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Medway Messenger Friday Edition
17 Feb 2012

39 days to go!!!!!!

Its very real now!!! 39 days to go. Am I ready? Yes and I cant wait! I have never been so excited about a challenge, this has been 2 years in the making and just like the LEJOG and the Gibraltar venture I can feel everything is coming together. My fitness is key and am working hard everyday and making sure I stay injury free. This Tee Total thing is fantastic (I cant wait for an ice cold beer in St Augustine at the end of 3000 miles) I wake up feeling ready to go.

In the past rides I have always visualised iconic moments like on the LEJOG I couldnt wait to ride through Glencoe and see the Highlands in their full glory - Well after leaving the beauty of Loch Lommond we were blown backwards for 5/6 hours as we struggled to get into Ft William. Again going over the Pyrenees was a dream - No it wasnt, we were drenched, freezing and couldnt wait to get into the next town. So I hope that long straight road through the desert flanked by cactus and pure blue sky isnt going to dissapoint me!

The flight from Heathrow will get us into San Diego for 8pm local time, by the time we clear the terminal and pick up the hire car etc it will be the best part of 10pm. Jetlag hopefully wont be an issue as I will hopefully sleep on the flight (If we get some leg room and we are not next to the toilets and a 6 month old baby that is trying to tell her mum that her ears hurt, she is hungry or needs winding by crying continuously for 11 hours)

The plan is that I get the bike put together the next morning and give it a little test ride before some lunch and then weather permitting and all ok I will steal about 50/60 miles of the first leg.