I have finally selected a date for my Newcastle to Brisbane cycling trip. 8 August 2009.

I'm only getting back into the swing of things now and even the 18Km commute to the office isn't as easy as it used to be. So I will have to put in a serious effort from now on. This weekend I'm working, so I'll only do the normal commute to the office and thereafter there are only 5 weeks left to train :) It feels like I won't be ready in time, but I need to commit to a date if I ever plan on doing this.

The furthest I've cycled in one day so far has been 110Kms and I'm not certain I'd be able to do that right now. For the trip up to Brisbane I hope to do a little more than 110Kms every day and while I think that will be fine, the challenge will be to keep at it day after day. I know that for serious cyclists 110Kms per day is not that hectic, but I'm not a serious cyclist yet.
So, the point is simply that I'll have to put in some effort now. I've read though that some people say you should just get out there and you will get fit on the trip. Not sure I want to put myself through that, but if need be I'll HTFU out there on the road.
I'll aim to do the distance from Saturday the 8th until the next Saturday, the 15th so that I can fly back on the Sunday and limit the time away from work to 5 days. However, if I don't make enough progress by around the 15th of July, I may take an extra day's leave to fly back the Monday.

Help needed

The main aim of this trip is for me to get fit and as a practice run for next year's big trip from Perth to Sydney. However, I do want to see whether we can raise some money for the Thamsanqa kids through this trip. So, I need some advice and suggestions on how to get sponsors and how to get more people visiting this website. If you have any suggestions or are able to help with some publicity, please send me a PM.

To do before the trip

Before I continue, let me make this very clear. EVERYTHING to do with my cycling and these trips I will pay for myself. I will not use ANY donation money for my cycling needs! All donations will go directly to Thamsanqa homes.

1. I need to buy waterproof and much larger panniers

2. I was going to say I need to work out my trip and decide between a tent or aiming for a motel every night. However, forget about that... I need to buy a tent and if I happen to make it to a motel on any particular night, that's a bonus. I do have the aches and pains of an 80yo, but I guess I'll have to get comfortable in the tent if need be :(

3. I need to get fit and the best trip I know at this stage is to loop Lake Macquarie from here in Mayfield, a 110Km trip. So, I should aim to loop the lake on a Saturday AND Sunday, ride to work every day that week and loop the lake again the next Saturday and Sunday. Problem is that 5 weeks doesn't leave me with much time. Next Saturday I'll loop the lake, but I'll probably not be able to walk the Sunday.

4. I need to get comfortable on this saddle. Not there yet, but if it's still uncomfortable by August, I'll have to get a gel pack.

5. Find out about transporting my bike and buy a plane ticket home.

6. Make sure my bike is in good condition. Service just before the trip.

7. Buy new tyres if I have money left after everything else. If I can, I'd like to get some seriously-armoured tyres to reduce the risk of punctures out there.