Essential Kit - Milton sterilising tablets....

Only three weeks to go now. In reality, that is two weeks left of training, 'cos the third week will be a "tapering" week. That means I will be be doing short rides on the flat, just to keep the leg muscles turning over. Lots of trips to Jodrell Bank for coffee and flap-jack!

I've been reading a few cycling related books over the last six months..

Mark Beaumont's book is a "must-read" for anyone really. He is so inspirational. He cycled 18,000 miles around the world in 195 days; with rest days that worked out that he had to do 100 miles/day. HE DID IT!! But what was amazing for me was that he did it with open pressure sores on his bottom!! This really hit home to me, because last year I bought a new saddle and had real problems with a sore backside. The thought of cycling every day for 100 miles with open sores on my bottom - well, I just couldn't have done it, no way. 

So I have bought a tub of "chamois" cream to lather on my delicate parts. This topic is also raised in another book I'm reading. This one is by my next-door-but-one neighbours, Annie and Paul. They did LEJOG two years ago now and the book describes the experience from Annie's viewpoint - from the back of the tandem!

This is an hilarious account of LEJOG! As I said, bottom's are mentioned(!), but the main tip I got from Annie's experience was to look after my hands. She got some quite nasty blisters on both her hands - the area between her thumb and forefinger, from gripping the handlebars. So, I will be packing blister plasters along with the chamois cream! I haven't finished the book yet - so there may be more valuable snippets. 

The final book I've read is by Tim Moore:

Tim decided to ride the 2000 Tour de France route a few months before the actual event after minimal training!! Another laugh-out-loud read.

The main piece of info I gleaned from this read (apart from training for an endurance ride is essential?!) was to wash my water bottles ("bidons") out thoroughly! Tim had made the mistake of a quick rinse out under the tap, followed by filling his bidon with high-sugar drinks, which basically grew masses of bacteria in the French sunshine resulting in ..... mega- intestinal "hurry"!!

So - chamois cream, blister plasters and..... "milton" sterilising tablets, are all on the kit list!

Happy Days!