Even though today is going to be very tough and it is raining outside, I am just so glad that yesterday is over with. There were so many last minute things that needed to be done and really annoying jobs that I had forgotten to do before the journey started.

Anyway, the preparation and all the rubbish that has gone with that is over and now I can focus on getting through the task ahead. I am really looking forward to the ride and I still don't think I know what lies ahead for myself and Guy. All I know is that Newcastle to Leeds os the furthest distance and once that is over, mentally, I will feel a great deal better.

All of the team are now in the North East and I know for certain that my wife Kate and I are both packed and ready. I think she is slightly concerned about us going down the A19 but it is the shortest route so our only real option. I think one of the main problems, certainly for the van behind Guy and I, is boredom. We are going to be going so slowly for them!!

We leave at 11 am and I will be back on tonight to update you on how things have gone today - if we get there!!

Firstly to everyone who was up at Kingston Park when we left, thanks very much for your support - it really did help boost our confidence knowing the support we had from people in Newcastle.

We headed down through Newcastle, along past Gateshead stadium and down to the A19. The weather wasn't great, it was fairly warm when we were riding but the rain was holding off - thank god! It was weird getting used to the bike; my practice on it was probably not as much as it should have been! Riding down to Middlesbrough I nearly got wiped out by a Nissan Micra as the 3 lanes turned into 5. It seemed we were not going fast enough for the traffic and the car ended up shooting up on our inside nearly clipping me!!

51 miles later we got to Thirsk where we turned off and headed towards Ripon and Harrogate where some particularly nasty hills and episodes of cramp decided to occur! Cramp in both sides of one leg was something I have not experienced before and don't really want to experience again. 

I completely underestimated how difficult cycling through Yorkshire would be and as soon as we had reached some of the towns nearing Leeds I assumed we would have done all of the inclines - very wrong! Nearing Leeds the mother of all hills appeared and 'King of the Hills' Guy Hilton rode off into the distance as he seemed to be in the 'zone'! I actually thought my lungs had burst and someone had set my legs on fire; sheer agony..... However, reaching Leeds was great and as we neared the stadium at Headingley and I recognised the area the lads dressed as women who flashed their chests cheered us up and the feeling of elation as we rode around the corner to the ground was fantastic. The rain had fallen for about 4 hours, we were both soaked through and in need of a good feed and a shower. After the ice bath that is! Tomorrow is a lot shorter in terms of mileage but the hills are going to be a killer.