After finally publishing the last blog, drafted back at the beginning of the year, lots has happened as I type this now in the school summer holidays.

I'll try and break this down in some form of chronological order; since the previous blog Jan and I have started and maintained, an excellent early morning fitness routine and combined with a more recent adoption of the 5-2 diet we are both very much on the journey of becoming healthier. For a good few weeks I maintained a routine of additional cycle before work, averaging 8 additional miles five days per week and my total mileage for the year started to look healthy. Achieving a 100 mile ride in one day was still the main cycling goal, and ensuring we finally invested a bit of time and money to complete elements of our house also remained a priority.

Quite out of the blue however I was approached through a recruiter by the owners of a family attraction here in Dorset who were looking to bring someone in to become their new Commercial Growth Manager. Long story short after a few meetings and an interview I was offered, and accepted the job meaning a total change in job / routine / commute from the almost 17 years working on the seafront in Bournemouth.

With a 12 week notice period before being able to start the new role (and an opportunity to take a couple of weeks holiday between jobs) I had a little time to plan and then undertake the 100 mile plus ride in one day. In the meantime I had a few weeks to ensure the team I was leaving were supported / work handed over / sorted out a few catch ups and a leaving do before escaping.

My lovely team know me too well as a very generous cycling related gift voucher was the basis of my leaving gift (very kind and very much appreciated Seafront colleagues), and an opportunity to meet my new work colleagues over a couple of half days put my mind at ease that I had taken the correct decision to move from one role to a completely new one, for me and for the business too.

12 weeks notice (even with some annual leave to take) is quite a long time, and almost every working day during this time I was up early off cycling before my commute to work. With the addition of a few weekend cycling trips my level of fitness was improving so I was beginning to feel like I was better prepared for an attempt at 100 miles or more in one day.

I should also acknowledge that this is purely me challenging myself; I am reasonably confident that I had ridden this distance in one day whilst in Scotland the previous summer (although I made the mistake of accidentally switching Strava off after a meal stop meaning the full ride wasn't recorded) but a focus is always useful in almost all aspects of life and this was mine.

Leaving do's complete, everything handed in I left the seafront office for the last time and started my two weeks break between jobs. I guess I could say I was unemployed , so what better way to fill my time than head out on Red the bike.

To ensure my planned ride could be split up with an appropriate catch up with my parents with the possibility of lunch I pencilled in a few dates that they would be in to ensure I could pick the best forecast to undertake the ride. As it turned out this looked, according to various forecasts to be the Wednesday of the first week off, and having enjoyed a few days off with Jan beforehand I spent some time Tuesday evening getting the bike, snacks, water bottles, Buble the battery pack and whatever else I might need ready for the next days ride. Just as a reminder the plan was simply to ride to my parents house in west Dorset and back again in one day.

As has become a theme of previous cycles, including at least one over to my mum and dads house, my route planning was minimal, for the most part because I once again made the assumption that I knew exactly where I was going.

Google maps used once again to check the distance and the route each way looked to be around 54 miles, giving me some confidence that I would easily break the 100 mile total I'd set myself to break.

List of items written, the Wednesday morning allowed me to enjoy a suitable breakfast, pack the bike with the essential items on the list and make a start initially cycling the commute to my old office I had undertaken hundreds of times before. The one thing I was slightly concerned about was the ever changing forecast; when I was looking at the forecast the previous weekend (and again on the Monday) the day of my cycle looked good. Dry, slight wind, not too hot..... ideal for the ride, but this forecast changed to one that included more cloud cover, slightly stronger winds and an increasing risk of showers.

As I set off from my house it was already threatening to rain, and within about five minutes of cycling it was raining so on went my rain jacket almost within view of my house!

It was only a shower however and my ride around Christchurch, into the eastern end of Bournemouth all the way through the seafront in Poole as I headed to the chain ferry that crosses the entrance to Poole Harbour remained dry. Maybe the forecast was wrong after all ?

As previously mentioned I am not a middle aged lycra clad racer on my bike. Red is very much a touring bike designed specifically to allow me to take bags and cycle long distances in relative comfort, and my previous multi day cycling adventures have been exactly this; a couple of panniers with luggage and food and off I went.

At the ferry I was overtaken (on the narrow access way onto the ferry for foot passengers) by a fellow cyclist who clearly had all the gear; a beautiful clean racing bike and all the attire of someone who was likely to be able to cycle into the distance once we crossed on the chain ferry to head into the hills of the Purbecks. Without wishing to sound critical I was a little surprised to be "overtaken" as I got onto the chain ferry, but maybe my fellow rider was in a hurry?

