Tatton Park

59 miles. One week to go and today was something of a dress rehersal. I rode to Tatton Park to meet Dad, Gwen & Ellie and packed my bike with everything i intend to take on my trip. It was a bit of a squeeze getting everything in and a bit wobbly to start with but once i got moving everything was ok. It was another lovely sunny day, I'm going to have a bit of a shock if it starts to rain on my ride, i've been pretty lucky so far apart from one occasion. It's also a shame I can't get Gwen to pop up every lunchtime with a lovely picnic like the one she made today.


For the record this is what I'm taking with me in my bags

Clothes - fleece, rain jacket, long sleve top, long cycling pants, shorts, t-shirt, waterproof socks, underware, poncho, gloves, maps

Gadgets - netbook, GPS watch, Car Sat Nav (for finding places in towns), camera, MP3 player, phone

Bits & Bobs - spare tyre, 3 innertubes, puncture kit, tool thing, suncream, pump, CO2 canisters (pump up tyres quickly), maps, gaffer tape, book to read, micro towel, toiletries, wallet.

Thats pretty much it. Doesn't seem like alot when it's all written down.

Complacent

27, 0 and 28 miles. Two weeks to go and as the distances demonstrate I seem to have taken my foot of the gas somewhat. I've got a list of excuses and I'm just hoping complacency isn't setting in. I am going to try and do a few longer rides over the next few weeks now that my bike has been serviced (one of my excuses) and is once again working without all the strange noises. The problem is they take such a long time to complete, especially at around 11/12 miles per hour i seem to go at. I'm glad that soon I'm going to be actually doing it and am hoping that it is something approaching the 80% mental, 20% physical challenge that i remember reading when i first started researching the trip. I'm off to see some professionals riding round the streets of Chester later so hopefully they will inspire me.

The Route

28 miles & 28 Miles. D-day is creeping closer and closer, less than a month to go now. I wasn't able to cycle for about ten days after becoming ill following my ride to Llandudno, but over the last few days i've been out a few times and am starting to get back to the level of fitness i was at before. I've finished sorting out the outline of the route and booked all my accomodation on route. I'll be staying in a mixture of B&B's, Lodges, Halls of Residences, Youth Hostels, Travelodges and of course my home in Chester. It would have been nice to not have had to planned so much and just stopped wherever i felt like en-route, but given my time constraints, lack of experience and the fact that for most of the route i'll be on my own it's not really sensible to do that I guess. It's still going to be an adventure however and now that it's getting that bit closer the excitement is starting to build inside me again.