Friday 31 July 2015

Sights set on...Slovenia? Croatia? Serbia? Somewhere...


Just a quick update to say that John's social media coordinator will be taking the weekend off to attend to important business, namely hanging out at the beach and sipping sangria. While his biggest complaint has been the heat, here in Norfolk we've been experiencing what some might optimistically call 'springtime,' though it's more accurate to describe the weather lately as 'autumnal'. But lo, Friday arrived and with it the sunshine, so it would be a crime to stay glued to the computer - fascinating as obsessing over a dot has been.

In our absence, please do keep following John's progress and checking for his Twitter updates. If you're not on Twitter, fear not: just Google 'johnnymbakewell and Twitter' and you will be able to see his pictures and 140 words about pain, progress and pasta.

Well, after tonight it might not be "pasta," since he'll hopefully be in Macedonia (or Croatia, I'm not sure which), and I don't know what carbohydrate wonders await him there. Fingers crossed he makes it through some border before midnight, but in any case he's trucking along nicely today: heading toward 200 miles already, which I think takes him to 1,300 since midnight last Friday/Saturday. That's the same distance he cycled in last year's Transcontinental Race, making it to Dubrovnik in 8 days. Only about double to go and he should be in Istanbul!

John did say this morning that he's so grateful for all of you who are following, sending encouraging messages and keeping up with the race - so thank you very much. If you'd like to draw a nice picture for him to see you can try, but please don't think it can measure up to the ones I've created (above). I just let my children pretend it's their artwork.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday 29 July 2015

You're bleeding from WHERE?

The call came shortly after 8 UK time this morning. Immediately I knew all was not well.

"What's wrong?" I asked, picking up what sounded like whimpering against the clatter of cafe noise.

"Nothing, I'm fine," John said, but his voice was tight. Was he crying?

"Are you ok? Please tell me what's the matter," I pleaded, a knot forming in my stomach.

John's voice was choked, but he insisted, "No, I'm good. It's just I'm bleeding out of the bowels."

"YOU'RE BLEEDING OUT OF THE BOWELS?" I shrieked, loud enough to be heard by the kids downstairs. Loud enough to be heard by most of the village, as they sipped their milky tea and ate their flaccid toast (this is how all British people start their day, as far as I can tell).

"No, I said I'm letting off the valves," meaning he was overcome by emotion brought on by the exhaustion of reaching the second checkpoint of the race - and completely missing both the terror in my voice and the hilarity of the misunderstanding.

"I just did the climb of my life. It's thrilling. I'm feeling really strong," John said, sounding anything but.

"So you're not bleeding from your butt?"

"No."

"And you're not bleeding from anywhere else?"

"No."

"OK then."



Mentally, today's accomplishment signifies more than just the 2176-metre climb: though the second checkpoint of this year's race is on top of a different Alpine peak in Italy, it will vanquish the demon that's haunted him since the 2014 Transcontinental Race.

In his first race attempt, John burned through France and Switzerland, hovering around 14th place as he headed toward the Stelvio Pass in eastern Italy. But in a rare feat of sense triumphing over determination, John opted out of that section - disqualifying himself - because of a massive summer storm that promised torrential downpours, high winds, and ice and snow on top of the mountains.

As it happened, that storm system caused several climbers on Mont Blanc to lose their lives, and a landslide in the Swiss Alps left a train hanging over a ravine.

John was supposed to be on that train. He was going to clear the storms and pick up his route again further east in Italy, but when the train service was cancelled he caught a lift in a mini bus - unaware how much worse his luck could have been.

So while I worry about the dangers of this race (and I do worry, a lot), I know that John's common sense and previous mountain experience prevail, and he won't take risks. I also knew, even as he continued on last year to Croatia - doing a total of 1300 miles in eight days - that he'd be taking another stab at it in 2015. Unfinished business.

