There are a few things I’ve learnt about being a ‘good’ pillion since first getting on the back of Kiwi’s BMW 1100GS (aka Bert) about 5 years ago including:

• Falling asleep is not desirable, especially if you tend to stir mid corner only to completely upset the line of the bike
• Core strength is surprisingly important in helping make sure your lower back doesn’t give out after a few hours
• At temperatures above about 28 degrees I dehydrate very quickly in my standard Rukka Flexina jacket and textile pants (ATGATT)

Added to these things, I know I need to eat at regular intervals. If tired, hungry, in pain or hot, I become a whiny, grumpy pain in the ass and very unpleasant person to be around. So the first thing I need to do to prepare for Butt Lite is find strategies that work for me to manage these things.

Having been assured by Kiwi that reducing or eliminating my alcohol intake will help with fatigue management, that’s step one this year. I’ve committed to only drinking Friday-Sunday nights and then no wine at all in June.

Second is getting some new gear – I need airflow jacket and pants. Third is either finding affordable Pilates classes or increasing my personal training sessions each week to help manage my back and finally food and water intake… that comes next.

So far the reduced alcohol intake is going well. But it’s only week one back at work… we’ll see how we go.