As the ferry docked we both cycled away onto the main road through Studland, which on a Wednesday in the middle of May was pretty traffic free allowing us both to enjoy the excellent road which starts off for the first few miles relatively flat before the first small hills of the Purbecks introduce themselves.

After maybe a couple of minutes, during which I assumed my cycling friend would have disappeared into the distance I found that actually with very little effort on my part Red and I were holding our own in this informal "race" to Corfe Castle. In actual fact I very quickly realised that Red and I were travelling far more quickly (after the initial sprint made away from the Ferry) and within moments we had overtaken heading towards the village of Studland.

In the style of someone who very rarely has cycled with anyone else, with the exception of leisurely rides with Jan, I was expecting some form of reaction from the other cyclist, but with relative ease I was putting quite a lot of distance between the two of us. Maybe I would be caught and passed with ease once we started to hit the climbs out of Studland village I thought to myself ?

Without any pressure to rush the days adventure I was keen to capture photos and videos of the days ride, and at the top of the first mini climb I stopped to take some photos of Old Harry Rocks glistening in the morning sunshine. As I packed my phone away again I saw in the distance my racing rival still quite some way from catching me up..... and to be totally clear I mean no disrespect to anyone who cycles (unless they are dangerous on their bike to fellow human beings) I'd made the assumption that the nice racing bike meant this cyclist was going to leave me for dust.

As I started to climb the various hills on this route towards Corfe Castle, which might not be in the Tour de France Alpine climb category were still hard work for me on what was the first half of a days cycling I was settling into a lovely rhythm in the saddle, reminded of all the reasons I love to experience life on the bike at a speed that allows me to take everything in.

Through the village of Corfe Castle, home to the ruins of the imposing castle destroyed following the English Civil War I continued in a roughly westerly direction using the route I knew reasonably well. Sat Nav wasn't switched on such was my slightly misplaced confidence in my own directional abilities. The further I cycled the less confident I was becoming in the knowledge that there was a left turn I needed to take to ensure I circled to the south of Dorchester.

As a little rain arrived I thought I recognised the left hand turn I needed and as I continued along a slightly unfamiliar road I thought it best to engage the services of Sat Nav . Her initial response was less than helpful suggesting I turn around and that I was still a long way from my lunch stop with my mum and dad. Whilst she had a lot more information I'm sure than I did I had very little intention of turning around, quite simply because I assumed she might be wrong - this has been the case before, so with a little unnecessary stubbornness on my behalf I kept going, stopping once or twice to look at the map to work out if I was heading back on track or possibly getting lost in west Dorset.

Of course it was the latter of the two options, but I did work out that whilst I might need to add a few miles to the ride (a plus if I wanted to break the 100 mile target) I would re-join Sat Nav's preferred route in a few miles time. These miles were as the crow flies it turned out because I hadn't taken into account the route crossed the hill that I thought I was cycling around, and boy was it steep!!!

Four miles later I was back on the route, this time less stubborn and more reliant on Sat Nav who expertly guided me all the way to the left turn which it turned out I didn't in any way remember from my previous cycles and was a good ten miles further on than my mistaken left turn.

Once back on the preferred route however the going was positive with one more major climb up to Hardy's monument to complete. Apart from the occasional bit of rain the ride had been mostly dry so far, certainly nothing to impact the enjoyment of the cycle. Most importantly for me I felt really good, knowing lunch was on the horizon was motivating, but my twiglet legs felt strong as I started the climb upto the monument. From the village of Martinstown the road is a steady climb for over a mile up to one of the highest points in Dorset; the last part of this climb however is very steep and this was a real test of my fitness as I approached the 50 mile mark.

Wind and a little more rain in the form of a shower didn't dampen my mood however and once at the top of this climb the last 10 or so miles down the valley towards Burton Bradstock was really positive, especially as the shower was short and once again I found myself with a bit of a head wind, but cool dry weather to accompany me getting to the halfway point of the ride.

Even with Sat Nav to ensure I didn't make any more navigational errors I managed to guide myself to the cul de sac my mum and dad live in, and greeted by my dad (mum out but on her way home for lunch) I managed to put my bike in their garage and step into the back door of their house just as the heavens opened ! Knowing I was likely to stop for an hour or so, with little need to rush to head home for the return leg I remarked to my dad that actually the timing of the downpour was actually lucky....... it was time to catch up with my parents, enjoy a little lunch and pause thoughts of the return leg for a while, so that's exactly what I did.

To be continued...........