He called a couple hours ago to say he'd spent two hours descending the mountain, picking his way along a rocky track that was blowing tires left and right (he managed it with just one puncture). He had a quick word with his mum, and with each of the boys, and set off again for a few more hours of Alpine cycling. He's happy as a pig in muck.


Monday 27 July 2015

Still crazy after all these years

More than once I've been asked how mentally sound John is. It's not right, people say in hushed tones, shaking their heads. No one in their right mind would choose to spend most of the day and night, day after day for weeks, pushing up mountains, taking power naps in inhospitable locations, being seen in public in Lycra, for the love of Pete! 

Ah, I've countered, but that's just John! Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that. If he doesn't have a suitable challenge he's like a bear with a sore head. 


Until today. At 7 am precisely. That's the moment I decided my husband has lost the plot. 





John Bakewell using text-speak. John Bakewell, who recently went ballistic when I told him he was mansplaining ("That is NOT a word! That doesn't exist in the Oxford English Dictionary! Just do not ever say that again in my presence." To which I countered, "But now you're mansplaining about mansplaining."). John Bakewell, who prompts workmates to shout "Wot, wot!" in their best plummy accents and who routinely scolds his children from dropping their 't's - this John Bakewell has typed "OMG." Whatever next?


The phone call 12 hours later was no more reassuring. Although he's had about 4 hours sleep (for the second night in a row) and had already done about 160 miles today, as I type he's attempting to reach this year's first checkpoint on the Transcontinental Race. In fact, a quick check of the live tracking shows he's probably nearly at the top: http://trackleaders.com/transconrace15f (if you hover over race number 35, his current location pops up).


Known as "the Beast of Provence," Mont Ventoux has, according to Wikipedia, "become legendary as the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France bicycle race." It continues: 


"South from Bédoin, the ascent is 1617 m over 21.8 km. This is the most famous and difficult ascent. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. The last kilometres may have strong, violent winds."


Indeed, "wind speeds as high as 320 km/h (200 mph) have been recorded. The wind blows at 90+ km/h (56+ mph) 240 days a year. The road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds."  


Given he's already succumbed to text speak, I think John's past redemption and I'm not really surprised he thinks it's a good idea to spend the remaining few hours of Day Three pedaling into wind up a mountain. 


A rough guess estimates about half the racers have reached the first checkpoint at Mont Ventoux, with the leader already halfway across the top of Italy. So John's not the only bonkers one (though he is possibly the oldest!)

As I said before, the encouraging messages are pushing him ahead, so please keep them coming. The more LOLs the better. 


Sunday 26 July 2015

Bread and circuses



In news that will surprise absolutely nobody, it seems cycling 265 miles in a single day leaves one with "a very sore backside." At least that's what I could make out as John stuffed his face with a gallon of noodles, before bedding down on concrete for the night. Boy, does he know how to live it up!

Not much to update from today - our conversations are brief and mostly to let me know he's not been knocked off his bike by an errant string of garlic or a maliciously hurled saucisson - but at last count he had cycled nearly 200 miles for day two and was planning to stop outside Lyon. His tracker tells a different story though: an hour ago it looked like he'd stopped near Lac des Eaux Bleues (pictured above), but a refresh of the tracker reveals he's in the heart of Lyon. Near a boulangerie. Presumably planning to wake up to a sight like this:


Little does John know that he could wake up in his own comfy bed tomorrow to a similar vision in his own kitchen. It's been a miserably rainy day, so I spent the afternoon making two loaves of honey-and-seed bread and a pineapple upside-down cake. For moral support, of course.

Always a man of few words, an exhausted John is even quieter, and only calls when he's stopped to fill his face with carbs. An example from tonight:

Me: "What's your plan for tomorrow?" (Meaning, where will your route take you, how does the weather look, are you likely to hit the first checkpoint - I dunno, any bit of context).

John: "Get on my bike and pedal."

For my part, I'm looking forward to some freshly baked bread with homemade marmalade, a cup of Earl Grey and that warm fuzzy feeling that smugness gives you. Oooh, la la!

