Days ridden: 4
Miles ridden: 108
Average mph: 17.0

Fifty five miles this last Sunday and I felt better than when I did the fifty mile ride last week. The weather was warm, with light wind and occasional large drops of rain. It took me just over three hours and I averaged 17.6 mph, which I was pleased with. I feel the training programme is effective and my body is not complaining – too much. We had a good couple of days sailing, coming second in our race on Saturday. Once we finished the Sunday race, I had some juice at the bar, got changed and mounted up on the bike. I left Burnham and rode around Maldon, then on to Hatfield Peveral, Therling, Great Leighs, Pleshing, High Easter, High Roding, Takely then nearly up to Thaxted before turning for home through Great Easton. It was a very pleasant ride through the burgeoning late spring Essex countryside.

On these long rides I take a water bottle of diluted Robinsons grapefruit juice with a pinch of natural salt, which I swig from every 15 minutes to keep hydrated and to replace the sodium I loose. Then every hour I get off the bike to ease the legs and feet a bit as well as to have some banana and muesli bar. This gives me some carbs and other goodies to keep me fuelled up on the ride. I have not perfected the skill of the professional riders, who apparently can pull their food out of their back pockets, peal off the wrapper and consume without missing so much as a single pedal rotation. Mmm, not me!

This time next month I shall be pedalling through northern France. I’m looking forward to it as it gets closer. I need to do some extra reading on the battlefield areas we shall be visiting. It will be that much more interesting to be able to put the places we see into an historical context. I expect that we will have some knowledgeable military historians riding with us, though not, unfortunately, Richard Holmes on his horse!

Days ridden: 4
Miles ridden: 95
Average mph: 16.3

I have to say it took me a while to get into my stride on the 50 miles ride I did on Sunday. The wedding and birthday party on Saturday did not help and I paid for it! However, I managed to do the 50 miles and felt that another 20 was within reach. 73 miles in one day is our maximum on the now re-named Halfords Help for Heroes Ride. My ride was roughly circular, to Rayne in the east, Finchingfield in the north, Takeley to the west and Howe Street to the south. Finding these routes takes time pouring over the Ordnance Survey map with map-measurer in hand.

Speaking of which, the itinerary for the ride has changed a little. We will now be finishing the French leg in Dunkirk and be taken across the Channel by HMS Bulwark, before storming the beach at Dover from landing craft, 68 years to the day since the return of the BEF from Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo. I also gather we shall be pipped across Pegusus Bridge by the Ghurkha Band on day one and that the Red Arrows will fly over us all at some stage. Sounds as if we are in for a very interesting ride.

Training this week has included some consecutive days, for the first time. More next week too. I find that it is not too bad, I am not suffering from rubbing or sores in the saddle area, just my sit bones feel a little bruised. Early mornings have remained chilly and I am still in my long tights rather than shorts, my winter gloves and waterproof cycling jacket. I have started wearing sun glasses or clear glasses on my long rides as you might be surprised at how many flying insects manage to hit you in the face! Only swallowed one so far though.

Days ridden: 4
Miles ridden: 76
Average mph: 17.1

Oh dear! I certainly spoke too soon about the weather. More snow and freezing early morning temperatures saw me dressed up in the warm kit again. It was out on the mountain bike on Monday. I was supposed to ride 15 miles for my training schedule, which I did and at a satisfying average speed too. On Wednesday it was back on the road bike for another 15 miles. Again, it was cold enough to freeze the computer on the bike; I still have not found a good way to “freeze proof” it yet. Things were warmer on Friday for a quick five miles before I tackled 40 miles on Saturday. I managed to do this in two hours and ten minutes, at an average speed of 18.5mph.

I have discovered a rather fun website that allows you to draw up a planned route, for running, cycling or driving. It is www.sanoodi.com. What it has shown me is that most of the rides I am doing to Burnham on a Saturday are actually downhill overall. No wonder my average speed is better on these rides, particularly when the prevailing wind is behind me!

Next week I am due to do a 50 mile ride on Sunday. Just as well, as on Saturday we have a family wedding in Hertfordshire, followed by a dash to Kent for a friend’s 60th birthday dinner.

Days ridden: 3
Miles ridden: 60
Average mph: 18

Look at that average speed! I’m obviously getting into the groove now and the training is paying off! I’ll bet it drops next week – oh, well, onwards. Actually, I impressed myself by doing my Saturday long run of 37.5 miles at an average 19.3mph. I didn’t feel too bad after the ride so my faith in the Help for Heroes training guide has increased somewhat. Conditions this week have been good, not too much wind, pleasant temperatures and even some sunshine. I am even doing my early morning rides in my cycling jersey, having shrugged off the waterproof jacket as being too warm. I’ll soon be doing these rides in my shorts at this rate.

Third e-mail shot, sent out 3 April:

Again, a huge thank you to the many of you who have so kindly and generously made donations to Help for Heroes, the fantastic new charity. They have already reached an incredible £3.9 million towards their target of £6 million for much needed facilities and equipment at Headley Court rehabilitation centre. As for my target of £7,500 we are at a marvellous £5,145 as I write, which is tremendous.

My fellow Viking Julian Pollard and I will be riding our bicycles with 298 others from Le Havre to Calais, visiting a number of battlefield sites on the way. This is a distance of 350 miles, to be covered in six days in late May 2008. You can find out more at http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/bbbr.html.

Unlike young Julian, I am now well into my training regime. In fact I am bang up to date as you can read my weekly blog at http://timwilkes.blog.co.uk I am doing an additional ride at the weekends, of longer distances, honing my muscles – though it does not feel like it! For those of you who have expressed an interest in Lycra, my new wardrobe is coming on. There are some pictures on the blog, with more to follow!

Some of the injured are from the battalion I served in from 1974 to 1985, 1 Royal Anglian (The Vikings). They returned from a tour in Afghanistan last autumn. They lost nine members, had 57 battle casualties and over 70 other injured. The operation awards were announced recently and the Battalion earned an incredible 1 DSO, 6 MC's, 1 QGM, 5 MiD's and 1 QCVS. I want to do my bit by these special heroes and I hope you will help me too!

Thank you again to all of you have kindly donated to Help for Heroes so far. Let’s now try to reach the new target! You can donate easily at www.justgiving.com/timwilkes