Here we go again!!!!

When we got to John O'Groats I didn't feel the sense of elation that I thought I was going to. I think that the physical and mental exhaustion had just taken over and all I wanted to do was go home to Alison and my children, to sleep in my own bed and spend a day where I didn't have to get on the bike!

When we got home, the accomplishment slowly started to sink in. I kept looking at the web site and staring at the map of the route, shaking my head in disbelief. I read the blogs that we had written and believe it or not, started to feel sad at the thought that it was all over. We had been planning the trip for over a year and it was difficult to comprehend that we had nothing to train for and nothing to focus on. The training regime had become part of mine and my families life. The majority of weekends over the last year had involved Matt and I getting together to go on a ride and our family planning their weekends around us.

Yes, the ride itself had been tough, yes tempers (mostly mine) had frayed and yes we just couldn't wait until we arrived at the finishing line, but looking back now, all of that seemed irrelevant. It had been one long adventure and I wanted more. I could never have realised the impact that the ride would have on me and had failed to notice that I was living the adventure when it was happening. It was only with hindsight that I had started to realise just what had been and gone.

I texted Matt...."We need to do something else.....its doing my head in........lets do something else!"

He was already onto it. "I'm thinking about it too. Just give me some time and I will let you know any ideas".

A couple of days passed and on Wednesday I got a text..."I have an idea. You are gonna love it. I will ring you later!"

Whatever his idea was, I was going to do it. I had caught the bug and even if he suggested that we tried to go around the world in 80 days, I would have said yes!!

His idea though couldn't have been more perfect. When the sentence (which I know that when I am training again will be excruciating to hear!) reeled from his lips, I found myself nodding in agreement and almost jumping around with excitement.............

"We are going to cycle to Africa!!"

This is going to be a huge project and one which will take meticulous planning and preperation, not only logistically, but also our fitness. Africa is over 1600 miles away and the proposal is that we do this in 2010 to give us a chance to get REALLY fit and make sure that the trip is planned with military precision. Its one thing to organise a trip around the UK but its a whole new ball game trying to do it in several different countries and in several different languages!!

So there you have it. If you had told me two years ago that at this point in my life I would have already cycled from Lands End to John O'Groats and was now planning to cycle to another continent, I would have laughed so hard that my sides would have split.

Plans and updates will be shown on the site........but watch this space........we are going to do it again, sure as eggs are eggs, but this time its going to be bigger.

I now understand why Sir Ranulph Fiennes does what he does. Its addictive, and once you have experienced the feeling it gives you, you just want more.

Jon

African Adventure Kit list (Item 1)
Giant padded saddle with fluffy cushions and gel technology, designed by Charmin Ultra......CHECK!!