Welcome back to the blog. It has been a nice little break from cycling which has seen me riding my bike (but for pleasure not training), doing a bit of sightseeing in the UK and decorating (not as interesting).

But now it is time to start thinking of the proposed trip to Spain next March and start knocking off the miles.

So, please think of me at 0645 in the morning as I will be hopping enthusiastically(ish) out of bed to hop on the turbo and start pedalling for half an hour of magic.

I have found my lights but the roads around my village are that bad I need to use my MTB for training in the dark. And it has a bent chain and a rear puncture. I am the worst mechanic in the world so whilst I will be able to fix the flat, I am relying on mechanical support to get the offending twisted link replaced.

I am hoping that I will stay motivated across the whole winter this year as I took to running more often last year bored by the turbo and less than enthused at evening rides in the dark. Please feel free to offer your tips for keeping engaged during these upcoming dark nights.

They become old quickly.