Saturday 25 July 2015

First morning update and FAQs

It's quarter past 10 and John has stopped for long enough to eat some pain au chocolat and rest for 15 minutes in a French bus shelter. So far, so familiar: for those of you who didn't follow last year's Transcontinental Race, John spent the first two nights sleeping between shopping carts (trolleys) outside Aldi in France and Switzerland. 

"It's throwing it down," he told me before throwing down the phone, in what will characterize our relationship for the next two weeks. No time for small talk, there are mountains to scale and chafing to cultivate. Since setting off at midnight, he's covered about 130 miles and appears to be still roughly middle of the pack, closing in on Reims in the Ardennes. From the satellite map, he seems to be coasting through farm fields near the foothills. But you don't have to take my word for it! 

Since posting my first update in the wee hours a few of you have already responded, which is fantastic! John's always said the thing that makes the biggest difference in pushing him on are the messages of support, so please, please keep them coming on Twitter, Facebook or by text. 

I'll try to address some FAQs here, but feel free to ask away on John's Facebook - I'll keep an eye on it. 

How can I follow John's progress?

John is tweeting every so often, but the race website has a tracker option that allows anyone to see where racers are (on their own and in relation to each other), and to drill down to look at stats such as average speed, distance covered (which isn't entirely accurate - it seems to lag behind a bit), distance to next waypoint, etc. In the upper right corner of the map you can choose to look at the satellite version, so you can get an idea of the views John could enjoy if they weren't blurring by. 

How can I help? 

As I said, the messages of support make all the difference. Just knowing that people are dropping in to check on his progress really keeps John going. Under race rules, he's not allowed to accept other forms of support (more on this later) - I wasn't even allowed to tell him where he was in proximity to other riders! But you can of course make a little donation to The Alzheimer's Society if you wish. Absolutely no pressure and we are so grateful for those who have already generously donated to this very valuable charity. As much as anything, John is taking on this challenge in memory of his father, Denys, who died in April from complications related to dementia. Denys was a keen cyclist and he and John used to do expeditions (on a slightly smaller scale) together in the Lake District and elsewhere. https://www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell4alzheimers/

Why do some racers seem to be so off course compared to the pack? 

Because they're lost! 

Kidding - it's a legitimate question. Part of the, er, beauty (apparently) of the Transcontinental Race is that racers have to rely entirely on themselves to get from the starting point in Belgium to Istanbul. This means months of planning a route - whatever route they choose - as well as deciding what supplies they can reasonably take with them. So some people may load up a tent, sleeping bag, mini fridge or what-have-you, while others (John included) have not much more than some bug spray and the ubiquitous Lycra (attractive as that vision may be). 

There are four mandatory checkpoints along the way - in the most hideous locations - and riders choose which way they go to hit those. Some might go the most direct route, but have to contend with busy roads, congested cities or time-sucking elevation. Others might go a more circuitous route because it's flatter, quieter or has a dedicated cycle path. 

When does John finish? 

A very good question I've asked him myself, on several occasions. The answers have ranged from "When I'm done" to "I don't know." Far from being frustrating for his family at home, this is a wonderful, liberating way to approach life, and we love it! In fact, I plan to adopt John's way of doing things the next time I go away with friends or travel for work. 

Actually, though, the race finishes two weeks after it started, so that's Aug. 8. John plans to keep going to make it to Istanbul, with the knowledge that if he's not back by mid-August I reserve the right to bill him for my stay at The Savoy. And the childcare. 

Did John complete the Transcontinental Race last year?

Ah, last year's race. Happy memories of relaxing days frolicking at the seaside with my perfectly behaved children and everyone's favorite geriatric dog. John probably could have finished, if I hadn't turned into a belligerent harridan by day 8, utterly losing it when he nonchalantly told me he was having his first beer in a beautiful piazza in Croatia as a woman crooned in the background, and mentioning that when he got to Istanbul he thought he'd catch a flight back to Italy to hit the mountain pass he missed because of a landslide.  

