DAY SIXTY TWO

Off to cycle around Benelux - back in two weeks.

Let's see how life on a bike goes....

xx

DAY FIFTY FIVE

Fifty five days? Already???!?!!

I know you can never tell how things would turn out if you had taken another path BUT I'm sure all of the training side of things is having a massive effect on everything. At the moment things are winnings.

It's always dangerous to say that I know and obviously touch wood etc but getting out of living life underground in the sprawl makes suddenly makes you feel like this place is home.

Anyway...am planning a 2 week mini-tour to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks. I suppose it'll be like having one of those free pizza samples or using a computer in safe mode. Let's face it there are very few stories of armed gangs roaming the planes of western Europe and it's very flat. Should be easy...yes?

Why have I still not bought a touring bike??

DAY FOURTY THREE

"Hey man, slow down"

Much of what we do is routine and often for good reason. Understandably this begins to become mundane and we stop to bother to take a look around and we try to cut as many corners as we can. It just becomes about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. 

Part of the idea for this trip is about trying to take things slower. With everyone working as many hours as they can keep their eyes open for and having fewer holidays (gone are the 6 week summer holidays unfortunately) getting away seems to become ticking as many boxes as possible. Yes I've been away. Yes I went there. Here is a photo of me here and here and here. Tick, tick, tick. 

All of it though is on borrowed time. There's that niggling feeling that you know you have to get back. Most of us, me included, live on someone else's time. 

What do you want to do today? Is that something that you can really answer alone?

There's a great Bob Dylan quote that I've probably got wrong - "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do." 

I suppose I'd caveat that by saying that I'm not trying to cut myself off on this trip. Lots of people have expressed an interest in joining me for legs of the trip and that'd be amazing if they're able to - the more the merrier. I'm just saying that I can't wait to get up and go wherever my legs will take me. 

THE ROUTE - 

It's beginning to take shape. Ushuaia, Argentina to Cartagena, Columbia. 4572 miles as the crow flies. 

The FCO Travel advice for Columbia - 

"There are a number of illegal armed groups operating throughout Colombia. Because they are mobile there are many parts of the country where it is not possible to determine in advance whether they will be unsafe at a particular time. In general, the more remote the area the greater the threat to your safety. If it is essential that you travel to areas that are remote or reported to be dangerous, you are advised to seek professional security advice and make arrangements for your security throughout your visit. 

Kidnapping remains a serious problem. Whilst levels of kidnappings have fallen off dramatically since peaking in 2000, Colombia continues to have a high rate of kidnapping for ransom. 201 kidnappings were recorded in the period January to September 2010 (Source: Fondo Nacional para la Defensa de la Libertad).  Most foreign nationals are potential targets for kidnapping, including backpackers and those working for foreign organisations. There remains a significant risk of attack or kidnap in many more difficult parts of the country."

Sounds like fun!!!

DAY THIRTY SEVEN (2)

Forgot to mention - I got some great advice from Alistair Humphreys the other day about surviving in South America and keeping costs down. 

It's so helpful to hear from people that have "done it" and removes some of those mental barriers in thinking I'm not "that type of person".

Al's books documenting his trip around the world are certainly worth reading. I'm half-way through the second book at the moment and need to finish it soon. He completely captures the human side of things which is surely the most difficult part.

It's also made me re-think my trip slightly. I've been umming and arrring about whether to start north and go south or the other way around but his description of Columbia suggests that it's worth taking the risk on (another thing I've been unsure about) - however I'd rather not start there. It'd be good as well to end it amongst people rather than the wilderness.

Al has some great quotes including -

"If you're not hurting you're not riding hard enough

If you're not hungry you've eaten too much

If you're not cold you're carrying too many clothes

If you know you will succeed it's too easy."

Alistair Humphreys

DAY THIRTY SEVEN

Must update this more. Must do better. Must push myself harder.

Argh...exhausting stuff. I've always found it hard to focus on several things at once. I can get very obsessed by one thing and push myself in that direction but trying to balance work, training, eating, socialising is hard to get right. I'm not going to get all self-pitying because it could be a lot bloody worse but I just need to rebalance things and work out my priorities.

At the moment I'm doing about 50 mins in total commuting on the bike each day and three big weight and cardio sessions a week (well - I'm trying to. Bank holidays and other commitments at weekends are distracting me.) Must do better.

I shouldn't get demoralised at all because it's still early days but getting into a solid rhythm is proving difficult. It's getting to the stage where I'm a bit pissed off with myself for drinking unnecessarily or being lazy with food.

My aim by the end of the week is to get into the habit of carrying on with cycling to and from work, a cardio session at lunchtime and three times a week gym. This shouldn't be hard to do and I should want to do this. I keep hearing stories about people dying in the Andes so I need to push beyond what I'm doing now. I've made progress but I need so much more.

I still need to work out what to do about weekends...

Anyway! I've got a two week mini-trip from London to Amsterdam via Belgium booked with a friend in a month or so. It will be the perfect initial test to see not just cycling stamina but to test what little I know about expedition living. Tent, sleeping bag, water, food - done.

DAY TWENTY NINE

Weekends. They are the enemy. Or maybe it's weekend me.

Weekday me can eat nothing but healthy stuff (and be happier for it), get his 5 a day and drink 3 litres of water. He can resist the temptation of 3 pints after work and will cycle to work in the rain.

Weekend me listens to the other shoulder. He'll try to be the last one standing, get up at midday, take the bus and look for materialistic thrills to pass the day.

At some point one side will have to back down...

DAY TWENTY FIVE

What a day!

Absolutely smashed the ride in and felt completely on top of the world by the time I got into work. It just shows what an effect early morning exercise can have. I remember people going on about it and always thought - can't be arsed - but it certainly does something. The last couple of weeks at work have been a hell of a lot better so perhaps it's had an effect there - who knows?

The ride home though was borderline comical and certainly made me less cocky again. Whilst setting off, sorting my footing and trying to pull down my t-shirt to avoid flashing I managed to fail on all three counts and hit a curb at very slow pace, almost going over the handlebars. Luckily I had a big audience but I laughed it off and carried on.

Dinner....chicken, ham or prawns?