacket too.)

I’m quite pleased to have just broken 30 mph down Cramond Road South, and I’m also pleased to have stayed above 8mph up that hill. It must have been the rain and the tape applied by the sports masseuse I see in Cramond. She’s the reason for this regular cycle.

For over a year I’ve had issues with my left shoulder – cycling and spinning were the only times I was conscious and free of pain but a steroid injection released the immediate tension, allowing Carole to begin to coax it back to normal ranges of movement. But since we’ve returned from holiday, my right shoulder has been extremely restricted – and intensely painful if I push it past these restrictions. The tape is helping me hold the shoulder in the right place – it’s slumped quite far forward to ward off the pain.

Anyway, Carole tells me she followed a cyclist who was doing around 20 mph up that hill. Sigh – I’ve a long way to go!