Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  I am going to be trying to raise money this year for CLIC Sargent by doing the Amsterdam Marathon in between cycling to Amsterdam and back. 

Final Update 20 Oct - As I write this I am back in my flat in Gipsy Hill,  I've done what I have been told a few times was mental!!  I've enjoyed the experience, it has been like doing 5 marathons in 6 days and I'm amazed as to how well the old body has held up, especially with such little practice on a bike and a cough and cold all weekend to compete with!

Yesterday's ride back to the Hoek Van Holland largely went as well as I could have hoped. My biggest fear was with my legs because after last year's marathon I could barely move them. This year they were better and riding a bike, once the muscles had warmed up, was absolutely fine. The weather down to the Hook was much better and I was able to appreciate the efforts that the Dutch have gone to to make cycling accessible to all. The Dutch cyclists I have spoken to wouldn't dream of riding a bike in the UK which is a sad indictement of the way we look after our cyclists in what is such a beneficial activity in terms of looking after the health of the environment and the health of the individual.

Today's journey back from Harwich to The Mansion in Gipsy Hill was not incident free, followed a couple of cycle paths in Essex and felt really good for a while until I lost the signs.  Just as I was leaving Chelmsford I had a puncture which had resulted from wearing down the rear tyre to bare thread over the previous 400+ kilometres.  Headed back into Chelmsford and got the tyre replaced and puncture fixed - then re-cycled the miles I had done!  Made very good time today though and was pleased to be back about 3 hours earlier than i expected.

Photos and a finishing video of the marathon are at:

 http://evenementen.uitslagen.nl/2009/amsterdammarathon/index-en.html my bib number was 5434.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me.  I will endeavour to thank you all personally in one way or another as soon as I can all I can do now is look to my next challenge.  I really want to run a sub 4 hr marathon again (did my last and only in 1991) and I have been selected for London next year.  Other than that I am open to suggestions for my next challenge. 

If you are interested in what will be a very entertaining and excellent value night on 27 Nov in central London then get in contact with me as I am part of a team organising a charity function for CLIC Sargent and Help for Heroes.

Update 18 Oct - Had a relatively relaxing day yesterday, did plenty of walking and sightseeing but definitely no cycling and no running either.  Was in bed by 10.30 and woke up this morning at 7.30 for yet another huge breakfast!  I am staying in a lovely friendly hotel which I can only recommend, it's pretty cheap and basic but ideal for a stay in Amsterdam and not surprisingly, as it is called the Bicycle hotel, it hires out its own bikes.  Also not surprisingly, other than nearly getting run over by cyclists and tripping over the bikes that are everywhere in the streets, I have avoided bikes like the plague.

Arriving at the Olympic stadium today for the marathon I was nervous as my legs were still stiff from the ride here and stretching off was a challenge.  Once we started though I felt fine and for the first 30 kilometres all was good.  After that though my legs were so so heavy and my pace dropped and I had to walk on a couple of occasions.  Once I got in sight of the stadium though something else kicked in, the MC announced my name, the crowds were cheering and as I turned the final corner towards the stadium I found a sprint finish like I never thought was possible!  Finishing the run in the Olympiuc Stadium is a feeling like no other and I was very pleased with my finishing time of 4hrs 21 mins 29 seconds.  Details are on the Amsterdam marathon website already and the video footage and photos should be available from tomorrow lunchtime.

I've showered now and considering my options now for the evening, I need to get some decent food in me but I really feel like just going to sleep now.  My legs feel as flexible as tree trunks and I am not sure I could get on a bike, let alone cycle 90kms tomorrow!

Thank you for reading this and all the support so far.

Update 16 Oct - Woke up at 5.30 UK time to ensure I had time for a big breakfast on the ferry so in total I probably slept about 5 hours...5 hours is pretty normal for me but I think after the previous day's exertions I could have slept much longer!!

Got off the ferry to a howling gale and torrential rain...the guy directing the traffic showed me where the train for Amsterdam was and recommended I take it.  It was literally 50 metres from the ferry and I politely refused and explained what I was doing and why I couldn't take the ferry, unfortunately he did know what he was talking about!

The rain was not a problem, in fact for large parts of today it has been dry and I even briefly saw the sun twice.  The wind though was something I had not even considered in all my 'extensive' planning for this.  I had expected today to be easy compared to yesterday...I was cycling across Holland...no hills, and cycle paths that we can only dream of in the UK. 

I have been travelling with my very clever Garmin watch which very accurately tells me my speed and distance covered and when I get back will also prove to any unbelievers that I have done what I say.  For my first 3 hours this morning I could not get my watch to tell me that I was going over 10km/h, I was either cycling into driving rain or much worse, at times beside the North Sea there was sand being driven into my face while I was virtually standing still.

To try to make things a bit easier I changed my route and moved inland, the cycle paths were clearly marked and I started making better progress until I missed a sign in Hoofddorp and then became very acquainted with that town as I circled it repeatedly until I found the sign I'd missed.