Also, he had a terrible cold. Let's blame it on the cold, instead of the cold-hearted wife.

Last year he cycled about 1300 miles in 8 days, making it to Dubrovnik. I think he picked up some valuable lessons, including pacing himself, not telling me about the amazing bowl of pasta the size of a basketball that he's enjoying beside Lake Como, and remembering to bring me something nice instead of just sending me a bag of smelly laundry without so much as a note. You WILL remember, won't you John?

If you want to see some pictures of last year's race, scroll to the bottom of the Transcontinental Race site's blog: http://reportage.transcontinentalrace.com/?page_id=99

Trying to cycle 2600 miles within two weeks through mountains in the August heat, with occasional unpredictable snow storms, rabid feral dogs, diseased ticks and crazed bandits isn't really my cup of tea. Why does John want to do such a thing? 

This is the crux of the matter, isn't it? Either he is fleeing a homelife that is worse than all those things combined, or he has a screw loose. He, and almost 200 other weirdo cyclists. Why does he do it? For the glory? For the debilitating saddle sores? For the luxury of spending a night under the stars (streetlights) on concrete in a nondescript Swiss town's Aldi shopping trolley corral, to wake a few hours later and sit on his bike for 200 miles, the majority of it going uphill? 

Your guess is as good as mine. 

Friday 24 July 2015

Get set, go! 

Laura here, dabbling in Blogger (for the first time) with a bit of an update: John and his 178 mates appear to have made it past the first hurdle, going uphill on very wet cobblestones at midnight local time. From the looks of it he's about middle of the pack - but you can see for yourself at: http://trackleaders.com/transconrace15f. This updates fairly frequently and can tell you more than I possibly can, except when I get the odd phone call from Mr Bakewell. I'll post here as often as time (and children) allow.

Meanwhile in England, there are reports of friends fleeing campsites on the North Norfolk coast as today's constant showers acquire the added excitement of gale-force winds. I'm sitting cozy but it seems Belgium is in much the same boat, which means there are already some drenched riders picking their way through mountain passes in the dark. Fun times. 

Let's hope John and all the others stay safe for the whole two weeks. At least the weather can only get better (probably)...

Friday 17 July 2015

You don't need to travel abroad to get knocked off your bike!

So much for wrapping myself in cotton wool.

Itching with anticipation, I rolled down the drive for an unmeasured, unhurried leg stretch whilst the boys were taken to school. I nearly didn't make IT past the first half mile! If ever, as a cyclist I needed a reminder how vulnerable I am, I got it this morning.

It takes a split second to look and see. It also takes a split second, to look, see, but not register the information and move. By then, as a cyclist, you could be dead. Thank fully the driver's brain reacted before telling him what his eyes had actually seen. As a consequence all he got was a fierce mouthful from me, as I looked up from the position that I skidded to a halt, less than 2 feet from his front bumper.

The adrenaline kicked in a minute after I had cycled off and I realised that I was shaking involuntarily.

Do you remember that advert. 'THINK ONCE, THINK TWICE, THINK BIKE!'

Please car drivers, look out for us.

On a more positive footing, thank you all for your continued sponsorship. It is very much appreciated.


Little Melton Primary School

A quick note to the children of Little Melton Primary School.

Thank you all for patiently listening to my talk yesterday morning. Your knowledge of European countries far outstrips mine. I could not have named every Balkan country before last year, let alone at the age of 10 or younger.

I look forward to tweeting you all as I mend my way across Europe. have fun following and remember, if you tweet back with your parents, no handy hints, OK. I don't want to get DQd.

John

Tuesday 14 July 2015

The Last Post

It is fitting that I should write my last post before heading to Flanders. Both my daughters have visited the memorials to the fallen soldiers in Northern France and Belgium and it will be impossible to travel through that landscape without a thought for the history that is within it.

