Downbound Train

Down to only 33 days left to go. The time is rapidly passing by. I set up this blog 3 months ago, and now there is only 1 month until I am due to start.

I have now got my bike serviced and ready to ride. I just need to sort out my kit into the bags and ensure it all fits. I also have to sort out the bike computer. At least, now I am in final stages of bike preparation. I suppose I should actually try putting some miles in on this bike. i have been riding my fixed bike all winter apart from during the snow.

The good news is that this last week, I have actually got some miles in. I have done 50 or more miles each day from Mon- Thurs by extending my commute in the morning and evening. I also did 25 miles into work on Friday. I didn't ride home Friday as I went up to Grantham on the train to be with Jo.

I managed a total of 228 miles Mon - Fri this last week - my highest weekly total ever I think.

I won't ride in on Monday as I will be travelling down from Grantham on the train. Then on Tuesday I won't get a long commute home as I will be heading off to the Orient. No, not the Far East, the Orient I'm going to is at Brisbane Road, London E10. They are playing Leeds. That is the team that won the league in 1973/74 not playing fairly according to (Sir) Brian Clough [ or was it Michael Sheen?] and he was right. Was it only 2001 when they were in the semi finals of the Champions League, and now in the 3rd tier of English football.

Talking of football, my first love seem to lurch from one headline grabbing story to another. After forcing the resignation of the most popular man on Tyneside by preferring the actions of that poisonous little dwarf Denis Wise, Mackem agent Ashl*y appoints a man whose contribution to football is the most swear words in a sentence and having a dodgy ticker. Who then promptly has another heart attack. Ashl*y then leaves us with no manager until the last 6 weeks of the season before appointing a man with no managerial experience at all to try to turn round a rapidly sinking ship. Guess what- we lost again. Anyone joining me to see the Toon at MK Dons in August?

I do have to confess, that I chose to go to Barnsley on Saturday to see their relegation clash with the Scabs of Nottingham Forest. A late phone call on Saturday lunchtime meant a late call up to the prawn sandwich brigade. So after rapidly touting our tickets we made our way into the corporate boxes where a certain Tr*lf*rd Mills popped over to ask why I wasn't at SJP and to remind me that he refereed KK's first game as a player at SJP. That was the game when
"Right on the hour,
You should have heard the din
When Wor Kev had a shot and the crowd sucked it in...."

Anyway, back to cycling... I have to say I wish my route to JoG was as downhill as the football teams I watch. I think I have now worked out a route to get me passed Glasgow or Edinburgh without needing to take a ferry. I will this week try to plot the route on the computer for this section. Once that is done, the rest of the route is easy to plan- it is as there are not many roads to choose from. I intend to have finished route planning by this time next week. I also hope to finalise some of the other arrangements, for example I am hopeful that I may have company for part of the first week as my father is planning to join me on route for a few days riding. Then for the 2nd week, Jo is coming up to Scotland to spend some time with me and to see some of Scotland, so I hopefully will not be alone for the whole fortnight. I still however have to get up those hills....