Well, first off, sorry that the last entry from my European tours blog didn’t quite come together – a mix of catching up with old friends, old pubs and of course my family put pay to that one.
Needless to say, I survived. Isle de Re was stunning, and a fitting last leg of my journey. My last night there however, made me pretty sure that I needed to get back home – when you wake up at four in the morning shivering, even with your clothes on inside your sleeping bag, it takes the edge off of things. My whole tour was about enjoying myself, and the last couple of nights, with the colder weather moving in made me realise that enough was enough. The next morning, following a glorious early-morning ride through the crisp air of the Ile de Re and the watching the weak, crisp sun reflecting off the salt beds, I crossed the bridge over to La Rochelle, and jumped on a train back to St. Malo. Following a lovely evening with the Hery family of Saint Servant, I caught a ferry the next morning (narrowly avoiding a home-cooked meal by a double Michelin Star chef which was waiting for me had the ferry been cancelled – curses) and arrived back in Jersey just in time to miss the beer festival. Timing, as they say, is everything.
So why pick up the blog again now, more than a year after getting back? Well, it’s time to get back in the saddle, that’s why. It’s not quite the same as my previous trip – I don’t know that I’ll ever quite top that one, but it’s a little more intense and hopefully, could prove interesting for you all.
My journey this time, is the renowned LEJOG. For those of you not in the know, that’s Lands End to John O’Groats – the tail to top of the United Kingdom (for the time being at least). A friend of mine, Mike Good, has hit the age of 50, and in an effort to stave off the inevitable mid-life crisis, has decided to do something to celebrate it. Having heard that I had done a little cycling, he invited me along for the ride and, in the absence of anything better to do, I agreed.
This time isn’t quite so rustic – the plan is to cycle with a support team, and stay in B&B’s or hostels the whole way. That being the plan, my kit might just be a little lighter – no tent, sleeping bag, tools, stove, spare clothes, repair kit, etcetera, et al, ad infinitum! The distances however, might be a little longer! c.1,000 miles, in 15 days, through hills, valleys, glens, dales and the rest! The bike however, is much the same – a little more worn, but still as beautiful to me as the day I bought my glorious Van Nicholas Pioneer, with its magnificent little Rohloff Hub. Right now, it’s waiting for a new part from the great guys at Big Maggies, so that I can use a belt drive rather than chain, but other than that it’s in great shape.
So that’s the plan – now down to the training. That part has not been going quite as well. For the last few months (since late January) I’ve been suffering from rather bad back pain – initially diagnosed as sciatica, I’m not quite sure what the heck it is, other than a bloody great nuisance. With the assistance of my Physiotherapist (the great Luca Maestroni of the Jersey Sports & Spinal Clinic) I’m improving with leaps and bounds (though not quite literally just yet). It’s rather fitting that, having picked up cycling as rehabilitation from an ankle injury, I’m now using it as rehab again for my back – that, people, is why I love two wheels!
I did make an attempt to start my training in January with 12/12/12 (Twelve Months, Twelve Parishes, Twelve Pubs) but due to the aforementioned injuries, it’s kind of on the backburner for now – it will be restarting shortly, under a slightly different guise but with the same basic idea, so I’ll keep you all updated.
My first proper training session was today, with a quick jaunt up Mont Millais, back down St. Saviour’s hill when I had a few minutes spare at work, and then a blast to St. Aubin’s and back home after work – not exactly the Paris – Roubaix, but after three months out of the saddle, a nice little starter.
So that’s a little update as to where I am now! Still in the saddle (just), and hoping to be in a little more. I thought I’d just update this here and now whilst I’m still fresh from the road (!) and in good spirits. No doubt that tomorrow, the morning after my first ride in three months, I’ll be cursing Baron Karl von Drais, but for now I’ll just settle in to watch some football, with something healthy in the oven and dream of the first two glorious weeks of July when I’ll be heading off with Mike Good and a couple of others for another little two-wheeled challenge!
Happy trails all!
