As I approach the end of my Cardiac Rehab sessions, I need a challenge to help keep me focused and motivated throughout the dark cold winter nights.

This is an important decision for me.  It will create the structure of my next phase of my recovery.  I need to select something that is realistic and achievable, but also something reasonably challenging. Challenging enough to keep me interested, fit and focused!

I checked out the British Heart Foundation website for ideas.  Given my recent fitness exploits, it made sense to look at their cycling options.  They offer a large number of interesting choices… the extravagantly exotic, outrageously “foreign” and luxuriously lengthy options were ruled out fairly quickly.  I also eliminated the mundane… it’d be good to do something a little bit different!

Having tested a few options with the family (where I successfully tested the boundaries of exotic, foreign and lengthy), I landed on…

…a Bike Ride from London to Amsterdam to Brussels.

280 miles over 4 days starting on 7th May 2014.

Along the way, I’m also hoping to raise a few quid for the British Heart Foundation.

This is the sort of climbing I like!

Excitedly I went to register for the trip.  Unfortunately, my first attempt was a complete anti-climax.  ironically my attempt failed on a web page with the title “Your challenge starts here”… it appears it does!!!  Having spent some time typing in my long list of medication, I was a little frustrated to say the least!

Anyway, I eventually resorted to the manual telephone method, and I’m now all signed up!

All I need to do now is raise some cash, get properly fit and persuade a GP to sign my “fit for fun” letter in advance of the trip.  All very exciting!!!

I hope you’ll join me every step of the way!