I think that is it - I am (middle aged fat happy) trying to get fitter and 3 miles across London each morning helps. But it's not a race track and it has taken

I think that is it - I am (middle aged fat happy) trying to get fitter and 3 miles across London each morning helps. But it's not a race track and it has taken me a long time to accept it for what it is - a commute in traffic, with minor exercise benefits I suspect a lot of people (younger and fitter) don't see it as such. And I get that. A long long time ago when I would cycle in car traffic, I upgraded my bike from an old cheap MTB to a nicer road bike. On the flat I saw a 5 mph increase in my top speed the very next day. And my commute time did not change a bit. It was not how fast I was capable of travelling but how many risks I was prepared to take that decided if I could shave more time off the commute. And this is it - it takes a certain amount of time to cycle a mile on the flat open road. In traffic it takes more time, and only by dialling up the risk-o-meter to 11 can you get it back down to "open flat" time. And that risk-o-meter means other people's blood so it's not acceptable. If I want my exercise then it's running on the pavement and press ups in the park.