Three Weeks To Go

So, with three weeks to go, are we ready? Probably is the best answer.

An Accommodation Dilemma
One development is that a friend, Louise Burnett (Pippa Blake's sister) has very kindly offered to put all of us up at her place near Helensburgh, thus avoiding the need for a B&B in Largs. However - have you seen how much further Helensburgh is? Coupled with the little detail that it's spring tides that day (for the non-sailors, this means the low tide is very low), so the ferry from Gourock to Helensburgh can't dock at Helensburgh, but will only be going to Kilcreggan. Louise assures us that the resulting ride round the peninsular to her place is very pretty, but it's another 12 miles of pretty. Added to with the extra miles to Gourock from Largs, this turns an already long 117 mile day into a super-long 144 miles!

So... can we do these extra miles? Not sure at the moment. If it's a nice day, with a following wind (literally), then it shouldn't be too bad - by that stage in the ride we'll either be dead on our feet or dead fit. But if it's wet, with a northerly wind, and we're already run down? Still considering our options on this one. We've said "Thanks a lot" to Louise, but we need to make a final decision soon!

Training
Training is progressing, I think. I managed to get 100 miles in last weekend (50 miles on each of Saturday and Sunday); I can now do a 50 mile loop over the downs at an average of 17mph. This should put me in reasonable shape for longer disances at a lower pace. Time will tell.

Joe and I were planning to ride this morning but we spent all day yesterday down at the sailing club running a fundraising event (more details to follow), and we're both knackered, so this morning's ride hasn't happened. I might go for a quick circuit but time's ticking. Also, the wind's up and it looks like windsurfing for me this afternoon! Helen claims this is good training but, really, it's not. Good for core stability, leg and arm strength (and kudos and relationship with windsurfing 14 year old son), but not good for endurance riding.

How about Matt? Well, Matt's gone sailing. Pah. No, it's not his fault. The big boat (for big, read 90 feet) for which he's been managing a major refit has to be delivered on its shakedown sail to Portugal, and he's had to go on that little jaunt. So, no cycling for Matt this week - unless he can get up enough distance around the deck?

Food
As departure looms, my thoughts are focussing on some of the details of how we're going to stay well-fed for the duration. Helen's reminded me that when competing in the Polaris endurance events, John Derbyshire and I took some pasta or couscous to have immediately after finishing. Received wisdom is that it's very beneficial to get around 1.2g of carbohydrate per Kg of bodyweight down one's throat in this period. Helpful that Helen's got a degree in nutrition!

Hence I'm planning to take some pre-prepared pasta or couscous to wolf down as soon as we arrive at our destination.

Then there's the matter of which energy bars and how many to take for during the day. Excellent - a great opportunity to scoff bars in the interests of 'research'!