As the famous Chinese proverb puts it, a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step.

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This is a diary of my training etc in preperation for the challenge.
 

 Jan

 1

Recovering from New Year celebrations 

 2

See above! 

3

Refereed Rugby Match 

4

Cycle ride - 42 miles in 2.45 hrs @ average speed of 15.27 MPH

5

Rest Day 

6

Unable to excercise due to working late 

7

Unable to excercise due to working late 

8

Excercise Bike - 1 hr at level 4 = 34K (21 miles)

9

Rest Day

10

Rugby Match cancelled due to weather

Excercise Bike - 1 hr at level 4 = 34K (21 miles)

11

Cycle ride - 50 miles in 3.25 hrs @ average speed of 14.8 mph included North Hill Little Baddow

(North Hill Little Baddow is a steep climb of over 1 1/2 miles)

12

Excercise Bike - 70 mins @ level 4

13

Rest Day 

14

Cycle to and from work despite the freezing weather:

To: 14.71 miles in 55.14 @ average speed of 16 mph

Home: 14.71 miles in 51055 @ average speed of 17.1 mph 

15

Excercise Bike - 75 mins at level 4 = 40k. Average speed of 21 mph (1000 calories) 

16

Rest Day 

17

Rugby Match 

18

Cycle ride - did 35 miles then got a puncture. Average speed up to that point was 17 mph and I had planned a route of 70 miles.

19

Excercise bike - 90 mins at level 4 = 47.8k. Average speed of 19.8 mph (1214 calories)

 20

Rest day

 21

Rest Day

 22

Excercise Bike - 1 hr in total

50 minutes at level 5

10 minutes at level 4 = 32k (925.9 calories)

 23 

Rest day

 24

Rugby match

 25

Bad weather unable to go out for a ride

Excercise bike:

Hill climb programme for 30 mins - 13k (440 calories)

30 mins at level 5 = 15.5k (463 calories)

 26

Rest day

 27

Cycle to and back from work:

To: 14.71 miles in 53 mins average speed 16.6

From: 20.15 miles in 1hr 15 mins average speed 16 mph

 28

Excercise bike - 1 hr at level 5 - 32.3k average speed of 20 mph (975 calories) 

 29

 

Cycle to and back from work:

To: 13.56 miles in 49.39 average speed 16.4

From: 13.87 miles in 53.14 average speed 15.6 mph

 30

Rest Day

31

Rugby match 

 Feb

1

Weather too bad to go cycling.

Excercise bike - 1 hr at level 5 = 31.6k average speed of 19.6 mph (947 calories) 

2

Rest day

3

Excercise bike - 89.38 mins at level 5 = 50k average speed of 20mph (1504 calories)       

4

Excercise bike - 30 mins at level 5 & 6 - 16.6k average speed of 20 mph (503 calories) 

5

Excercise bike -

0-30 at level 5

30-45 at level 6  

45-60 at level 5 = 33.3k average speed of 20.69 mph (1037 calories)

6

Rest day 

7

Rugby match cancelled due to weather.

Went to Cycles UK @ Basildon and collected my new bike. Got home and couldn't help going for a short ride to try it out - very pleased!

9.14 miles average speed of 16.3 mph.  

8

Even though it was below freezing I couldn't resist the urge to try out the new bike. I certainly noticed the extra weight and the change in riding position.

Distance: 48.5 miles in 3hrs 04 minutes @ average speed of 15.78 mph - quite pleased with that and the bike is great! Finished off with my nemises - North Hill Little Baddow. Half way up my thighs were screaming so I gave in and changed down to the smallest cog!! 

9

Really bad weather today with heavy rain. I was going to have a rest but then decided to do 30 miutes on the excercise bike which ended up being an hour!

1 hour at levei 5 - 33k average speed of 20.5 mph (1003 calories)

Jumped on the scales - 10 stone 13 3/4! - must eat more!!

10

Lots of heavy rain today with some flooding.

Rest day (almost!). As it was dry by 7.00pm I decided to try out the new lights so did a very short ride - 5.05 miles in 18 minutes @ average speed of 16.3 mph. Lots of surface water and even more potholes!  

11

Rest Day 

12

Cycle Ride after work. A bit cold when I set off but dry. After 5 miles it began to rain followed by sleet and then full on snow - what joy!

17.57 miles in 1 hout 7 miutes @ average speed of 15.5 mph. 

Panniers are now fitted so I am strating to increase the weight to work up to the full weight I will be carrying on the trip.

13

 Rest Day

14

Rugby Match @ Beccles. Very heavy going in the mud so had a pretty good work out on the legs!

15

Reasonably nice day, not too cold just a bit cloudy.

Set of at 10.00 and first stop was at 12.30 having done 42 miles @ average speed of 16 mph. After stopping for lunch the wind picked up and brought the rain with it. By taking a wrong turn I ended up on the main A120 which was not a pleasant time with fast moving heavy traffic and rain!!

Back home by 2.30 having covered 61.37 miles @ average speed of 15.2 mph.

I had loaded the panniers up a bit more and changed the saddle which was a bit better.

Tried out the GPS for the first time but made the usual male mistake - should have read the instructions first!!

16

Rest Day - more route planning and researching accommodation 

17

Cycle ride after work. Having read the instructions for the GPS I did a short 15 mile route and uploaded it to the GPS. Worked really well with audible alarms when you approach turns and if you deviate from the route it recalculates and gets you back to where you need to go.

