Well, it's been a while and for anyone who blogs on a regular basis will know only too well that to keep a blog going takes time.
This is the one commodity that has frustratingly been lacking in my life, but with a new adventure project on the horizon I thought it about time that I got things back on an even keel.
Ill talk more about this exciting project I'm working on in a separate post but firstly a bit of a catch up so you can see exactly where I am and what I am doing.
Travelling, this is something that I really enjoy, over the last couple of years I have been lucky enough to A) Get married and B) Get married to someone who is crazy enough to put up with my mad ideas and loves to travel.
We have also managed to get in a bit of travelling, not lots, but enough to satisfy my wander lust for now.
Over to Bergen in Holland a good few times, which is always enjoyable, both in the summer and during the depths of winter.
We ventured over to Greece and to a beautiful place called Fiscardo which we both fell in love with, and are planning to go back again in 2020.
To various parts of the UK, the Elan Valley in Wales was great this Easter and I did a mad dash to Edinburgh and back in just over 24 hours to collect some dining room chairs only a few days ago!
We have been to many other places, seen and done some wonderful things, all of which I have managed to fail to capture via this blog. However my Facebook page is alive and kicking along with an Instagram page.
Facebook has really taken over from this blog, but with Facebook you only see a snapshot of what is happening. I still think that a blog conveys the real story of what is happening and so I aim to document my next journey and the build up to it.
But before I go any further I firstly have to define travelling/adventure and what it means to me.
Is it a full on expedition down the Amazon, taking on rain forests and pulling leaches from your nether regions, or is it simply a walk down a local footpath that you have never been down before?
I have come to realise, and maybe it is because I have reached an age, (50) that life is an adventure and as soon as I step outside my front door I am travelling.
With this attitude even a trip into town becomes interesting, looking out for the unusual, making sure your eyes are wide open and not on auto pilot.
Recently we have had people close to us pass away, my Dad who lived to a ripe old age but did very little for the last 20 years, and a friend who stepped out of her shower, had a brain bleed and died aged just 50!
Life is a lottery, you never know when your number is up, so you have to make the most of it whilst you can.
I have also had a bit of a wake up call regarding my levels of fitness. I topped the scales at 22 stone and 6lbs - I struggled putting my socks on and was constantly knackered.
My knees are shot to pieces, I blame the Army for that, so running, not that I could, but even walking was an issue and the Gym I found to be honest is A) Boring B) Intimidating.
So how could I get fit?
Swimming, I can swim, but not far, probably a length but I do not find it enjoyable and I knew that if I was to be successful in getting fitter than I would have to enjoy it.
As a kid I loved to ride my bike, I would cycle for miles and spend hours riding around. I knew every path, road, shortcut and road in my home town of Shaftesbury.
So I dug my dilapidated mountain bike out of the garage, and tried it out.
A couple of years ago, I bought a 2nd hand one, but to be honest it really was rubbish, nothing really worked on it and it was in a sorry state of repair.
I managed a couple of miles on it before I ran out of steam, I was shattered.
My legs ached, my heart was about to explode but after I had recovered which took a good while I realised that I did actually enjoy it.
I decided that if I were to get fit, then cycling was the way forward, but I did need a better bike than my rusting hulk.
So I set about some research and came up with the idea of buying a Fat Bike.
For those who have never seen or heard of one, they are a bit niche, and not everyone's cup of tea.
But you have to understand that I would not be a pretty sight in lycra and to be honest I'm not sure a road bike would handle my weight!
A standard mountain bike? Although robust, could it do all the things I wanted it to do?
I wanted a bike that was strong enough to take some abuse, to be comfy and as 50% of my riding would be on gravel or sandy tracks be able to cope with some harsh terrain.
This is where the Fat Bike ticked all the boxes!
So I took the plunge and got a great deal on one. It's a Calibre Dune - entry level bike costing approx £600.
I love it!
This was back in March this year, my first few rides were around 5 miles, and yes, they were hard work, I struggled and it hurt.
But the enjoyment was evident, If you click on the Strava link on the right of the page you can view my current stats and how I am doing.
This week saw my biggest single ride to date, just shy of 50 miles! My best week was 100 miles!
I have lost weight and can now fit into shirts I haven't worn in ages!
So far my weight is down to 20 Stone 10Lbs if my maths is correct I've lost 24Lbs which I'm very happy about.
You know what the best thing is? - My diet hasn't really changed much! I try not to eat rubbish, but I do have a sweet tooth, so my weight loss has been all down to riding my bike.
My energy levels are up, I can put my socks on and I feel 100% better in myself.
With this new found energy I have been thinking about a suitable challenge, it's been a while since I have pushed myself so I have come up with a couple of ideas.
One is in a few weeks time, and one is planned for September 2019. There may well be a few more in between, but for now these are the focus.
I'll tell you more in the next post.
Ride safe.................
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