I’m leaving home at 09:00 this morning to meet Ashley Latter at Manchester’s Piccadilly station and begin our train journey to Penzance, Cornwall.
We’ll be joined by Les Jones in Birmingham and then will meet Sheila Scott and Simon Tucker down at St Just, Cornwall this evening.
Tomorrow morning at Lands End it begins and after a year of conversation and planning, the vision becomes a reality and we start that long and winding road to the North.
960 miles, 15 days and, no doubt, many memories to be made.
My journey to the start line continued at 04:30 this morning – wide awake and deciding to come down to The Bunker and continue my attempt on email in-box zero and a clear desk.
I’m determined NOT to take my laptop on the train and have written to all my clients in the last 24 hours to explain that I’ll be “off the grid” until 25th September.
If you do want to follow our adventures, then Facebook will be the place, as I’ve no doubt that we will all be posting photos, videos and comments on a daily basis both on our personal profiles and the Five Go Forth Facebook Page.
LeJog is a popular route (there are rumours of a party of 600 riders starting an hour before us – thankfully they are aiming at a 9-day race and not our 15-day promenade) but a voyage like this is a very personal one – like a marathon, everyone who can do the distance is a winner and the greatest challenge is mind over matter.
The metaphors in business ownership are obvious. Doing the distance, pace not race, mind over matter – and relentlessly climbing on that saddle every morning, irrespective of feelings.
The Coach Barrow Blog will be taking a break whilst I’m away and so I wish you a successful couple of weeks.
To those who are joining us for the Ticket to Ride days – see you out there.
To those who have entered for the Ticket to Win draw – I wish you luck.
To those who have offered us tea, cakes and dinner en route – thank you in advance.
To all those who have donated – you are the wind beneath our wings – thank you.
To those who haven’t but can – www.fivegoforth.co.uk.
