Onwards.

So after a blistering week where I surpassed my previous highest distance, work and preparations for our upcoming road trip gave me the lowest mileage week to date <sad face>

75km has put a bit of a dent in the average, but it's still holding out above 105km/week so we're on target for the 20.12 week target.  I need to make sure I can clock up 20km somehow in the next week while we're on the road.

My developing spreadsheet with distances etc seems to have dropped off in the update.  You can find my distance log here.

Sunday of this week sees us attending the Olympic Stadium in London for what I believe is the first test event there.  From the ticketmaster correspondence we've been getting I don't think it's going to be anywhere near full, unsurprising given that it will just be people like me, completing the 2012 challenge, who will be on display.  Oh, there is a bonus that we have a 'show' with lots of people from tv shows like X Factor singing for us.  Hoping to be long gone by then.

Wifi permitting, we'll post a few pictures and a small commentary when we've been.

I wonder how it will measure up...?

Viva.

So no sooner than I find myself in Switzerland, I blink, and I'm in Italy.

It feels like I'm on the final stretch of my journey as I make my way along the Aosta valley (where we recently skied - flying is so much easier). 

In reality though, I still have 800km to go to get to Rome, which at the current rate of progress will take me about 8 weeks. Although after attacking the treadmill on Tuesday, I may need to reassess that.. Still very sore two days after the event.

Tonight sees a visit (in the real world) to see Pop Will Eat Itself in their latest incarnation.  Expectations have been set relatively low by the latest album, but we'll go with open minds, and partially closed aural canals.

Masterchef

Delicious sounding recipes from the winner of this year's Masterchef.

#cantwaittotrythem

Recipes | Shelina Permalloo, Masterchef 2012 Winner

Cheese and chocolate.

I haven't had a chance to post for a while, it's been a busy few days.

Since reaching half way on the trip from Bristol to Rome, I've crossed the virtual border into Switzerland, a very fine country, and cycled around lake Geneva, pictured (you can't magine the gym as being quite as inspiring)

More tickets this week: we're off to an Olympic test event for ..... Synchronised swimming!!  The event itself is of a little interest as I used to know a few synchronised swimmers (? well what would you call them?) when I was training in the unsynchronised form of the event. I remember Sunday evening obsessions being accompanied by muffled tones of the Art of Noise.  No, the important thing is the event gives us a clean sweep of the 3 major Olympic venues well in advance of the games themselves, and for a fraction of the cost. Watch this space for more images in the coming weeks.

Ooh lookie

Last night on the bike was a struggle. I think that all of the miles may be catching up with me. My body crying out for a rest.

So it was with little enthusiasm I completed the distance chart and I didn't really pay much attention to it other than to get my rather lamentable 15k registered.

However, looking at my chart in the cold light if day, I notice I've just passed half way :-) . So even with a week off for skiing, I'm still on target to hit 20 weeks (averaging 110k per week at the moment). This may drop a bit as I take a day or two rest but I don't mind too much.

As I hurtle towards Switzerland it feels hard, but I have the impression that I'm through the worst.

Live blogging

So with my new funky phone I can ride and blog as I go. Not necessarily the easiest thing to do, but you've got to love the technology.

Head down and off we go.

Enjoy the day :-)

Velodrome visit.

So, a couple of weeks have gone by since we actually made it to the Olympic velodrome. The day was great fun, and even though we were only there for a series of heats, quarter finals and semi finals, there was enough excitement with quite a few of the big Team GB names putting a on show (Hoy, Pendleton, Varnish).

The velodrome itself was a great building, the views of the track inside were great, the atmosphere electric (especially during the Keirin) and the structure simple. For those who are interested, the roof consists of timber cassettes (hollow) suspended from cables strung across the arena from a steel ring beam, insulation was laid ontop of this, and the waterproofing above. Unfortunately, we were quite tightly chaperoned to the site so didn't manage a wide angle shot - but there are plenty out there... the e-architect site has lots of information about it and some development pictures.

The original conception for the building became known (to me anyway) as the floating pringle. I think the build has managed to maintain the idea in the delivery with a glazed wall beneath the roof providing a lightness to the roof and visibility into the velodrome - in places you can see down to the track to watch the cycling. It's quite enticing, and if you were just passing it would probably make you want to go in, and who knows... you might take up cycling!

Whilst the velodrome had us convinced, the rest of the Olympic park left a few more question marks. Because the majority of the buildings are either temporary, or designed for legacy mode, I came away with a feeling that it was all a bit cobbled together - and having seen the Beijing site a couple of years back, am concerned at what people will leave London feeling. As an example, the Hadid designed pool was value engineered to the extent that they took out most of the seating needed for an Olympic event, leaving a smaller legacy pool... which I can understand given the white elephant of the Water Cube. However, they've taken a (relatively) interesting legacy building not designed to be scaled up, the additions seriously compromise what the building looks like (again no pictures - sorry, but you'll see it in time!). The architecture doesn't flow particularly and the additions just look slapped on. The main stadium seems to hold it together, having been designed with the idea of removing a bit of it, but other areas feel a little lame. I'm sure it will all be brought together by what looks like a very exciting landscaping scheme.

We were both unconvinced by the overwhelming Anish Kapoor 'sculpture' - not quite sure what the plan is with it, but once the extra bits of the park get taken away, it's going to dominate the area... not a good thing.

However, I will save my last shot of the post for the approach to the site. I don't know if this is the final route (there were no signs to the Olympic Park from the tube, just cold volunteers (who were great) with big pink foam pointy fingers (which were not)) - but to get from Stratford Station to the site, you have to walk through the middle Westfield shopping centre.

Just what does that say about us as a nation?