Decision Day Tomorrow?

Bad weather and punctures have impeded my training this week. I set off the other day but got a puncture after 2 miles and had no spare tubes so phoned home for a lift. It took me a couple of days to get spare tubes so that set me back but it rained almost non-stop anyway. To make up, I fully intended doing a long, long, all day ride with the Wigan Wheelers today but bad weather was forecast for this afternoon and I decided to restrict my efforts to a morning ride only and managed a 30 mile ride up to Preston and back. It was quite windy and I got wet near the end. Dodgy weather is forecast for all of this week but I feel I need to go out and ride every day, whatever the distance. I have done nothing like the same amount of training as for last year's ride but with a full weeks training I am confident that I will be able to "grow into" the distance and will manage OK.

So there it is. I have decided that it's on. I have quite a bit of organising to do and a number of people to contact about final arrangements but don't see a problem.

A Few Positives?

I tagged along with the Wigan Wheelers again today and managed just short of 50 miles at a decent pace (for me that is). It was almost ideal cycling weather, nice and warm with a slight breeze here and there. Before anyone asks the question, ideal cycling weather is - nice and warm with a howling gale behind (for me that is). I felt OK throughout and hopefully didn't hold them up too much.

After lunch, which was "sin free breakfast", seemingly everything bar sausages, I split from the main group and made my way back homeward through Newburgh where I called in on my "mentor" Robin who is not too well these days but battling on and smiling as usual. He made me two perfect cups of tea which I enjoyed along with the usual shedfull of chocolate biscuits and his own brand of encouragement, all of which were most welcome. The last leg was fairly eventful. I dragged myself over Parbold Hill without stopping but soon after I had a rear wheel puncture which is no surprise given the state of the roads in the vicinity. I fixed it OK which was quite a pleasant surprise, remembering the last puncture I had in the middle of Bulgaria where I used up all my supply of three spare tubes and ended up thumbing a lift. I've just checked and that occurred on 10th May last year. I wonder where Yuri, the "Mad Russian", is now.

I probably won't manage a ride tomorrow. I'm taking the BYW to the airport around mid-day and there is some dodgy weather forecast later in the day. I could get up early I suppose. Behave!

Decision day is getting closer. Looking more likely, I think.

Good Luck to Wigan Athletic tonight.

Here is today's ride. The time doesn't include for stops. I'm not that slow, honest.

http://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MzM2NDgx

Coming along nicely but....

I have managed a total of 124 miles or so this week which is a decent increase on past weeks but I think I need to step it up a bit in the next three weeks and lose a bit of weight and also start to carry a bit of weight, that is, with the bags on here and there. I now have a provisional departure date of 28th May but I am still not 100% certain to go. I have therefore set another date of 14th May for a definite decision so I am doing all the necessary preparations so that I will be ready whichever way the coin falls.

If I do go it will be a bit of a cop out because I will only be riding to Athens and then travelling by boat across the "Great Green" to Rhodes which is only an hour away from Fethiye by ferry. The whole trip should only take about three weeks. Not the same challenge as last year but a challenge all the same and promising to be quite spectacular in places.    

Third of a Year

Its a third of a year since I last blogged - and what a turd of a year it has been so far.

I started it off with the best of intentions. The plan was to slowly build up my mileage and get myself in shape for this year's ride to Turkey in April, around the same time as last year, but this time using a different route. I had approached a number of good mates to ride along for all or part of the way and there was some interest so I was hopeful of a different type of adventure.

After my New Year's day ride to retrieve the car from my mum's I did a couple of shortish rides in the cold weather and then got this "man-flu" all the women talk about. I'd struggle for a week and then think I was getting over it but then find myself welded to the bed next morning, unable to move. Any time I did feel reasonably well there was a blizzard (ok a bit of snow) or other inclement non-cycling-friendly weather, ie wet, windy, cold. The training obviously suffered and an April departure was out of the question. Also, one by one, the members of the prospective entourage had to drop out, all for good reasons, so I was then confronted with riding on my own which wouldn't be a problem but I just would have preferred going with some select company.

Over the last few weeks, however, the weather has improved slightly and training has gone well. I have done a couple of 30s and a 40 and went out with the legendary Wigan Wheelers yesterday and completed 60 odd miles. My legs (and bottom) don't feel too bad today and that has given me the impetus to make the tentative announcement that there is a possibility that I am provisionally intending to set off some time in the last week in May. I am being deliberately vague because I am nowhere near as committed as I was last year for some reason and I "may not feel like it" when I get nearer to the day. Having said that the slightly warmer weather has increased my enthusiasm slightly and I feel moderately positive.

It's good to be back blogging. I just hope somebody is still out there to read it.

New Year's Day 2013

1/1/2013

Drove to mummy's last night with the best of intentions but had a couple so we got a taxi home. This means I need to get on the bike and ride the 10 or so miles to retrieve the car. So commences training and preparation for this year's challenge, which is again Wigan to Fethiye but his time using a totally different route and hopefully with a few close friends for company. I've not been on a bike now since the Manchester 100 which was on 2nd September - approximately 13 weeks.

A training schedule needs to be sorted, and adhered to, equipment needs to be organised. Apart from that - not much.

Watch this space and follow me on twitter @tomkel3184.