Yesterday I collected the bike from Specialised Cycles, in Norwich, where she had been for a final service and check over. A tweak and a tighten here, new brake pads and chain there.

This morning we went out on a fairly uppish 40 miles and duly took my total through 4500 of training. It was a warm muggy couple of hours and only a glimpse of what is ahead. 2 hours is nothing compared to 16 or 18 in the saddle. The latter being a state of mind as much as anything.

I have refined my kit to what I consider to be the barest minimum. Anything else I need, I shall buy along the way. it is basically this:-

Bivibag
Sleeping bag (1 season)
Thermarest
Spare shorts
Light weight thermal long sleeved shirt
Warm cycling outer jacket
Waterproof jacket
Spare socks x 1 pair
Leg warmers. (Bottom half of a pair of tracksuit trousers)
High Viz tabbard

Suntan cream
Sudocrem
Vaseline
Toothbrush and small tube toothpaste
Electrolyte replacement tablets 2 tubes

Tools
Tubes x 2
Chain oil
Puncture repair kit

Paperwork
GPS/Phone
IPod

I'll try to get Laura to write the odd blog post here for you. Otherwise it will be little snippets by twitter @johnnymbakewell from now on.

See you on the Muur at midnight on the 24th and in Istanbul some time after that. Thank you for your support one and all.


Wednesday 8 July 2015

Thank you

Thank you to all those of you that added to my charity fund-raising efforts on the back of this crazy cycle race. You have boosted the total in aid of the Alzheimers Society to nearly £700.

Good to go. Keep at it folks.

Race manual issue 2

The final issue of the race manual has thrown up a few interesting little facts that had eluded me previously. Like this one...France has made it illegal for cyclists to wear headphones from the 1st July.

It would under most circumstances seem a no brainer, except that a.) when you're cycling for 18- 20 hours a day, a little light relief goes a long way and b.) just because you can hear the car behind you, is absolutely no guarantee that they are either going to give you a wide berth or indeed make any allowance for your presence at all. Begs the question. If you're going to get blown off your bike by a passing truck, why not make it a surprise whilst listening to Stairway to Heaven.

I jest. Please do give me some room.

I booked my train tickets from the Hook of Holland to Geraardesbergen, but have no assurance that I can take my bike on the train. The only exception being the possibility that I have to take it to bits and box it up first! I think I'd rather cycle into Belgium.

I also visited Boots trying to find the smallest packets of wet wipes, suntan cream, sudacrem
and toothpaste. In the end, I actually emptied the toothpaste tube, washed it out and filled it full of chain oil, thereby reducing the volume for that item by threefold. I also wound half a roll of black electrical tape around the seat post, reducing the volume of that item by over half.

Space of course is only half the equation. The danger of making space is that you fill it with more stuff. Stuff that you don't really need. The issue is really about weight and although as someone pointed out to me last year, that chopping your toothbrush in half is pointless, cutting a lot of thing in half, suddenly adds up. Remember all those hills that everything you carry has to be dragged up too.

Another 40 miles this evening in light drizzle. Not too many more miles to go, but by then I will have passed through 4500 miles of training and I guess that that will have to do.

Monday 6 July 2015

Race Manual Intro. A good read. Courtesy of Mike Hall, race director.

Introduction Welcome to the Final issue of the race manual.

The race is only 3 weeks away. If everything is going to plan you will be finishing off your last few big efforts and bringing together the last elements of your race plan. There is a little bit of time left yet, but we are nearly there. Transcontinental have recently met with the City of Geraardsbergen and we are very excited about the start. A midnight start on the muur and cobbles by torchlight will be quite an atmosphere. Riders will have got to grips with the predicament of how to play the first 12, 24 or even 36 hours. All I can say is its a long race and there is no one perfect strategy. Those who look after themselves and their bike, have a good plan and keep calm will, if they are strong, prevail. The start should at least mix it up a bit and make in interesting viewing to see who takes off at the start and who becomes stronger as they go.

