One race into my cyclocross season in the London League and, despite riding convincingly towards the laterne rouge end of the race, I really enjoyed it. In fact I'm rather hooked and can't wait to get cracking again next weekend. I might even remember to do my legs for it.

I've even written a brief incitement to cyclocross on the BBC's 606 (well it's one way to shift my out-of-date Worlds article from the index):

Read my article, entitled "What to do with winter?"

Definitely felt like a one hour pelt round a muddy field near my threshold amounts to much better winter training than slogging round the Surrey Hills of a Sunday. I probably worked as hard in that one hour as I do in five in the Hills. Distance I can handle by gritting my teeth and getting on with it but it's always been building that top-end power that I've struggled with. Cyclocross feels like it is ideal for targetting that.

The atmosphere is really friendly compared to on the road and you don't worry so much about falling off as mud isn't going to give you road rash like the tarmac does. Will write more when I get a moment - I'm on late shifts this week which is a bind.