Cycled into Amsterdam via the Vondelpark which brought back some good memories of last year here, and was very pleased to find the hotel which is very friendly and which also has, as you can see, - the internet!!

Today was really tough and I hope the wind stays where it is for the next 2 days because then I won't need to cycle back, I will just sail back!  However, it has shown me how tough it could be if the wind is against me again and on Monday I will be in pain after hopefully running and completing the marathon on Sunday.

Quiet rest day tomorrow, I will eat lots, check in for the marathon and probably just do a gentle jog to loosen up.

Finally...are there any good masseuse in Amsterdam??

Update 15 Oct - Cycled 140 km in 12 hours with a couple of breaks for food, drink and updating the facebook status!  Was very pleased with the way things went though considering it was more than twice the distance than I have previously cycled.  Highlights were the weather and cycling through some lovely autumnal Essex countryside, oh and managing to squeeze in visits to the family in Colchester,  The worst bit was the stretch from Colchetster to Harwich on very dark, bike-unfriendly roads, the compensation for that was the best guinness I have ever had and a plate of sausage, mash and gravy at Harwich.

Overall though, the day went exactly as I had hoped so I was very satisfied with what I had managed to do.

Update 14 Oct - Leaving early tomorrow morning but have managed to get the Cabinet Office cold that seems to be going around - hoping that it will not take too much of a toll.  Off out for a last pasta supper tonight and just a bit nervous!!

Thanks to everyone who has given me support so far...I know I'm insane though and don't need to be told it again!

Update 11 Oct - I have had a permanent sore bum now for the past 2 weeks and knees have been hurting so i have eased off on the running a bit.  Can't quite believe that i only have 4 days now until I set off and that there really isn't too much more I can do training-wise to improve my chances of making it to work next wednesday.

I have been riding my bike the 7 miles to work and back the last couple of weeks and I've borrowed a set of panniers (thank you Mark).  Everyone else in London seems to be that much quicker than me...I think its because my heavy old bike was not designed for what I have in mind for it; it has been suggested that I change it for this challenge....for me though, that is going to be an integral part of the challenge!!!  Oh and I've already spent a small fortune getting it ready for this.

Thank you to everyone so far for your support I am hopeful that I will reach my £500 target and go beyond if you help me.

Update 25 Sept  - Had a reasonable week of training and I intend to do a long run tomorrow morning. I pick up my bike on Sunday and I will try to ride it back from Rochester to London....my second bike ride in about as many decades!! 

I have booked up the hotel and ferry so now there is no getting away from it.  The hotel I will be staying in is appropriately the Bicycle Hotel which is close to the Olympic stadium where the marathon starts and finishes.

Thank you to those that have sponsored me so far :-)

Update 21 Sep - Interesting weekend training wise, did a slow 10 mile run/walk/jog on Saturday followed by my first significant bike ride for very many years (about 20 miles).  Been eating like a horse and permanently hungry ever since!  Having a day off completely today except for the eating - I have a very tender backside and will now be avoiding the bike until next weekend as it is being serviced.  Will be back doing some running tomorrow as I now realise how much I need to do in the next 3 weeks in order to prepare for my challenge.

The plan for the weekend will be:

15 October cycle to Harwich from Gipsy Hill followed by overnight crossing to Hook of Holland

16 October cycle from Hook of Holland to Amsterdam

17 October book in for the marathon and eat lots

18 October run 26.2 miles

19 October cycle from Amsterdam to Hook of Holland

20 October cycle from Harwich to Gipsy Hill

Update 17 Sep - Trip to Ghana resulted in a delicate stomach for a few days and very little training, one 40 minute run in the midday heat of Accra and a 30 minute run in an equally hot Tamale...not the ideal preparation considering I now have one month left and I still have not ridden any bike further than 10 miles in about 25 years and my total mileage on a bike for the last 25 years is probably less than I will be riding next month.  The plan for this weekend will be to see if I can manage a 30 mile cycle ride and something close to a half marathon!

Update 28 Aug - Not done much running this week....will try to do better this weekend before my two week break in Africa...I have decided to make things 20 times harder for myself though and I am going to cycle to Amsterdam from Gipsy Hill, then run the marathon and then cycle back.

Update 22 Aug - I have only just started the training and I'm now just back off an 11km run around a very hilly Crystal Palace (not sure how that will prepare me for Amsterdam!!).  Today's run took just over an hour...I still want to manage a marathon in under 4 hours and this will be my goal for Amsterdam.  I am off to Ghana on 2nd Sept for 2 weeks so I am really not sure how this will affect any training.

At work we are organising a charity auction on 27 November as well which will raise money jointly for Help for Heroes and CLIC Sargent and so if anyone has anything interesting that we could auction off then please let me know.

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Cheers

Pete