Separate training camps were underway on penultimate weekend before the LEJOG challenge begins; one group toured the Oxfordshire countryside and the other was in Wiltshire.  

The Oxfordshire camp raced around 100 mile loop at lightning speed, chain-ganging (rotating the leader while the others draft behind) at a phenomenal pace. These guys could do LEJOG in 3 days at this pace!  

The Wiltshire camp took things a little more steady, not through choice, more through the savage hills that forced the pace below 10 mph at one stage. Although the steep hills did have one advantage; what goes up must come down and with the wind in their favour the LEJOG top speed was under threat. Pete managed to smash Jimmo's previous best of 43mph with an electric 47.3mph but Jimmo retains his top spped title with a blistering 47.5mph! Mikey and Macca were nowhere to be seen and were left trailing in their wake. 

The following day the Wilshire crew tested their legs with a light 70 miler and joined up with the Bath Cycling Club, "The BCC". Paul aka "Alberto Contador" controlled the pace from the front and effortlessly pulled away from the field when the roads opened up. Brian "Gandalf the Wise" passed on some of his wisdom on everything about cycling including saddlesores (actual sores, not just nappy rash as some of us had initially thought!), the best bicycle pump on the market, nutrition and more. Another member of the BCC, Howard, or as we like to call him, "The H-bomb" showed his true strength when Pete and Macca were struggling at the rear of the group and "The H-bomb" called upon his atomic power to drag the boys back to join the leading group at break-neck speed. See below for a photo of the team with the BCC.

Thank you to all those at the BCC for enjoyable (and educational!) day. For information on the Bath Cycling Club please visit http://www.bathcc.net/.

Training is complete, the challenge looms...

Conflicting diaries meant the team spent this week training in different countries; Wales, England and Poland, although the latter wasn't exactly cycling training, more "life training" (for further details on the hospitality of the Polish law enforcement, please contact Michael Johnson).

Whilst some were racing round the Berkshire countryside at a blistering pace similar to those on this year's Tour de France, others decided to cycle through the rolling Welsh Valleys and experiment with using a GPS device.

Now, the cycling purists amongst us will dismiss the use of new technology and advocate the use of traditional maps. However, after a few miles of putting their faith in their new handlebar mounted friend, Pete and Jim were delighted to be smoothly guided through the winding welsh lanes. Laughs could be heard at the need for using traditional maps with cries of, "Who needs maps?", "Get with the times!", "Embrace technology!". Then it all went wrong. A glitch in the matrix. Their trusted new friend stopped giving directions, the route disappeared from the GPS screen and satellite connection was lost. Pete and Jim were lost. Their new electronic friend had deserted them. It got worse. The heavens opened and it poured with rain (at least the boys had their rain jackets with them, not). Pete and Jim were soaked to the bone and stranded in Ystrad Mynach, with no directions. They decided to cut their journey short and take the quickest route back home - unfortunately this route took them over a mountain, Caerphilly Mountain!

Valuable lessons learnt this week:

·         Always have a back up map (GPS devices work brilliantly in clear fine weather...not when it is cloudy and raining).  
·         Rain proof shoe covers are a must (putting wet shoes on the next day is not enjoyable).
·         Brakes don't work in the rain (stopping distances increase massively).  
·         Hills are easy, mountains are much harder (particularly in the rain).

On a positive note, Pete suffered his first puncture and now knows how to change a tyre, hopefully next time he can change it in under an hour(!).