Other news since the last issue is that renowned professional photographer and veteran of 9 tours Camille McMillan will be joining us as the official race photographer this year. If any of you have sponsors who are keen to commission pictures of you in race mode, they can get in touch with @camillemcmillan via twitter or instagram and tell him your race number.

Also this year, as you may have heard, our two times race winner Kristof Allegaert will be taking a year our from Transcontinental for some ultra racing in Siberia. Kristof has made quite the impression the last two years in Transcontinental and that has brought him the exciting opportunity of a fully funded and supported supported ultra racing trip. We have become rather good friends with the man-machine from Kortrijk so while it is a shame that we will miss racing him to Istanbul ourselves in the car, it does guarantee that we will have a new winner this year which is exciting. It also shows that the international ultra racing community regard the race and its winner highly and there are opportunities out there for those that shine.

As Transcontinental’s aim is to provide not only an adventure but also an accessible route to ultra racing - which can be a very resource heavy pursuit and difficult for riders to get established in at a competitive level - it is great to see veterans our race getting noticed for sponsorships and opportunities like this. It is also great to see past racers of TCR tearing it up in other races like the Trans Am Bike Race (Adrian O’Sullivan) and the Highland Trail 550 (Josh Ibbett, Rickie Cotter) as well as seeing pictures all year of riders in TCR caps riding hundreds of miles of Audax. A special mention should also go to Gaby Leveridge, 2014 veteran of TCR who has rocketed from 4th cat to a professional team and riding in the national champs within a very short space of time. Quite a story and inspiration for us all. For some Transcontinental will be a one off, others might come back again as a ride or like many this year as a volunteer like Eelco Weijmans, Chris Phillips.

Meanwhile we will see past riders we know of other races; Dave Goldberg, Franziska Kuhne and others who come to ride or volunteer on the TCR as well as all the partners and friends of racers who have got involved and made this their adventure too. It is so great to see many of the same names and faces coming up at rides and races throughout the year. It makes being part of this community so rewarding for us too.

 It has been sad for us to hear of injuries also as the race has come nearer, and for those who cannot start, like veterans Matthias Mueller, Pippa Handley and many other new riders to be, we will miss you and get well soon.

I would also like to take this opportunity again to thank all the volunteers and those companies who support what we are trying to do. All the volunteers have been amazing and will continue to be throughout the race. Whenever you meet them show some appreciation for what they are doing. Its their efforts and enthusiasm as well as the approach that the riders bring to the race, which creates such a wonderful community around this race. We finally have our Official TCR T-Shirt available. This is a hand printed T-Shirt, made exclusively for PEdAL ED and TCR by Anna Prints with the highest standards in ethical and ecologically sound sources, methods and materials. Tee's are available at annaprints.co.uk. Since Anna will be captaining one of our race vehicles she is making pre-ordered shirts available for collection in Istanbul.

I have one more favour to ask of you before the race starts… Please let your family and friends in on the adventure, to support you, follow you and cheer on, but explain to them also the meaning of self-supported and to refrain from offering assistance. Self reliance is not just a mechanism by which we level the playing field and create a credible comparison of the relative abilities of our athletes, it is also a construct for personal adventure which defines the Transcontinental and its finishers. You absolutely should look after the safety of yourself and others and it is the right and human thing to do to want to help other riders and your friends to want to help you. Sometimes however people don’t need an easy way out. They need a little trouble and a few problems and to overcome them with their own resourcefulness and resolve. People will find a way if they have no choice and in many ways you are doing them a greater favour not to burst the bubble of their adventure with a convenient solution. Its a fine balance, but in the end the satisfaction of doing this race all for yourself is very hard to beat.

