7 Weeks Today!

Oh my word! Today is Wednesday, May the 13th and I leave London on Wednesday, July the 1st! What was I thinking? I think I should have had a serious word with myself on the day I thought it was a cool thing to do to ride a bike 300 miles from London to Paris!

I was in an information day on Saturday in London which was supposed to put your mind at ease but I am not sure if it did or not! There were some people there who think of this as an easy time – who are so used to cycling for miles and miles who actually asked how for ahead of the group they could go on! All I could do was sit, listen and think of all the other things that I could have done – as I always say, if I had jumped out of an aeroplane I would have done it by now and it would all be over! There were a number of people who didn’t look very fit at all and some who looked a bit like me – sort of rabbit in the headlights thinking is it too late to say forget it, and how much have I raised so far and is it possible that I could reclaim the money from the charity or pay everyone back myself? Although nobody actually said these things, I know it wasn’t just me who was thinking them!

There were some handy hints passed on by the organisers, things like don’t forget your high visibility jacket because if it rains while you are cycling in France and you don’t wear it they will charge you €35 and make sure you have a ‘bum bag’ at all times so that you can carry your passport, money, camera, water, sun cream, waterproof jacket, a jumper if you get to the rest stop and have to wait for any amount of time because you don’t want to catch cold, inner tubes and a tyre pump. Is it me, or does that seem like a lot of stuff to fit into a bum bag? Other handy hints included my personal favourite – “wear padded shorts, go commando and plaster yourself in ‘sudocream’”! Nice!

The best thing that was said and the thing that will be the spur for me to get on and do it is the way that the finish was described! She said that there will be 127 people going on the ride and setting off in groups of 10 we will all go at our own pace and just enjoy the ride (apart from on day 1 when you must be in Dover by 4pm – no question, hence leaving between 6.30 and 7!) but at the end of the ride, everyone meets about 5 miles before the finishing line and as a huge group everyone then cycles around the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysees around the Plas de Concorde and around to the front of the Eifel Tower. Now, that does sound fab doesn’t it!?

When I get there I know that David will be there and I hope he has a really unhealthy sort of cake and a giant glass of sherry (or, as I am in Paris, perhaps Champagne!) because I think I will need it! The only other thing on that point that would be brillo would be if Penni was there too! Yep, you have guessed it – my little sister is going to make me a real aunty Jo! (She must have known that the only way she would get out of the bike ride and the only reason I would forgive her for not coming would be if she was pregnant!) But if she can’t make it – on this occasion, I will forgive her! It will still be Jo AND Penni's fundraising event!

Otherwise, training is going well, but there are a lot of things going on this month which I know will have some sort of impact on the number of hours I can put in at the gym but it will be fine! Donations are up to £3,315.00 but we still need more – please keep telling everyone!

So, until the next time; take great care and don't forget our fundraising page www.justgiving.com/joandpenni
Loadsa love, Jx