There is always a buzz around sporting events, big or small, that I love. The nervous expectation, the comraderie, the pressure of performing in front of the public. I remember to this day my father taking me to my first rugby international at Murrayfield when I was only 9 years old. The Scots were playing the mighty All Blacks and in those days with a crowd of over 100,000 the atmosphere was electric. Of course I could only see something when my dad or somebody around us put me up on his shoulders, but it was a day of infamy for Colin Meads when he got sent off. I didn’t see much of the match but I do remember Meads walking off the pitch to resounding boos from the crowd. Those were the days when rugby was a game of thuggery played by gentlemen and Meads had stepped over the line.

The Hotelympia 10K on Sunday Feb 26^th was a much more sedate affair, but no less an event for that. The 700 or so runners (and the organisers), still had the nervous anticipation that any sporting event creates. We had a smattering of celebrity with Steve Cram, (1983 1500m World Champion), doing the honours at the start line.

 It had taken months to sort out a running route out of the Excel Building in East London because of the Olympic construction, test events, Cross Rail Tunneling and the O2 Cable Car construction. The final route was a 5km loop up the quayside along the historic Victoria and Royal Albert Docks. The old warehouses and cranes have now been replaced by apartment blocks, office buildings and the City Airport but the statue of “working men” at the front of the Excel Building does give a timely reminder of the days when the docks buzzed with activity and commerce.

It came as a surprise when setting out the course on the Saturday, to find that a shuttle bus service had been set up to feed the Diving Test Event at the Olympic Park that week. The usually quiet back street now had double decker buses running up it every 15 minutes. Unfortunately there was no way around it and so it meant placing a lot of marshals to simply make sure the runners and buses didn’t compete. My apologies to the runners and thanks for an incident free event.

We were blessed with a beautiful sunny warm day which was remarkable in February. We had some elete athletes amongst the 700 runners and the fastest runner finished in just over 33 minutes. Taking into account some of the sharp turns on the course this was an amazing time. Our lead cyclist, (Graham), had trouble keeping ahead on his bike.

We had been more concerned about hypothermia in the planning stages, but the weather was so warm that water supplies became our main concern. It is always a real pleasure in these sort of events, to see the look of pure joy on people’s faces when they complete what is perhaps their first ever competitive run. The mere fact of pushing the boundaries beyond what they ever imagined possible is great to watch. One lady wanted to take home a “Run Route” sign so that she could put it up in her kitchen to remind the whole family of the achievements that day.

Of course the ultimate beneficiary was the Springboard charity for whom everybody was running. The funds generated from the event go toward helping young people enter the hospitality industry and never has this been more important than now with over 2 million people unemployed.

My thanks go to the team who helped me through a hectic couple of days, (Carol, Graham, Scott, Luke, Matt, Russell and Caryn)  and especially the marshals who gave up their Sunday to volunteer. Believe me these events cannot happen without their generous support.

In partnership with Adriatic Villas, the owners of Villa Sunrise, (http://www.adriatic-villas.com), Cycle Tours UK (CTUK), have developed a 4 day cycling break in Croatia. The costs are based upon a group of 6 and include flights, accommodation, breakfasts, an evening bar-b-que at the villa and most importantly the transfer of personal bikes and luggage to Croatia. Cycle Tours UK will support the cyclists during the day.

The itinerary would include;

Bicycles, cycling gear and luggage to be delivered to Winchester so that CTUK can transfer it to Croatia.

Flights with BA from Gatwick to Dubrovnik.

Day 1: arrive Dubrovnik airport, picked up by CTUK and transferred to villa. Short cycle ride to top of cable car for drink and stunning view over Dubrovnik.  Descend cable car and take dinner in Dubrovnik (CTUK to look after bikes and  pick up guests after dinner).

Day 2: Cycle to Molunat, a coastal village. Round trip of 50 miles or one way of 25 miles (return in van).  All road cycling through Alpine terrain.  Lunch in Molunat, with a swim if weather permits. Cycle back to Cavtat, a delightful fishing port with harbourside cafes. Either return by bike or in van for barbecue at Villa Sunrise.

Day 3: Cycling trip to the stunning island of Peljesac. Drive from villa to Ston, where cycling trip commences. Cycle across the island and if time permits, hop on the ferry to another island, Korcula.  Round trip 75 miles finishing with oyster dinner in Ston. Lift back to villa with CTUK.  

Day 4.  Walk the old city walls of Dubrovnik or relax by the villa pool.  Transfer to the airport for flight home.

The price is £990 per person.

The tours are planned for the off season to avoid the hottest days of summer. Proposed dates are May 19^th – 22^nd and May 24^th - 27^th or if you prefer a later break then September 22^nd - 25^th and September 27^th – 30^th.

If you are interested please contact Cycle Tours UK or Adriatic Villas and we will be happy to discuss your particular tour needs.

So winter has finally hit us and woken us up from our contented state of smugness that climate change was bringing us warmer winters. The mild weather we were experiencing has been replaced by a Siberian cold front bringing snow and ice to all parts of Britain. It is always easier when the winter weather closes in to make excuses and stay put in front of the fire and always so very difficult to make that move into the great outdoors. So the other day rather than getting into the car and going off to the shops, I thought I will just get on the bike and cycle. I needed some air and the weather didn’t look too ominous so off I went.

To justify the trip I thought I would cycle out to the lovely market town of Stockbridge about 10 miles outside of Winchester and buy some fish. This isn’t as stupid as it sounds because there are no fish shops left in Winchester city centre and the only choice now are the supermarket fish stalls that always look so unappealing.

On the way out to Stockbridge my route took me past the Moorcroft Farm and so being on a bit of a shopping trip as well as a bike ride I stopped in to the ever amiable farm shop and purchased some very fresh meat. The ride out of Winchester involves some pretty steep climbs but once you recover from bumping up the heart rate, the ride over Farley Mount is always a pleasure. The views out over the Test Valley and all parts of N Hampshire are quite breathtaking. There was also that winter pall that gives the landscape a smoky, misty air.

Sliding down the hill into Kings Somborne, the cold air freshened up the cheeks and made the eyes water but I was wrapped up with layers of clothing so didn’t feel cold. It is only the extremes of the fingers and toes that do feel the effects of the cold.

Out of Kings Somborne there is a very steep climb which again warmed me up and got the heart racing but again the reward is a beautiful view down the Test Valley. The rest of the road into Stockbridge is a lovely quiet country lane which makes for great cycling.

The fish shop I was aiming for is situated in the thyme and tides bistro and the sight and smell of fresh coffee and cakes was hard to resist.

With fish safely purchased I closed the loop and cycled down the Test Valley to Houghton and back into Kings Somborne. I have to say the real reason for taking the alternate route was to avoid the hill outside Kings Somborne rather than any aesthetic reasons.  

Back at Moorcroft Farm I picked up the meat purchased earlier and then headed down the hill back into Winchester. A welcome hot shower got the circulation back into my toes and fingers and that evening I did sit in front of the fire safe in the knowledge that I deserved it.