Cycling helps you get fit, just don't showoff!

You recall I've been rabbiting on just a bit about getting out and cycling the Serrania de Ronda? I've been feeling really good from a motivational point of view.

Two of our neighbors are keen cyclists, one of them is very good and can make the trip between Sevilla and Ronda in almost the same time as a car, OK, a little slower, but seriously, if it takes 90 minutes to drive, this guy will arrive 15 minutes after that on his road bike.

He's super fit, and our other neighbor who is also a keen cyclist regularly goes out into these hills for much much longer distances than I can manage.

Anyway, I hadn't really thought very much about their fitness or skill with two wheels, I just know that at some point I've been saying things like cycling is wonderful, it's great for fitness, and other things like yeah, give me couple of months and I'll be as fit as you guys.

They would snigger, good naturedly, and just look at each other. I took this to be friendly banter and nothing to be concerned about. Then the other day I noticed one of them coming back from his ride wearing the full outfit of the local cycling club, which is the same club that compete in the Tour of Spain and other big cycling events.

Then last night the other half is chatting away to the other neighbor and it slips out that in his younger days he broke a world record, he was a world champion cyclist, that he is still a professional cyclist who earns his income from prize money.

I'll give you three guesses how I feel after having been the bigshot saying I'd be as fit as them soon, something deep inside me is now saying it might take a little longer, perhaps a lot longer.