BASE CAMP

Today the Mulligan clan has set off en-mass for the Monster Bike and Hike base camp. Philip, Debbie, Mum and Matthew got on easyjet and flew to Edinburgh to meet up with our team and convoy up the road for the 5 hr trip. I leant Philip the Aston Martin so he had a lot of fun zooming up Glencoe and the side of Loch Ness with Debbie and Matthew. There was a moment when he managed to dismantle the key and stop the immobiliser working but thankfully he solved the problem before it became a crisis, he still has a fixed grin and a windswept look!. We followed at a more sedate pace in the jeep and are just settling into our nice chalet with a medicinal gin and tonic.

My sister brenda and all her crew shook themselves out of bed at 5am to get the early boat and cruised up through Scotland to the chalets so when little brother Kevin and Nora get here tomorrow it will be a full house of the Mulligan clan all decamped to scotland. We have an easy day tomorrow before the action starts early on Saturday. My job will be to offer coffee, bacon butties and porridge to the weary bikers and walkers from the jeep which is stocked up with cookers and gear for that purpose.

On the recovery front I continue to impersonate a gym rat but have to run all the machines at minimal resistance as just sitting on the bike in the gym gets my heartbeat up to 130 and I am only allowed to run at 140 target for my exercises. Anyway even at trivial resistance settings I am managing to do more than an hour a day at the gym and my resting heartbeat is coming down slowely which indicates that the exercise is working. I am fully off my anti-nausea medications now which is a relief so only am popping two types of pills in comparison to the seven or so I had when I left hospital. Onward and upward but carefully.

I think Lee may be making a speech at the opening party for the bike and hike tomorrow night as the folks at Maggies asked her to possibily be ready, I suspect it may be a tirade against poles ending in a mass throwing into the Loch! As we drove a good part of the route today I think the distance is daunting for them a bit, my brother Philip who has stood in for Jim at the last minute has done almost no training so he is a bit nervous about the whole thing. I am sure folks will have a good time and go as far as they can.

So goodnight from our luxurious base camp, we will keep you all posted as the event unfolds.

Cheers

Gerry