Questions and answers.

Word is getting around regarding my blog. This is good because without lots of interested readers, I'm not going to raise much money for Prostate Cancer. But perhaps it's not so good, because I'm turning the spotlight on myself. I feel more pressure is on my shoulders to succeed. I think I would prefer to just get on with my training quietly, slip away for three days in July, and do my best anonymously. I can't have it both ways. I want to raise as much money as possible, so I need the publicity.
Anyway, thanks again to everyone for their support and encouragement. Only illness or injury is going to stop me on July 16th. Or a mountain.
I'm getting lots of emails via the blog. One of the frustrating things about the blog software is that I cannot reply directly to the sender of the email because google doesn't let me. Therefore there are lots of unanswered questions.

1. The commonest query is 'how on earth do you cycle a 100 miles on the Isle of Wight? How many times do I go around?' Predictably, it is not just the matter of circumnavigating the Island. There are plenty of roads and routes which I can take depending on how complex I want to make it. I have to do some loops two or three times, or simply repeat certain sections. For example, from my gate I could simply ride down through Brook to the Military Road, turn left and cycle to Niton. Then, around the one-way system , past the pub and back. That's almost exactly 20 miles. Repeat times 5 and we have a 100.
2. 'When will I be doing the sponsored leg shave?' Errrr... not for the foreseeable future.
3. 'Why the reference to the current Mrs. C.? Am I planning to trade her in, or is she my third or fourth wife?' Sorry. She's the one and only. This is a semi-private joke initiated by top Northern Pro racer Jacko who originally coined the phrase when he made reference to his wife. It amused my tiny mind so I've childishly perpetuated the reference.
4. 'Have I tried a Tele?' This is a guitarist's question, and refers to a Fender Telecaster in comparison with a Stratocaster. The answer is , yes. For me, the Tele's are just a bit too twangy, not so warm, not as versatile and lack the body contouring. Having said that, my brother-in-law has a 60's Tele into which he shoehorned a humbucker, and it absolutely rocks like a Les Paul, and has the best neck I have ever played.
5.'Have I tried an ice bath after a ride?' No. I am too chicken. And, I find that hot baths really relieve muscular aches and pains. I have made reference to post-exercise ice bathing in an earlier blog because the top athletes are doing this more and more. The standard treatment for soft-tissue injuries is an ice pack, so it does seem a good idea to take a cold bath in order to minimise any inflammatory reaction in the muscles.
6. 'Have I tried adding an egg to my recovery drink?' Not yet. But I will. Presumably that's a raw egg, and we don't have a salmonella problem anymore in this country?
7.'Is this blog all bullsh1T and I'm really a very experienced cyclist/journalist or professional writer?' I'm flattered, but no, no and no!

Sorry to hear about the sad sudden death of Alan Ball. A great player, and a great man.