But the big question is

9 days to go. Last solo training ride completed on Sunday at a respectable clip and just collected bike from a major service . Why do I not feel 100% prepared then? Last year was a complete step into the unknown for me so I trained hard, or it felt hard. This year, due the weather I have been unable to ride into work as often as i would have wanted. This is only a 25 mile round trip but the miles soon add up when you can complete this 4 times a week and it appears to me that's what it is all about. However I appear to be riding faster than last year and by a significant amount. I have partaken in one big ride when Mark Cloves and I completed a ride from Hagley to Aberdovey a few weeks ago which was 110 miles again at a very pleasing average speed. This might have been partially due to me hiding behind Mark's considerable bulk for 100 miles and then sprinting away in glorious style for the last 10 miles. Very social. But this ride apart all my training runs have been shortish around 85km. Time will tell if this has been enough. With the weather looking dire for the next 5 days it is unlikely I will be on the bike again before we roll off next Thursday at the ungodly hour of stupid o'clock. The next few days will be spent ensuring I have all my food, carb drinks, recovery drinks, electrolyte tablets, painkillers, chamois butter, suncream, imodium, deep heat, anti inflamatories (nod to the wise;ensure you apply suncream, chamois butter and deep heat in the correct order)arm warmers, sunglasses and so on. So my big question is regarding compression tights; are they worn "Superman" style or can you wear jeans on top? See you next Wednesday Gordie Last unpaid tip. Wear a coat or jumper to the pasta dinner so you can remove it and get a second helping because the helpings are miserly