Matt - Feb Post 1

The months until we ride in September are flying by already! Another month gone and now only 8 months to go. The good thing is that there has been no tantrums, no throwing the bike to the ground in temper, and generally no excuses not to ride. However, when i say generally no excuses...i havent actually trained this week! I usually train while in Edinburgh at the hotel and instead went to Glasgow to watch the CIS Cup Semi Final at Hampden. My weekend ride didnt happen due to the bad weather (Cleveland didnt prompt me to ride though - i spoke to him on Saturday and he was using that excuse as well!). Adding to not training, i had chips on the way back from the football, so not a good week for me. If you see me, tell me off!!

My new Boardman bike arrived and it is fantastic!!!! The strength of a mountain bike with the performance of a road bike - and it is so much easier to ride. I have had the bike up to 44mph and it really does power along! This past week i cycled from Holmfirth to Glasshoughton (29.1 miles), and managed to do it without much trouble. I met Jonathon half way and he rode the second half of the journey with me. The not so nice part of the ride was when a car full of teenage lads hung out of the car swearing and generally giving us abuse as we passed (my pink hat probably isnt helping, and the fact that my head shape doesnt take well to helmets so i look quite like Stan Laurel !!). However, I can quite honestly say that i am now quite sure that i will be able to manage riding circa 100 miles per day (although i still know that i am miles off).

On the charity front, the costs are being finalised by the Simantoi at the school and Serena at the Maasai Heritage Foundation. We have identified the clear stages of the build and just need to assign our costs to them to have our targets set. The registration papers are almost complete to register the charity in the UK as well as the USA and that should be submitted this month. Our charity comittee has been defined so big thankyous on that front to Andrew Weatherill (Vice Chair), Mark and Rowena Short (Secretary), Lee Clayton (Finance) and Mushtaq Mahboob who have all agreed to come on board.

The scary thing for me this week has been speaking to the Foundation in the states about what our scond project will be and what we can do for the Maasai in Tanzania (education is equally as bad in Tanzania and in some cases worse). We havent even got near this ride yet and discussions are taking place for 2009!!!!!