The final countdown

The final countdown has begun - 5 weeks tomorrow our Cuban cycling challenge begins!  After over a year and a half of build up, fundraising and training I can't believe it's so close now.

We have two 100 mile cycle events under our belt and are feeling confident about the 400km that lie in wait for us in Cuba.

Last weekend Gillian and I took very different approaches to getting back to training after our final cycle event before Cuba - I decided on a break from the bike and went for a run along the canal in glorious Sunday morning sunshine (more of a slow steady plod than a run) and really enjoyed the change - taking in the sunlit scenery at a much slower pace.

Gillian opted for pretty much the opposite and took on The Cat and Fiddle climb on her bike!   I refer to Wikipedia:

The Cat and Fiddle is a road in England between Buxton, Derbyshire and Macclesfield, Cheshire, named after the public house at its summit......it is famous for its scenic views across the Greater Manchester conurbation, the Peak District National Park and the Cheshire Plain and for its many bends. It is extremely popular with motorcyclists, and is often classed as the most dangerous road in the UK....

....it climbs in a series of sharp bends onto the flat moorland of Goyt’s Moss, where it runs as the A537 in a fairly straight line until reaching the Cat and Fiddle Inn at an altitude of 1,690 feet (520 m).^[1] From the Cat and Fiddle Inn it descends to Macclesfield via a continuous series of sharp, and often blind, bends.

Awesome effort!

This goodness needs to be balanced with some naughtiness, so we have decided to have a 'We are off to Cuba' drinks night in a couple of weeks - bring on the rum!