Progress report

When I got my bike in July I had three aims. How have I done with those so far?

---

It’s more or less six months since I first started cycling to work. My stated goals at the time were to get fit; lose some weight; and save money. I thought now might be a good time to look at how I’m doing.

Get fit
The first time I cycled to work it took 45 minutes. It now takes half an hour. I used to get about halfway and think ‘Have I only got this far? I’ve been cycling forever.’ Now it’s more like ‘I’m here already? But I only just got on the bike.’ When I use the tube these days I practically run up the two flights of stairs at Walthamstow Central.

To put it more succinctly, my fitness levels have improved no end. There’s still work to do. I think I could shave at least another five minutes off my commute. I also want to build up my stamina and distance cycling. I’ve got a goal in mind, but that’s for another blog post.

Lose weight
Okay, I know I’m not hugely overweight, even if I feel like it sometimes. But I’d put on a bit since meeting J (a half Italian boyfriend who loves to cook is great in pretty much every way apart from for one's waistline). And that was making me unhappy.

Cycling is great exercise. It’s fat burning, it tones the lower body and provides a great workout for the core muscles. And as I do it instead of travelling by tube it doesn’t actually take up any of my time.

Over six months I’ve saved £480 – nice!

The first thing I noticed was my middle bit getting smaller. My hated love handles have all but disappeared and my stomach is definitely looking flatter. My legs, hips and bum are now starting to look more toned, too.

Save money
Well this one’s a no brainer. A 2-4 zone travel card costs about £100 a month. I’ve been spending about £20 a month on travel. So over six months I’ve saved £480. Nice!