Did 14.75 miles in 56 minutes @ 15.7 mph which was pleasing given that I chose a route with plenty of climbs. 

18

Cycel to and from work - 30 miles. 

19

Rest Day 

20

Rest Day 

21

Cycled to sister-in-laws at Edmonton, North London. Took lots of kit so was quite near the amount I will be carrying on the trip. The last few miles along the North Circular and through Tottenham were quite an experience!!!

50 miles in 3hrs 27 minutes @ average speed of 14.2 mph. Negotiating major junctions, heavy traffic and lots of pedestrians looses a lot of momentum and speed which affects the average speed. 

22

Local route but a bit of a change as headed off West to Stock, Ingatestone, Blackmore, Great Easter and accross to Great Waltham, Great Leighs, Terling, Witham, Maldon and home.

Had my first accident! Came to a complete halt but couldn't get my feet out of the pedal stirrups and fell over - much to the amusement of a couple sitting nearby! Only pride hurt.

57 miles in 3 hrs 45 minutes @ average speed of 15.2 mph.

23

Rest Day 

24

Cycled to/from work. >12.65 miles in 46.52 mins @ average 16.1 mph

                               < 13.87 miles in 51.17 mins @ average 16.2 mph 

25

Decided to get back on the excercise bike for a change:

1 hr at level 5 = 32k (20 mph) 968 calories 

 26

 Rest Day

 27

Should have been a rest day as I have two rugby matches comig up over the weekend but the weather was really good after work so went out for an hour!

17.69 miles in 1 hr, 2 mins @ average speed of 17 mph.

28

Rugby Match 

   

 Mar

 

1

Rugby Match - Under 19's Cup Semi-final. Good fast open match so had a pretty good run around

2

Thought about a rest as the thighs were a bit tight after yesterday but the weather was too good so went for a short ride after work.

13.39 miles in 47 minutes @ average speed of 17 mph. 

3

Rest Day 

4

Rest Day 

5

Late start at work so got a ride in beforehand:

30 miles in 1 hr 40 minutes @ average of 15.6 mph 

6

Rest Day 

7

Today and tomorrow should have been my first back to back long rides. I had planned a 70 mile route today and 80 miles tomorrow. Unfortunately I got called into work at 7.00 am and worked through until 2.00am  the following day. See below 

 8

Today I worked from 06.30 to about 9.00pm 

 9

Very long day at work - no training 

10

Very long day at work - no training 

 11

Very long day at work - no training 

 12

Very long day at work - no training 

13

Desperate by now to get out on the bike having eaten rubbish food for the last 6 days and not getting out on the bike, so managed a short ride after work.

16.6 miles in 1hr and 6 minutes @ average of 15 mph  

14

Long day at work

15

Managed to get out before work today:

29 miles in 1 hr 53 minutes @ average of 15.3 mph.

Shame about having to go to work today as the weather was great and I could have stayed out all day!

16

Feeling really tired today so had a rest! 

 17

Rode back and forth to work today: 13 miles in the morning and 38 miles on the way home = 51 miles in total and averaged just of 15 mph.

18

Rest day 

 19

Rest Day 

 20

The first day off from work in nearly three weeks so I should have had a nice relaxing day! Did the route I had planned to do on the 8th March

83 miles in total. Out of the house for 6 hrs and 45 minutes of which 5 hours and 40 minutes were cycling. I loaded up the bike almost to capacity. My average speed was 14.6 mph which I'm hapy with. 

21

Rest Day - still tinkering with my route and did some maintenance on the bike 

22

55 miles in 3hrs 40 minutes @ average speed of 15 mph.

Got stopped by a chap who saw my H4H flag and handed me all the loose change he had in his pocket - great moment! 

23

30 minutes on excercise bike 

24

Rest Day 

25

1 hour on excercise bike 

26

Rest Day 

27

Rest Day 

28

Rest Day 

29

Packed everything I plan to take and set off for a overnight stay at a Youth Hostel in Cambridge.

88 miles in total with an average speed of 13.6 mph

30

Return journey from Cambridge was a bit shorter and I took it at a slower pace.

60 miles in total with an average speed of 12.6 mph.

I left Cambridge at 8.00 am and was home just before 2.00pm.

31

Rest Day 

 

Apr

                                                                                                                              

1

Rode to and from work;

13 miles in the (very) early morning

30 miles on the way home 

2

Rest Day 

3

Rest Day 

4

Work got in the way 

5

Rest Day 

6

60 miles today at average speed of 14.4 fully loaded up. 

7

Rest Day 

8

Rest Day

9

Rest Day 

10

82.6 miles today average of 14.8 mph 

11

Rest Day 

12

Rest Day 

13

Just a short ride today - 33 miles average speed of 15.5 mph 

14

Rest Day 

15

Rest Day 

16

Rest Day

17

Rest Day 

18

70 miles at average of 14.6 mph. This now takes the milleage I've completed on this bike

to over 1000 miles - here's hoping the next 1000 miles are as trouble free!!

This will be my last big ride before I go next week 

19

Eat some pasta 

20

Eat some more pasta 

21

How many types of pasta are there?

22

Blimey - not had this pasta before!!

23

Pasta snadwiches are awfull 

24

At last it's here - any more pasta and I'll explode!!!!

25

Travel to Lands End 

26

 

27

 

28

 

29

 

30

 

31