When the clocks go back it usually means that spring is well and truly here, but this year the weather isn’t holding up its end of the bargain.

Instead of clear blues days and milder air we’re dealing with dropping temperatures, lots of rain and even snow in Scotland and the far north of England.

I’m heading to the Lake District over Easter to try out a mountain bike skills course at Cycle Active, who are based in Penrith. When I first organised the trip at the start of the year, looking out at all the winter snow, I felt confident that by April the ‘cold snap’ surely would have passed. Instead it looks like it is making a last ditch appearance just in time for my course. Perfect!

But weather gripes aside I’m just excited to get outdoors and stretch the legs away from the city environment I usually exercise in. The thought of biking through the Lakes, even if it is in the rain or snow, will make a welcome change from running through the cityscape.

We’ve just published an interview with Jess Stone, one of the UK’s up and coming mountain biking stars – so I’ll be reading that to get some tips to help me on the course.

And look out for my report from the course coming soon on Sportsister, along with a video showing off all my biking skills - or lack of them!

And if you haven’t yet watched the behind the scenes video from the last Sportsister cover shoot – you can check it out here – the team went to Sandbanks beach in Poole to shoot marathon runner Liz Yelling.

We’re currently working on our May/June print magazine which will be celebrating the best of the summer sports including tennis, open water swimming and surfing. The whole Sportsister team has been really excited to start work on this one as it really brings a little bit of summer into the office!

Look out for the issue at the start of May.

Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine