Motivational Moments

This morning before work I went out on a 27 mile ride east of Edinburgh to Longniddry, over to the coast and back to Edinburgh.

It was stunning.

It was pitch black as left the house and Edinburgh, cold but not freezing. As I left the urban sprawl and the last remnants of the city, dawn started to break over the horizon. I was suddenly aware that I could see the hills. The land was a fraction blacker than the sky. As the miles rolled on, the sky turned through the shades of blue from a dark steal to a deep royal blue. By the time I reached Longniddry and the turning point, I was sorry I wasn't continuing east. I wanted to carry on but I couldn't this week, too soon in the training schedule, only my second full training week.

When I hit the coast, I was glad I continued with the plan. The Forth of Firth was pitch black but the moon was almost full, hanging in a clear dark blue sky. The reflexion of the moon on the water was dazzling. I followed this view as I headed back to Edinburgh, sometimes with Fife as a backdrop and sometimes Edinburgh and Arthur's Seat. Stunning.

By the time I hit the outskirts of the city, rush hour was digging in. The lorries were cautiously passing and the cars were bombing past...

But they couldn't take away the sense of peace and joy of the world.