Sunshine and Rain

Well two weeks today we will be setting off for Paris. So am I ready? To be honest not as ready as I would have liked to have been. Training has been very frustrating the last few weeks owing to a combination of ill health and bad weather. I managed to get two decent runs in the last few days. On Sunday I had a 56 mile run across to Scarborough. It was quite a hilly route so I had a good workout. Yesterday I did a 39 mile ride out on my usual training route through Brandsby and Crayke. Other rides have been less successful. On Saturday I set off for a long ride but only got 10 miles before a really bad thunderstorm started. I managed to find a church porch to shelter in and Mrs Claudius came to rescue me in the car. Monday was even worse . I had only got 5 miles when a torrential shower of rain forced me to take cover in a bus shelter. I would have been able to continue if a big trailer had not passed by and absolutely soaked me through. So I had to head home looking like a drowned rat! The one thing that I have learnt from these experiences is that my waterproof cycling jacket isn't as waterproof as I thought it was.

Training for this ride has been quite an interesting experience. I'm finding that I'm riding in quite a different way now. I used to be quite a head down, flat out pushing a big gear rider. You can't do that for long distances though so now I'm riding lower gears and pedalling at a higher cadence. I feel that my hill climbing has improved quite a lot but I still hate hills! I've also had to take nutrition a lot more seriously. I've started using an isotonic energy drink which helps stamina. I've also become quite a convert to energy bars which really give you a boost when your energy is getting low. I'm still not sure about the energy jelly beans though!

My son and I had a good time in Berlin last week. It was really hot there, aroung 32 degrees, a bit too hot for my liking really. We did all the usual tourist sights, I particularly like the new dome on top of the Reichstag. It was my second visit to Berlin and once again I was struck by what a friendly city it is. When you visit you also become very aware of how much suffering the people of Berlin endured in the twentieth century. In World War Two 90% of the city was destroyed and the photos of the devestation in the city at the end of the war are really shocking. Then of course the city was torn in two by the Berlin Wall. The regime in the East really does sound horrific in the way that it treated people, you could be sent to prison for four years and have your children taken off you for just applying to leave the country. Having said all that there is a fantastic air of optimism in Berlin now and it really is an exciting city.

The Tour de France started last Saturday and I have been enjoying the racing so far. One of the Brits David Millar is just a few seconds off the yellow jersey so I'm hoping he may be able to get it in a few days. The other Brit Mark Cavendish will also hopefully pick up a stage win. I love watching the tour, its almost like a three week soap opera and you really get into the characters and the dramas that happen along the way. Having cycled a lot the last few months I realise more than ever what a hard existence it must be being a professional racing cyclist doing 100 miles plus every day for three weeks over some of the toughest terrain in Europe. It certainly must be one of the hardest ways to make a living. I'm looking forward to seeing all the riders in Paris for the finish of the tour on 27th July, the day after our London to Paris bike ride finishes. I think there will be a lot of aching legs in Paris that day.