So another month of freedom reaches its end..... I set off back to Siberia tomorrow.

I'm almost embarassed to admit how much cycling has taken place.......

According to Garmin in the past 23 days I've completed:-

1,500km, with 12,000m of ascent, and I've been cycling for 62 hours! And burnt 32,000 Calories! (When I told Nina - my 16yr old daughter - about this last statistic today she was very jealous...... so come join me in April darling!!!)

I've completed 11 Sufferfest Sufferlandria turbo sessions (approx 1 hour each) which are killers but a necessity when its pouring with rain. I've had 8 major rides of between 100 and 150km. (In Cornwall, the New Forest, Cotswolds and the Chilterns). And I've been out on the MTB twice for two long 50km slogs through deep mud, rivers and a puncture fest due to all the hedge trimming. Grrrrrr.

Oh, and I've had two little 10km runs, and I took Nina and Matt up Snowdon, which was really rather tough with all the snow and ice. (We slept overnight in the van, so kudos to them, no moans, plenty of hot porridge, snug as bugs ..... in a van !)

Thankfully no record of the number of curries or beers I've consumed but rest assured theres been plenty, and to be honest I'm ready for the alcohol free month in Siberia (he says as he sips on a Corona with a slice of lemon before the final British curry!)

In total I've had 7 puctures, bought a new bottom bracket due to bearing collapse, had seriously numb fingers and almost hypothermia once. I've ridden through numerous fords, and flooded roads, had my picture taken cycling through Aston which was according to the signs, "impassable to traffic". I've carried my bike over a field in the Chilterns due to a really flooded road and closure. I had to clean out the brakes and gears twice from road gunk and washed the bike about 10 times. Oh, and I fell off once on ice descending a single track road at 10am last weekend, trying to prove it was Ok to ride. Oooops, Ouch. Apart from that, its been a pretty uneventful month! Unfortunately I didn't make it to Harrogate as planned to visit my mate Ean, to try the two Yorkshire TdF stages, as the weather really was showing ice and freezing fog over the Pennines so being a soft lad I went to Cornwall and the New Forest instead. (The New Forest incidentally involved a particularly good curry, and some fine Ale! Thanks DBS). Yorkshire will happen in April. Get ready Ean.

No training for the next few days due to planes, trains and automobiles taking me from Oxford to Western Siberia via Moscow, Khanty, Tyumen to renew Russian work visas and other such luxouries...... is it a crime to admit I'm really rather looking forward to the hotel breakfasts???    but not the 80's static cycle, with a broken seat and an unadjustable stem... in the Siberian gym.

Oh....and finally. I'm currently at 2,660 pounds sponsorship, and received a personal note of thanks from Rick Wates (trustee of the WWMT) which is what all this effort is about really. I hope people will keep sponsoring and I can perhaps reach my new target of 4,000 pounds.