I will leaver you with the words of Jack Thurston, writer an broadcaster who love many were captivated by following the race last year… “I Fell for the Transcontinental because its a daring and thoroughly modern take on how bike racing used to be back in the ‘heroic’ era. By putting the lost virtues of adventure and self-reliance back at the heart of a bike race, the Transcontinental is a breath of fresh air in the increasingly bland, commercialised world of modern cycle sport” See you on the wall of Grammont.

Mike Hall Race Director The Race Manual This is race manual 2015 Issue 2, this is the go-to place for all

An impassioned plea. The reason why.

A few weeks ago there was a post on facebook decrying the sudden splurge of bloggers writing about cycling. Writing about bicycles, cleaning bicycles, training, sleeping, eating bicycles...but worse still,  they were then utilising every outlet of social media to advertise their blog, including adsense and search engine optimisation to get their story 'out there'.

To be fair, the individual had a reason to be somewhat cynical, even angry. Knocked of his bike, by a car, he was having to take a forced break from cycling, let alone write about it and his frustration spilled out.

To be honest, I was stung a little. This person he was talking about was me.

I have been scribbling down little stories from the last 2 years of training, of rides that I have done, punctures sustained and sore backsides endured. And indeed, each time I have finished writing, I have pressed the facebook and twitter share button...but this is the reason why.

I love to cycle and to challenge myself. It is an entirely selfish endeavour, but the blog is my attempt to put this to some use.

Yesterday there was an article on the mainstream news about GPs sharing their concerns about lack of funding for dementia care. Radio 5 interviewed a man who cared for his mother, in between slotting in a few hours work. Too little work to earn a great deal I imagine, but too much to allow him to get carers allowance.

He was not bitter or angry, but he was, I have no doubt, tired beyond comprehension and in need of our support and help.

Dementia is becoming an increasingly common fact of life for families up and down the country. It is a challenge that we need to share in what ever way we can.

Whether you become a dementia friend, or a carer, a fund-raiser or just a contributor, it won't matter. People living with or caring for someone with dementia will be grateful that you care.

I am about to cycle 2560 miles in 2 weeks, or there abouts. This is my way of giving you the chance to show you care. So far, I have had less than 15 sponsors, but raising over £380.

Please support the Alzheimer's Society and visit my justgiving page. Follow me on twitter @johnnymbakewell

You do not have to read my blog ever again, though I would be grateful if you would share it as widely as possible.

Thank you

www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell4alzheimers/ 

Less than 3 weeks!!!!

Three weeks might feel like a long time, but right now it both feels like tomorrow and at the same time, can't come soon enough.

I pushed out a 40 a 60 and another 40 earlier in the week and realised as I wound my way around the last ride, that I had developed a hamstring tendon strain. A fact that is almost certainly playing a part in my building nervousness. You can tell from the increase in facebook chatter from other TCR entrants, that we are all beginning to feel it. Slowly and inexorably we march toward the Muur.

I've used the last 3 days of studiously not riding, when I desperately want to, to get my route planning checked and re-checked. I have been through all my equipment again and one of my girls has been a complete star, sewing a mosquito net into the opening of my bivi-bag. I'm not keen on either West Nile Virus or Tick borne encephalitis. The latter can be inoculated against, but it can also be avoided with care. Money does come into it, with the injections costing a cool £170!

I travel from home at 05:00 on the 23rd, heading first for Norwich station. From there it's train to Ipswich and then Harwich, before catching the ferry. I have a cabin to myself for 8 hours, which is a dream. Lots of rest and lots of food. I shall need both.

There are trains from Oostende to Brussells and then Geraardesbergen, but I am not certain about taking the bike on them as yet. If push comes to shove, I shall have to pay for a taxi, but that would be no way to start the adventure, though it would certainly be quicker. The one thing that I will NOT be doing, is cycling to the B&B. Rest, rest, eat, eat. That's all I'll be doing.

We have now been sent all the final briefing information too. I know where I have to be the next day and at what time. In the end it all points to the same thing.

Midnight on the Muur. Be there with me. I need you all there. This is one crazy race.