Winer Training, it's meant to be hard - right?

Ooookaaay, so I've found a small training window in my busy day, its just above freezing, its blowing a hooly out of the north and I just know I've got to get the miles in - I mean you can't head into a summer without some real hard man winter epics, anyway the forecasts ok 'til later (more on that later)

Dressing for this is simple; put everything on! Bib knicks, thermal t shirt, arm warmers, bib tights, long wooly socks, mid layers, Roubaix top, gilet, winter gloves/boots, buff, helmet, then spare gloves and waterproof in back pocket along with the obligatory jelly babies and flapjack thingy.

Click in and spin off into a solid wall of ice cold headwind, on the flat I'm in 39x19, with only a 21 and 23 left for the lumpy bits ahead, hmmm. The next hour or so is hard work, but I'm on top of the gear and in no rush, mindful of "it's base miles, take it easy, it's base miles". Turn and the next leg is with the wind, which is good as there is a dirty big dark cloud chasing me, which before long catches up and celebrates by snowing on me. Final leg, nasty sidewind blowing me around, stinging snow on my right cheek, dayglo waterproof on - not only for warmth, but vis is poor now and I'm genuinely worried about being sideswiped by a lorry. Hill ahead, ignore the base miles mantra and dance up in the big ring, desperate to try and outrun what is now a blizzard (guess the forecast was a bit out then) Over the top, change up, sit down and....... crack, snap, wobble, WTF, everything's gone very wobbly - the seatpost bolt has snapped. Oh. Dear. Me. I'm still 10 miles from home. After realising it's not fixable with a multi tool, chain tool or spoke key, I have no option but to stay in the big ring and stay out of the saddle all the way. Ouch.

As I said, winter training (even if it supposed to be Spring) is meant to be hard - it's character building!