And so here we are ..finally single digit number of days - 9

Today I have been reminded how much I loathe jerseys with short zips.

The car needed to go the garage for its 160,000 km service so I slung the bike in the back and then rode the 5km trip home cruisy style (its a rest day) but still in lycra. I didn't bother with the usual Spoke(n) gear(almost full length zips) but grabbed a little used old club top. Personally, I like my jerseys to fit neatly so while not a struggle to get on they certainly are not baggy. So you get the picture..neat fitting jersey with a pathetically small zip..... and while 5 km might be a short trip, today its a bit warm and so I got a bit sweaty and as a result getting out of my jersey was an unexpected ordeal ..I dunno but I must have a VERY big head or maybe I'm just weak in the arms or what??... and wearing glasses doesn't help until you remember to take them off..... if I was sweaty to begin with I was dripping when I finally extricated myself.

So the final preparations for the hour attempt are definitely in hand..
**racing hair cut..yup
**massages focussed more on legs than my bung left shoulder (the legacy of a spectacular "off" Boxing Day 2005).
**bike weighed..yup,
**diet right..yup, assisted by (and thank you Genevieve) torq recovery and energy
(for some reason I can't get a link working for torq in this post although the link in the side bar under "team randall" works fine..go figure)
**pre-pre-pre hydration occurring (I'll have the best flushed out kidneys this side of the black stump, while ensuring no hyponatraemia..I'm a Physio in Aged Care..I know about these things(!)),
*******no ETOH dammit,
** correct 'tude in place,
**checked with GP that drops given recently for various eye problems are definitely NOT on the forbidden list
**tyres to be checked tomorrow
**final briefing with helper..next week

I'm also getting real about how I can expect to feel during the hour, breaking it up mentally into 3 lots of 20 minutes and how my body will react afterwards. I'm expecting cramping in my legs and especially my left one if my past history is anything to go by, plus upper body and under carriage pain..no, not pain...... agony.
Afterwards isn't going to be a bunch of fun either.... I'm expecting not to be able to walk unaided and I'm thinking that unless I manage to get onto a road bike and then onto a trainer in order to ease off the effort gradually, passing out might also be a possibility and how will my guts react? I'll have to be careful not to drink too much straight away....I'm grooving into these thoughts because although denial is comforting, I'm into reality and getting my head around it way ahead of time is, for me, the best way to deal with it... no surprises.

So that's it for today. Effort on the track tomorrow and again on Thursday but apart from that... easy stuff.. keeping fresh is the most important thing right now.

A special acknowledgement here to my sister who is staying with me..on hols from UK:
" Many, many thanks for all the help around the house and garden...its taken a load off my shoulders".
Her help has enabled me to concentrate on what I have to do: work, train and rest.