The Toe of Italy to Monte Carlo

and also keen to ensure my muscular and skeletal integrity.

Mmmhhh, yes, that is rather important. :)

Clive, in a course of treatment where his skeletal integrity was not ensured. :)

Episode 12

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/clives-cycling-blog-12/

Just bought a Pilates DVD called "Pilates for Men". Not had a chance to try it yet but it's in English rather than American. Will let you know.

Bermuda on Saturday for a week, back for three days then Amsterdam, back for two days then New York, back for a week then Miami. Not much good for training but hopefully I can finish this weight loss palaver in that time.Another stone and I should be there.

#ThinAsHippy

Really enjoying reading these Clive, please keep them coming.

Sounds like you're making great progress Clive.

If you work in the City, pop over to lloyd's on 20 May (if you don't have a Lloyd's pass you need to register first) for a cycling exhibition featuring our dear friends from Rollapaluza, CTUK as well as Sigma Sports and another bling bike shop.

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/exciting-events-this-may-at-lloyds/

(Registration through link)

Episode 13 now up in which I discover that 20% of me is missing

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/clives-cycling-blog-13/

It's great that the weight loss is happening so quickly, Clive.

Is 'gibbous' an adverb, though? I've only been able to find it used as an adjective. You still have 5% of your original weight to go before you can truly call your belly gibbous, but no doubt that won't take very long.

Nice one.

Inspiring stuff, Clive. I'm impressed by your motivation and commitment.

Clive is so self-effacing in giving credit to other people that he'll probably vanish altogether quite soon.

Andy, the idea of around 2000 people reading that blog has ensured that I stick to my diet with rigour.

I have a suspicion that the nutritionist built in a cheat factor and has been surprised that I stuck rigidly to the diet and thus lost weight so fast.

The real test comes in two parts. The next four mnths of building fitness for the ride and the ride itself and then keeping the weight off post ride by maintaining a fairly strict dietary regime, something that has eluded me in the first 56 years of my existance.

Cheerio bread and pasta!

As everyone else is, really enjoying this, Clive! Nice one!

Episode 14. Suffering in paradise.

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/clives-cycling-blog-14/

The real test comes in two parts. The next four mnths of building fitness for the ride and the ride itself and then keeping the weight off post ride by maintaining a fairly strict dietary regime

And not to over-train, risking injury!

Yep, loving the blog Clive. Keep up the great work!

Pifko

The chance of me overtraining is remote. One advantage of my current travel schedule is plenty of enforced rest days. My real issue is finding the time for longer rides particularly back to back long rides to test recovery.

Episode 15.

Wasting away

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/clives-cycling-blog-15/

BTW.

Friday 6 June. Lloyd's Cycling Club ride to Ascot and Windsor. 80 miles.

You don't have to work in or around Lloyd's. If you fancy a ride that day, let me know. Meeting 9am at Lloyd's in Lime Street.

Our next club ride, as Peter has announced, will be on Friday 6 June.

For those of you who are mooching at home over half term week, this is an ideal opportunity to get out of the house. For those who are riding the Tour of Wessex the weekend before, this will be an ideal recovery ride. For those riding Italy, a gentle few miles in the legs and for everyone else a welcome antidote to golf days and the opportunity to ride in pleasant company.

It is a route we have done before. Around 80 miles from Lloyd's and back.

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2918369#.USVBKyA1pTQ.email
#.USVBKyA1pTQ.email

Please load it onto your Garmin.

We will leave Lloyd’s promptly at 09:00. We will leave the Roehampton Gate café in Richmond Park at 10:00am. There is a café stop for lunch at the National Trust Café in Runneymede.

If you need to bail during the ride, please let everyone know.

There are a number of bailing points. We go past Imperial Wharf station on the London Overground as well as Virginia Water, Sunningdale and Ascot stations. I am not sure where trains go to from these stations but they are a way back for anyone not coping or with irresolvable mechanical issues. Windsor, Staines and Egham stations are not too far off the course as well. Chertsey, Shepperton, Hampton and Kingston stations are all also near the route as are Barnes and Putney. Closer in than that and a cab will have to suffice as bikes are not usually permitted on the tube. Please bring sufficient cash/cards.

Water is easily available at Richmond Park on the way out and back and at the café stop as well as numerous petrol stations that we pass.

Much of the route is on urban or suburban roads. We will be following the rules of the road and stopping at all red lights. If you go through a green light, please check that those behind have also cleared it and wait/slow down so that anyone held up by a red can join on. Please be considerate of and careful with traffic.

Please point out potholes and other hazards.

We stop for all punctures and other problems. No one is dropped. This is not a race but a social ride. We will take our time and ride supportively as a group. There are a few short and relatively gentle climbs. Please slow at the summit to allow other riders to catch up and for the group to reform. These climbs are:

Sawyers Hill – Richmond Park.
Thorpe Green to Virginia Water (short and not very sharp)
A30 Wentworth to Sunningdale (longer but steady) Devenish Road towards South Ascot (nasty little thing but not too demanding) South Ascot to Ascot (not too demanding) Egham to Virginia Water on A30 past Royal Holloway College. (Not very exciting.
Ham Gate and into Richmond Park (Short and very sharp)

Other than these, the whole route can be ridden in the big ring.

There is a jolly good descent on a long straight road through Windsor Great Park. Again, descend and then regroup.

Please bring water, food, money/cards, spare inner tubes, multi tool, tyre levers, pump/CO2, phone, Helmets will be worn. Please check your bike before you ride. This is an unsupported ride and everyone is responsible for their own mechanical well being.

Hopefully the weather will be fine and we can enjoy a pleasant and relaxing ride.

Please let me know if you are coming.

Episode 15.

Wasting away

http://www.lloydswellbeingcentre.co.uk/clives-cycling-blog-15/

Is that your younger, slimmer brother in the photo or is it really you?!

Excellent work, sir.

That's awesome how quickly you're losing weight, Clive. It seems to be happening just as it did for my friend about whom I told you a few years ago--first no discernible weight loss for years, and then it all went fast. I can't remember if he had a particular nutritional programme, but perhaps it was a similar case of adopting a kind of monitored course of action.

Very impressive Clive. You really must be looking forward getting the new you to the high mountains.

Go Clive!

You have lost almost 1/3 of me!

Keep trying Clive! We could be hoops free!

But hoops these days is a very different creature from the evil, scheming, mis-spelled spagettihoops of old who tried to end on 6,666 posts and for some reason keeps losing some (currently on 6,660, which is evil enough, I suppose). :)

Given my diet, I am just disappointed that you didn't say "mis-spelt" Oliver as that is the only pasta I am allowed.