London is calling – one of my favourite cities, so much history. We are heading back for the first time since 2016, so overdue for sure. Last time we were there we headed off and rode to Venice – some 2200 km away.

This is our current planned route:

This route is over 2700 km and connected by three ferries, including an overnight ferry from Cork (Ireland) to Roscoff (France).

We will ride for 28 days. To put that into context our recent Japan ride was 14 days riding and over 1200 km riding. Per day, this will be a higher daily average of around 98 km and plenty of hills!

We will be spending 8 nights in England, 6 in Wales, 11 in Ireland, 7 in France – this includes days either side of the ride commencement, and one rest day (in Wales).

The ride will start and finish at Benson in Oxfordshire and we will head via Thames Head, Tetbury, Thornbury to the Severn River bridge to cross into Wales. Hoping to catch up with Zwift friend Ali around Thames Head.

We will ride past Chepstow (not chancing an ill-fated ‘no you cannot visit’ Chepstow Castle a third time!) but will likely stop as we head up the beautiful Wye Valley past Tintern Abbey as it is an iconic structure.

Our route through Wales to Aberystwyth has been constructed by our cycling friend Graeme (spelled the posh way he tells us), who we do hope to catch up with on our return into England, at a coffee shop in Ditchling! Graeme and his daughter Matilda are currently riding from Bristol through Wales.

We will overnight in Monmouth, Builth Wells and Aberstwyth before climbing up to Corwen, where we will have our first, and only, rest day with Alan, whom we rode with in 2013 from Lands End to John O’Groats.

Then it is off to Holyhead to catch the ferry across to Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. We move down the Irish coast to Arklow and follow the Wild Atlantic Way and also ride through the famed Killarney National Park to Dingle.

The beautiful, but super narrow, Slea Head Drive and Ireland’s highest mountain pass, Conor Pass will be done on the same day as we head to Tralee – so hoping for particularly good weather!

From Limerick we head to Mallow to line up for the ferry to France, but not before deviating somewhat to ride to Tipperary – as ‘it’s a long way to Tipperary!”.

An overnight ferry will transport us to Roscoff, on the coast of Brittany. We will ride through Brittany and Normandy including Saint Brieuc, Dinan, Mont Saint Michel, Bayeaux, Honfleur, Rouen and Neufchatel-en-Bray.

Our final ferry returns us back to the motherland, and a night in Lewes where we have stayed before, then we head back towards London to stay on an island in the Thames at Hampton Court for two nights. We will catch up with Graeme for coffee on the way out of Lewes, and also Zwift friend, Chris at Hampton Court.

As we return to Benson, hoping to catch up with another LeJogger Ian – and if any Zwift friends are reading this and en route, please let us know via Facebook Messenger or Strava.

I feel incredibly humbled to be able to consider undertaking this trip. My first heart anniversary is this weekend. I was given a second chance – others are not so lucky, such as my lovely dermatology doctor, who had a terminal cardiac event in May whilst we were in Japan. He and I had talked about not judging a book by its cover with cardiac issues – and Chris was a fit looking, tall and lean man – only 18 months older than me.

I watched his funeral a few weeks after his passing on You Tube and was so saddened when his son spoke and said that they believed his dad’s death was avoidable. I recalled my conversation over two visits since my surgery with Chris and I just groaned audibly “Chris, NO!” As his son said, stop being so busy and make that time to prioritise your own health.

That is the message I keep beating the drum to!

I am doing everything I can to rehab the best I can – my body is not the same as before open heart surgery – I do not think your body was designed to be sawn open in this manner, as it does not go back together quite the same way – there are notable differences.

Those differences, that numbness, that soreness, that left lung, that scar – all reminders of how damn lucky I am to have a second chance.

Live life like there is no tomorrow!