yikes....

So today is the 29th October. I last posted on the 1st October, feeling somewhat triumphant having just cycled 80 or so miles in 2 days, and with a fresh resolve to train hard for the task in hand.

Since then? I have done precisely two school runs (total distance 2 miles) and one trip to the park (total distance 2 miles with a half hour long break for see-sawing in the middle).

On one of the school run trips myself and both boys nearly ended up under a passing truck when Jack (who knew full well he should NOT be carrying toys on the bike - we have a "toys in pockets" rule - dropped Thomas the Tank Engine who chuffed his way into a very tight corner lodged on top of the back wheel between the frame / brake cables and tyre, the result of this being that the bike stopped. I mean STOPPED. dead. Very suddenly. A fair way from the curb as we were pulling to go round a parked car. Two children one bike and me jammed. I had to unload the children, send them to the pavement, lift B.O.D to the pavement (a hard job - HEAVY!) then turn B.O.D. upside down while wrestling with Thomas for 10 minutes trying to convince him that the thing the fat controller (that'd be me) wanted him to do was to chuff right back out of that spot. NOT a really useful engine.

Thomas, sadly, had a broken wheel, and we spent the remainder of the trip home with Jack screaming (top of Jacks lungs is a loud and very high pitched place) because of Thomas' broken wheel, and he seemed to think this much more upsetting than the fact we all very nearly died. One of us certainly has our priorities screwed a little.

There is a group of us chatting on Facebook now, swapping tips for what to pack, how to numb areas that may need numbing etc etc. This is a kind of breakaway group from the slightly scary Justgiving group - they were all cycling 100 miles a day and had raised double their fundraising target by March (and are apparently discussing whether or not one should take GHD hair straighteners to Cuba.....hmmmmmmmmm.) - scary for those of us who could barely recognise a bike and had raised about £10.50 by that time. However, now the FB group seem to also be leaving me miles behind. They all seem to be cycling a decent number of miles a decent number of times a week, or at least making it the gym, or doing some form of exercise more than the 'lifting-the-next-slice-of-cake-to-their-mouth' exercise that I am doing. They seem to know what they are packing, what they should be taking when they should be at the airport. All that stuff.

I know nothing! In precisely 23 days I will be sitting on an aeroplane with all these prepared and ready people. A bundle of exhausted fuzzy nerves, trying to desperately remind myself how to pedal. They do say you can never forget though right?

I am making something of an effort this coming weekend. Well that is to say I have some effort planned. Alison and I are going to drive to Caz's place on the South coast on Saturday morning, then all cycle back to Alison's in surrey (this involves South downs and North downs). The plan was that I collect my shiny new expensive bike from lovely Ed on the way to Alison's Friday evening - but still no word on the tyre that is split. Or rather the replacement for the tyre that is split. He has my brand new shiny bike all assembled and ready to go; except this blinking tyre which seems to be taking FOREVER to arrive. And if I have to do a 100 mile weekend on B.O.D I think I may just cry. Or die.

So watch this space.....I'll keep you posted!