Well here it is....my first blog!!

Matt, 19th Jan

Before i start - for those that have seen the pictures or have seen me riding about i feel that i need to explain the pink crash-helmet! I am colour blind and my ever so kind brother told me in the shop that it was purple - an awful trick to play i feel - all i can say is watch yourself Jonathon and remember who is sorting out the riding gear!!!!!

Back in October i received confirmation from Memusi school that they had been granted by the region elders to build a new school and at that time i knew that something big had to be done to raise the money to build a new school. So 3 seriously unfit people (1 of which has just had a knee operation) opted to cycle the length of the country (and when i say unfit that is an understatement!!). On starting training something odd occured - why has it become so difficult to ride a bike? As a child things were miles easier than they are now!!! However, training has been going for 6 weeks now and things are really getting going!! At first i managed to spend 15 minutes on an excercise bike before collapsing on the floor in a heap! This week i managed a 23k ride in an hour on the same bike!!!

Both Jonathon and I have had a couple of rides on a weekend together as well and things are appearing much easier for both of us as well - although i am sure if we both admit it, we are still miles off. The stops are becoming less frequent and i havent thrown my bike to floor in temper for a couple of weeks now! The challenge for tomorrow is a 30 mile ride - just hoping that the rain holds off. However, i now have a new bike (Boardman) and i cant wait to give it a real go.

Although i can say that things have been going well, that isnt absolutely accurate. We have met a wild horse which charged us down, i have fallen off my bike, caught my leg in the chain and also lost my peddle half way down a hill. Last weekend i set off to ride over to my parents (25 miles) and got 5 miles before my chain snapped in the middle of the road. I walked home and in determination that i was going to make it over i got on Sallys (pink) bike and set off. It is about 15 sizes too small and i felt like Brandon from The Goonies!! I got the same distance and hit the snow and had to turn around. The worst part was passing the children coming out of the school as i walked past with my pink bike and pink crash-helmet. I managed 20 miles therefore but not all in the right direction!

Heres to another 8 months of hard work!