One day to go

There are just less than 24 hours to go before we start on this year's journey and I spent today trying to get rid of the time difference (without too much success), get a few more 'practice' miles in then meeting the other riders who are going to be with me for all or part of the adventure.

Rather foolishly yesterday I mentioned to one of the other riders that I had been out for a ride and would ride with him this morning if he fancied going out. He said he had a little route planned that he was going to try out. I knew that I would probably be up early and he told me that he always got up early and would be in for breakfast when it started at 6am. At 5.45am I chickened out and decided to have a lie in but going for breakfast at 6.30 I still found him breakfasted and ready to go.

To cut a long story short, when we arrived back at the hotel at 9.45am, we had done just over 30 miles. I knew I was in trouble when he uttered those immortal lines, 'I don't like to race or go fast or anything like that' then set off in front of me like a Meatloaf song and the speedo soon read 18mph. I managed to keep dragging him back into line by stopping to take photographs etc. but it was a struggle. He has been marked as a man who will soon receive a pile of scrap lead in his saddlebag. I mean, how serious is it when an alarm goes off every ten minutes on his satnav which he has programmed to remind him to have a drink!! Then, every ten miles, he bit the top off a 'Gu' sachet and consumed that.

What's Gu? Well, it's the American way of spelling 'Goo' (I think that was a word they invented originally anyway) and it's a high calory energy giving concoction. It has the consistency of syrup, looks like the inside of a Mars bar, tastes a bit like and old shoe sole but with extra sugar. For me, one every ten days would be too many, but every ten miles?

The last stop was in the centre of the lovely town of Portsmouth where I managed to get a couple of pictures and this is one of the main church.
Back at the hotel the AbB staff were busily putting together their needs for our registration; there are three staff, two of whom are mechanics and both of them gave the gearing on the back of Velocipede Perry a number of questioning looks. The bike and my cycling helmet were inspected to make sure that they were both safe and necessary adjustments were made.

This afternoon we all met for our formal induction meeting. There are 15 riders; ten will ride the whole route with five dropping out at Washington; three more will joins us there but two of those will leave on the next rest day at Myrtle Beach leaving just eleven of us to battle into Florida for the final days. The group is mainly American with a lot of returning clients. Apart from me there is a only one 'foreigner', a Belgian man (should be no danger on the hills!) and he is here to improve his English! I have already advised him that I will interpret for him and translate what he hears from the locals into English. There are three women riders and one woman on the staff, and five of the (twelve) men are called John. Could be interesting.

The best news of the day was that far from being a 95 mile day to start, we are only doing 88 miles. Now, that's what I call a bonus. We were issued with our cue sheet for the day's ride - well I say sheet but it's actually three sheets of A4 with turning instructions on.

I think I'm just going to follow someone!


I'm ready to roll, so tomorrow I will tell you about the first proper day.