8 working days to go,13th looms yipee

well were has the last two and half years gone?seams a distant memory coming up with the idea of jogle.
Ive trained in sun, snow,rain and wind,up hill, down dale,three wheels two wheels,with trailer without trailer.and still i keep changing my mind.
with less than two weeks left iv just realised that there is only eight working days,one birthday(10th may).one fishing day if fit. and a party.so can safely say i don't have time left to alter anymore plans,they are now set in stone so to speak.
on a daily basis i regularly check facebook and blogs of other people doing end to end rides and at the moment there are two people out there Donne's jogle,and Vicky's jolly jogle that i watch and it only seams like yesterday that they were months away from their start and yet Donne's only two days from finishing and Vicky is well over halfway both cycling solo.I'm beginning to feel disappointed that their blogs will come to an end when they complete.I have come to enjoy logging on to them,pity i will never meet either especially Vicky who i think has done amazing and she has done it purely to raise money for other people.were as I'm doing it for my self with other people benefiting as I'm been sponsored,(if that makes sense good)
will people miss my blog?does anyone really read it?i know a couple do and i have 5 followers(thank you by the way)but with near on a thousand hits how many people actually return for another read or is it just five people visiting 200 times each.Donne's Friends think he should swim the channel next,Vicky will no doubt find something equally challenging,what will i do with my new found fitness suggestions on a post card please.

follow the link,fargate write up

http://sheffieldcyclist.co.uk/end-to-end-for-st-luke-mike-kellie-hopley/

st george;s day.and the rains

yesterday was st George's day.i was on the ctc stand in fargate.i think its safe to say there is a noticeable lack of a publicity officer within the ctc.although with material provided the people involved did an excellent job well done team,may i also say thank you for allowing me to show of the trike and collect for st Luke's just under£60 collected not bad to say it was a bucket placed on trike and not waived under every passing persons nose.thank you again.,
cailin did a short interview to post on his web page,once the rain had stopped,an entertaining half hour watching everyone get soaked in a flash flood complete with hail stones
Caroline arrived with her trike,such a good advocate for disabled fending for her self and not just accepting that she could never be independent.good for you Caroline,lucky for her she left before the rain,unlike our Kellie who set of home just before the heavens opened.and to quote "that's her adverse weather training complete"

3 weeks to jogle

today st Georges day,off to far gate,cyclist touring club have a stand with it being the start of environment week,taking the trike loaded as though i was off on my jogle(weight 60 kg).on the hope it attracts a few donations and brings attention to the stall,because were ever i seem to park it, it just attracts people.
decided last night Kellie will definitely be joining me on jogle,she is going to use my touring bike and over the last couple of weeks she has proved young legs don't need as much training to get in to shape.and the fact that she must be half my weight.have to make her carry more equipment as a handicap, that's what they do with race horses to make them evenly matched
this weekend is brownie point weekend.have to set green house up get tomatoes and peppers going,reinstate watering system etc.other wise Julie says I'm not jogle ing

not realy a superhero but for sponsorship ill pretend

fetched my shirts this afternoon,really happy with the quality and service provided by RHINO SPORTS,ECKINGTON,SHEFFIELD.ill do my best to promote an excellent product. putting my shirt on for the first time was like MR INCREDIBLE when he thinks his hero suit has been shrunk,lucky my belly didn't fall out the bottom,I'm no superhero but when somebody offers a generous sponsorship, i will pretend, Julie says do i have to rush in to every phone box i pass to get changed.lol. ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU TO http://www.worldofsuperheros.com/ FOR PROVIDING THE SHIRTS now i look like i mean business. went on my usual training route with my daughter Kellie, by the time we arrived home she was getting tired,but all in all she did OK.24 mile covered with a climb up through wirlowdale road then up to fox house before returning with the big decent down totley and then home for tea,well super more like it.

full load

I now have packed everything on to cycle boy its a lot,but i don't need the trailer.its still very heavy but hope it won't break the legs.will train like this for the next four weeks,30 DAYS TOMORROW! route definitely finalised,I'm happy with it,just can't wait to set off now.hope shirts will be done Wednesday. I have a laminated sheet of where all tackle is packed so i don't have to go searching for anything,is that sad or organised not sure which.

half century,half way through,or near the end?

at work today invites were being put on the notice board for Ian Nadin's 50th birthday party,which he celebrates while I'm away celebrating my own half century doing my jogle,tonight I'm going to Anita's 50th,(our bridesmaid from 30 yrs ago)Julies was celebrated in tenerefe meeting future son in laws parents,Lyn another friend from school went to see her son down under in Tasmania all the above makes me think hard about a comment that Julies cuss an wrote on her birthday card saying"happy 50th birthday and what a shame your life is nearly over"well cheers Freda,but does the truth hurt that much.not really David, my best friend said he was accused of having a midlife crisis wanting to drive vintage buses.his reply was at 52 its more an end of life crisis,Ive decided to do my ride before i get to old so maybe they are both right.we never know its the end if we are lucky,mum new it was her time and rode life to the end even saying "it was hard work dieing".if it was that hard i think more of us wouldn't bother and just hang around forever,ONE LIFE LIVE IT to coin a Fraze from another hobby(land rovering),celebrate how you like . they may even play Mary Hopkins those were the days,just to make the hairs on my arms stand up and send a shiver down my spine.do we ever change? hope not i still feel 21 ish lol.alright then 49 and 11/12ths nearly there(same age as Roy god rest his soul)

route change 32

planning re planning and then replanning.and back to original plan, i have decided to abandon glasgow area and have reverted back to my original plan to come down the west coast through oban and across on to isle of arran then across to ayr down through dumfries and galloway district.its an area im unfamiliar with so will enjoy being an area i didnt see much when i was on the road doing general haulage. five weeks tommorow to the off and im begining to get nervous especially altering routes at this late stage,but at least because im camping i haven't booked any where so dont have to cancel any over night stops.im hoping camping is going to give me freedom to alter route as i desire or the need arises

will she wont she

Kellie arrived home yesterday and within a couple of hours i was having to repair shower,(but don't think it was her fault just coincidence)last night sat chatting and she is going to have a ride on her bike to see if she thinks she can get fit enough to do jogle with me.so its still a will she wont she situation watch this space. new flashing spoke lights fitted to wheels,look impressive at night as they spin round.tent 4.7 kg fastened to back of seat extra weight extra training.started loading things in panniers to simulate weight i will be carrying

six weeks to jogle

blimey its April,six weeks to the off,plenty to do over next few weeks,need to do a second practice run,not tried new tent out yet so weekend away needed,23 April on fargate at ctc stand drumming up sponsors while helping man the stall,superheroes want papers and TV promotions this month.spamalot weekend this Saturday down in aylesbury with gemma and javi.Linda and Stuart home from Australia this weekend,kellie home next week from her 14 month tour of Asia and Australia.all this and we are getting very busy at work could do with extra hours tagged onto each day.all above and need to increase training with extra weight on bike.Aprils going to fly by