Medicine and mechanical stuff have never been strong points with me. Ask me to work out a route, train timetables, budgets etc and I am ok. Luckily I have been rescued from my uselessness by my wife, Lesley, who despite not having formal training knows everything about illnesses and more importantly how to get better.

I could not understand, again, how it was that the more I trained the worse I felt. The easy solution, when you are a medical genius, is to prescribe multi vitamin pills. I have now been taking these for around three weeks and I feel loads better. It seems I needed a top up as the training was using up all the vitamins from my diet and therefore leaving me lethargic.

Secondly and probably more embarrassing was a mechanical deficiency. My chain needed oiling! Thank you to Enterprise Cycles in Neyland for spotting this difficult mechanical issue. It is so much easier to pedal when the chain can go round easily. They also spotted that my chain was worn and I subsequently got them to replace it and the rear cog set. Now my chain does not come off: amazing.

So with renewed vigour the training was taken up a level. We spent one weekend in Carmarthenshire around Llandovery, Carmarthen and Llanelli. Fantastic scenery, greatly under rated, I guess it suffers from being next to Pembrokeshire, which takes most of it's glory.

The toughest weekend was riding up to Brecon from Cardiff along the Taff Trail. A great route but there is nowhere to eat along it, so were trialling disgusting energy bars: I think I would rather do without than eat the ones we had. The next day we cycled from Brecon back to Manorbier, all 82 miles and nearly 6,500 feet of climbing. Our longest and hillyest ride this year. The encouraging point for me was I still felt able and willing to go for a short ride the next day.

This week has seen some high winds and rain so the mileage has slumped. There is only so much training in the rain you can do before common sense kicks in and you stop.

The training is nearly at an end and the final preparations for the trip are all going along well. The fund raising has also taken a lift and we are already at £600+. The next few weeks hopefully should see that grow considerably, thank you to all of you who have helped so far.

If you would like to donate because the prose has moved you so much please log onto www.justgiving.co.uk/bike1000

Regards
Ed

Training in Manhatten has been the highlight of the past three weeks. Well training might be a bit strong Lesley and I rode up Broadway, through Time Square to the Staton Island ferry and then down the cyclepath on the Hudson river side. Oh and we crossed over the Brooklyn Bridge. A brilliant short holiday added to by our guide being a movie star, or at least he has a short talking spot in a new film All The King's Men which has loads of famous bods in it. Anyway Charlie was a very good guide and good luck to him in his career.

My mileage went up considerably last week with the Bank Holiday. I completed two very hilly rides on Saturday and Sunday, around 110 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing. Broadly I was following Route 47 from Llanelli to Fishguard, a very pretty, but hilly route. The downside is I was dead on Monday. I went through terrible pain to complete 19 miles. I thought I would never ride again.

My training guru has however given me a telling off for not taking enough rest days. I do not understand but after a rest of 36 hours I seemed ok again if just a little stiff. So there we are I have to take 2 days off per week. How your body knows on the actual trip that you need to keep going for 14 days heaven knows.

Talking of my Svengali he took part in a horrendous race/ride at the weekend. The Forest of Dean suicide race: 80 miles, 8,000 feet. I feel ill just thinking about it. Richard averaged 14 miles per hour over the course although he was dead by the end. Apparently if he had worn Assos he may have had an even better time judging by the other competitors in the event.

Regards
Ed