Sydney and Back

OK, it's been a while since I posted an update and the big day is getting ever closer. I have a reasonable excuse having been in Aussie for three weeks on holiday, and then on my bike for quite a bit of time since I got back. I've yet to get more pleasure out of blogging than looking at Sydney Opera House, or even grafting up a Peak District hill in the wind and rain....and long may it continue.

Australia was a time of plenty of beer, food that is bad for you interspersed with early morning runs in Queensland (hot!) and Sydney (spectacular!). It somehow takes the pain out of exercise when you are doing it somewhere interesting. I managed to get out on a bike once, around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, it took about an hour and a half, which included half an hour getting lost in the university campus, it wasn't even during bar opening hours.

Since I got back I've done around 160 miles and I have a big 90 miles ride planned with a fellow Londontoderby participant this Sunday. As he said, it's either going to be a wake up call which comes too late, or I'll be left feeling okay that i can do the last 50 or so miles from memory!

I've even been moved to clean my chain, and what a difference it made to the ease of pedalling. It makes sense I know, but I have NEVER done it. I will be a more regular cleaner from now on. Again, I always reckon if I've got time to tinker with the bike, then I should be on it, much more fun for an anti-engineer such as myself. Not that I am against any engineers, of course, it's just that I rarely look at anything and wonder how/why it works, and I'm glad of it as well.

I'm also eating energy bars and drinking energy drinks nearly every day, as I need to get my insides ready for consuming them on the big day, if your body isn't used to them they can react badly with stomach cramps etc. I wish I still thought a Mars bar would do the trick, but of course it doesn't.

I will try to blog more next week after this weekend's trial ride, so if anyone sees two very worried 40 year olds anywhere on the road between Ashbourne and Tamworth on Sunday, give us a wave but don't expect too much enthusiasm back. I'm just hoping the cakes at Kingsbury Water p[ark cafe are still as good, otherwise I'm in trouble.

finally, as Jasper Carrot once said, "What about the Villa....?!?!?". Bring it on Martin!!!