Sunrise

Well it's been a couple of days since I last updated my diary so I thought I ought to make an entry.

All in all the last couple of day's have been rather uneventfull. Went mountainbiking on Tuesday to test out my new camera mount for my bike, unfortunately it does not work too well, it's great on the smoother tracks but once you hit the rougher stuff with jumps the camera lens jolts and freezes. To be honest the camera I was using was not really made for bombing through woodlands absorbing shock from the trail...oh well, back to the drawing board.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I was at the gym after work, decline session. Had a great session and I am a little tender in my chest today. Although that did not stop me going for a nice run afterwork around Ickworth Park with Mr Fell.

Took a couple of great photographs this morning on my way to work too. Lovely day again, would you believe that my car registered the temperature at 28 degrees!! God I love the sunshine.

Well, the time is 18:37 and I think it's time I had a shower, put on a DVD and went to bed..lol.

This is me.......signing off.....

Back to work tomorrow

Well, Monday is almost over and it's back to work tomorrow. What a beautiful weekend, it's about time we had some sunshine on a Bank Holiday.

Pretty much spent today relaxing, set up my bivvi bag for the first time today to see what it was like and to see how long it took to set up. It took all of about 3 mins to be honest, really quick, lightweight and easy. When I got inside it though it was a bit close for comfort but I guess I will get used to it, well, I will have too as it will be my home for a week...lol

Also, managed to make a camera mount for the handlebars of my bike, using nothing but an old light fitting, a bolt and a couple of washers....its bloody great and it actually works which surprised me...lol

I have not really done much else today so this is going to be a very short entry. On the plus side, I don't even ache the slightest bit from the weekends riding. Must be fitter than I thought and the knee is feeling much better.....

Earlies next week, so up at 04:30....then off mountain biking at Thetford in the afternoon.

Until tomorrow........

Thank god it's over.....

Well, we did it. Set off early on Saturday morning, 7am, and made our way up the Peddars Way trail and what fun we had too.

It all started pretty normal, just taking it easy and enjoying the sites when one of our team had to give in as Asthma got the better of him. He did however manage to complete 15 miles so well done mate. The rest of us however soldiered on. Andre and I found a rubbish little jump that we just had to do (obviously) and it was not long before Andre had his first fall, albeit a bit of a girly one as he could not get his feet from his cleats....lol. Then not half and hour later, fell off again going down a curb.......LOL....although I must laugh as I came a right cropper on a really rough part of the trail, I managed to find the deepest, muddiest and quite frankly the biggest bloody puddle on the whole damn trip. I was absolutely covered in mud and crap...LOL. Was rather funny though and only came away with scrape to the knee and elbow.

The funniest mishap for me however happened as we approached Castle Acre. As you come down a hill into the village you come across a foot bridge crossing a Ford. Andre, just blasts straight through the Ford with no problems, I then have to have a go, hit a big rock under the water and end up on my back floating down a river...LOL. It was really funny and the water was very refreshing.

Shortly after Castle Acre, Marc and John really start to feel the strain so Andre and I blasted off and headed for Ringstead and the Bunkhouse Barn for our over night stay. There was a lot of up hill sections which really did take it out of us but with the power of mind over body we dug deep and reached the top, which of course lead to some fantastic, fast downhill sections...AWESOME!!

We reached Rinstead around 3pm and Marc and John arrived around 4pm. We all showered and headed down to The Gin Trap for dinner and a beer, which, was very much needed as we were all ravenously hungry, god knows how many calories we had burned. After the pub, walked back to our bunks and bedded down.

Woke this morning, Sunday, and by Christ were we aching. Marc and John unfortunately could not go on with the final leg of the trip which was the cycle home so they arranged a pick up from Anne, Marc's wife. They did however walk to Holme and then to Hunstanton. Andre and I braved our saddle sore backsides and got on our bikes and headed back down Peddars Way for the journey home.

I unfortunately developed a really nasty pain in my right knee and had to abandon the ride once we reached Castle Acre, only 30miles from home. We though it was best not to push my boundaries, not when we have our really big 240 mile ride in just two weeks. Last thing I needed was to knacker my knee so we thought it wise to arrange a pick up.

Arrived home to a nice surprise too. Our t-shirts for the Downs Syndrome Association had arrived which really boosted our spirits.

I would just like to say a big thank you to all my friends. Marc, Andre and John. I had a fantastic time with you all this weekend and may it be the start of many more adventures to come....Well done everyone for completing the 50mile ride on Saturday.

I suppose I had best attach a few pics............

On a final note, I received an email from Amanda today, it was full of encouragement as always which really did boost my spirits......thanks Milly.x.

Preparation complete

Ok....I'm all set and ready to go for tomorrows ride.

Had a pretty busy day today, I had somewhat of an emergency situation on my bank account, some knobber in Morocco has hacked into my online account so the bank, quite rightly shut down my account. Had to sort that out today which was a bit of a pain in the arse but got there in the end.

Went to the gym this morning and had one hell of a work-out. We did pyramid training today which is where you start on the lowest weight and do 3 reps, then move up weights at 3 reps each until you reach your absolute maximum lift limit, then you work backwards again until you reach the lightest weight. Its a really bizarre feeling went the lightest weight at the end of the set feels the heaviest. Also went into Halfords and bought myself some new SPD cleats for my new mountainbiking boots which will be arriving anyday now, they are really cool, Gortex lined and all that jazz, perfect for walking and cycling which will come in very handy on my challenge ride with the added bonus of dry feet.

Had a few problems with the computer so with the help of my dad, Graham, managed to get it all sorted out and now my computer is running nice and smoothly with no more bloody annoying pop-ups to contend with. Funny how they get naughtier the later at night it gets....lol

Thats pretty much it for today, not very eventfull but a full day never the less. Time for bed I think as up for 05:30......

Night.....zzzzzz

The Beginning

Right then, here we go. Probably the first time I have ever decided to write what I would call a public diary, not really one for sharing emotions, thoughts and all that stuff but there IS a first time for everything......apparently.

Where to start...? Well, lets start by sharing with you all my plans for the Bank Holiday weekend. A bunch of us have decided to cycle a 50mile route called Peddars Way (which, for those of you not from around here is in Norfolk) Preparations have been made and we all start out on Saturday morning at around 7am, my friend Andre the poor sod has to get up at 05:30 in order to drive to my house for the start. The route starts at a place called Knettishall Heath Country Park and heads north to the coastal town/village of Holme. The plan is, we cycle to Holme, which should take us around 5/6 hours, then on to a place called Ringstead (i think) where we will be bunking up for the night at the Bunkhouse Barn, youth hostel type place for trekkers and cyclists. Then of course there will be a search for the nearest pub for food and ale.

As Sunday morning breaks we will be up again, reasonably early I should imagine to start the journey back, hopefully arriving home for mid-afternoon. I will, of course be taking a bundle of photographs, as is obligatory when I go on trips as is eventually pissing everyone off with the constant clicking of my camera and posting a selection of them on here for all to see.

OK, well, I think that's not too bad for my first effort at E-Blogging....or whatever it's called.....

Stay tuned, same Internet channel, same Internet time...........