It's giving marmot

In which I seek Freddie Mercury's advice on body image

I want to tell you about my body at its best.

Not to show off, but in the hope that it might help you find different ways to think about yours.

Photo by Anisa Aubin

Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like you were possessed by the spirit of a cyclist far stronger than you? When you surprised yourself? When you exceed your expectations, and where gradients and distances that would normally be impossible all-of-a-sudden felt like nothing at all?

I’ve had perhaps two or three of these days in my entire life. I couldn’t have predicted they were going to happen, although I’m sure some optimal combination of fitness, rest and fuelling must have been at play.

One of them was in the early summer of 2021. Lockdown restrictions were finally relaxing, and I had booked a week off from my care home job, with the plan of cycling the entire coastline of south-west England, starting and finishing in Bristol.

The only drawback was that my electronic gears had failed and I couldn’t shift out of the big ring. I had a new bike on the way, and was reluctant to spend a large amount of money fixing this one, so I decided I’d just have to put up with it.