Moorland Birch

The first thing that entered my head when I woke up this morning was the thought of a cycling event that I'm now signed up to do next year. I have a little over nine months to prepare. It takes place in the mountains of the Italian Dolomites in September and involves the traversal of one hundred mountain passes over ten rather terrifyingly long and vertiginous stages. It's called the Cent Cols Challenge (CCC for short). I'm not a stranger to this kind of endurance event for I completed the equivalent challenge in the mountains of France two years ago, but that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and this version is a step up from that again. I honestly thought I was done with this kind of lark, but I now know that a big part of feeling flat recently was having no training target on the horizon.

Much as though I love my walking and running and cycling I'm finding that without the driver of an event there are always other things that take priority, mainly work of course, and that isn't healthy. It's not too different from the situation with blipping. I've always loved photography but it has taken the goal of posting a picture every day in order to provide the discipline to get me out with the camera. With this event on the horizon I will have no choice but to organise long rides with my mates and plan some long weekend breaks in the mountains for training. The alternative would be, quite literally, to die a thousand deaths on the climbs over those passes come next September.

It's a completely mad adventure, even by my own rather extreme standards, but just thinking about it fires me up with a shot of adrenaline. It's this visceral feeling of excitement - tinged with a frisson of raw fear, that I love so much. It will be shaping most of the things I do for the first half of next year and I love starting the year like that, with a structure in place. I hope that you will understand what this feeling is about and not think that I'm too strange - or too insanely driven. It's really not like that. The physical side is extremely daunting, but there is a spiritual side to cycling long distances in the mountains that inspires and motivates the body beyond what would normally seem reasonable. If you want to pay a quick visit to the Cent Cols Website, Phil Deeker- the organiser and inspiration behind this thing - has put together a few fine words and accompanying photographs which try to get across some sense of this.

The hesitation I've experienced over the decision to take part in this event is not so much about the physical side but more about the self-indulgence of it all. For those ten days on the road all I will have to think about is pushing the pedals and following the route. Every other little detail will be taken care of for me. During that time the rest of the world simply disappears. Right now that is just so incredibly attractive!

In some ways it's like going on a retreat. The majority of time in the saddle is spent climbing and there is an incredibly meditative rhythm to that. And then all that extended peace and quiet and the amazing views are replaced by the thrill and speed of the descent down the other side. It's a totally intoxicating combination! I'm getting tingles just writing these words! I've not overlooked the blipping potential either, which should be awesome if I can get some sort of helmet-cam organised. And I will also use it to raise some money for Marie Curie Cancer Care, which is what I did last time around. I'll be after your pledges soon enough. Don't run away!