The Prologue

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This is the first entry in my blog. It seems strange because blogs are what journalists and nerds do and are not for the likes of me. However it seems the best way to communicate to a lot of people and gives them the option of logging in rather than receiving unwanted emails.
I have been in serious preparation for the ride since the beginning of the year. The inspiration came from a friend of ours Chris Oliver who did the ride last year. Then another friend Brian Rowe decided to do it this year and got me into thinking of doing the ride.. We had some discussion about cycling together but we could not agree on the accommodation arrangements. Brian is quite courageously carrying all he needs; tent, cooker etc along with him and will be camping most nights. I want an easier time and will carry less and do it quicker. I am using a lighter bike and stayng mainly in youth hostels.

Well what of the preparations? I have been trying to prepare on several fronts. These are;-
1) Trying to lose weight - portion control, abstaining from alcohol
2) Cycling fitness - cycling as much as possible and outdoor running
3) Core fitness - daily exercises
4) Suppleness - stretches.
I know this looks a bit organised and methodical but it isn't really. There is plenty of advice out there but I pick and mix from what I feel I want to do on a particular day. There is an element of forcing myself out, particularly when it is cold, which it has been so far this year. However, no matter how cold it is I rarely regret that that I am out.
My ride today consisted of about 25 miles but my bike computer is Kaput so I have to guess . Where I live I have the advantage of there being plenty of hills around and so for short rides I try and make sure I get the steep ones in. However have got to get use to longer rides as there is one stage on the JoGle that is over 90 miles. I am not use to this distance. I have done a couple over 100 miles in the past but was fatigued for days afterwards so I'll need to learn to recover more quickly. I am workng quite a lot over the next few days so there will be little opportunity to exercise. however no excuse not to do the stretches.

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