The Man, the Myth , the Legend (the idiot)

It’s not often I question the man, the myth, the legend that is The Swede. However I distinctly recall as we struggled through last years Marlow to Truro ride having a conversation where for once we were both in agreement.  These epic rides needed to become a little less epic and a little more Driving Miss Daisy.

We discussed about taking on less miles to allow for more leisurely stops, sipping tea and nibbling on a local delicacies whilst taking in the resplendent countryside views of whichever far off land that we had chosen to adventure in.

We agreed that our increasing age, the deterioration of our fitness and in Magnus’ case extreme weight gain were all conspiring against us. We had to tone it down and make sure the rides didn’t become a head down grind without any sense of fun or excitement.

So in my usual last minute approach to getting ready for any non-essential activity, I have finally started to pay attention to the itinerary that The Swede has put together.

In summary we are going to Sweden for 7 days cycling from Umea to Mangskog and below are the highlights that I have finally taken on-board.

Umea to Mangskog	Mileage	Climbing (ft)
Day 1	88.3	4,350
Day 2	89	4,625
Day 3	73.1	4,614
Day 4	72.8	4,010
Day 5	90.2	5,789
Day 6	90.8	6,180
Day 7	61.5	3,446
Total	565.7	33,014

 

Now I appreciate that the above is no Tour de France but then again some might say that my cycling partners and I are considerably closer to Christopher Biggins than Bradley Wiggins when it comes to cycling prowess and conditioning.

 

So given that last year we huffed and puffed our way down to Truro covering 350 miles with 18,000 feet of climbing, how the hell The Swede sees this gig as scaling things down is beyond me.  My ever caring wife, having followed our wholly inadeqaute training regime via over the shoulder reading of our WhatsApp group seriously asked if we all know how to administer CPR. 

The question was genuine but it caused me to consider if the worse comes to the worst who out of my two companions would I prefer to put their lips around mine and blow lifesaving warm air into my lungs?  The following day I completed a non-resuscitation form and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the card arrives before we depart on 4^th July.

As for which of Humpty or Dumpty I would rather revive, that’s easy. It’s The Swede as it’s his dad’s house we are going to be staying in at Mangskog at the end of our trip.  Although I know his father has questioned how his genes could have possibly produced such a misfit, I am sure it won’t be much of a party for Mike and me if The Swede is laid out to rest in Papa’s living room.

Anyway on that note I will sign-off other than to say if you have enjoyed this post and want to follow Magnus, Mike and me on our antics in Sweden watch out for the daily posts on Facebook and please share them with your friends and if you/they are real glutens for punishment anyone can register on the blog site to get email notifications when we post something new.  Keep the likes and comments coming also as it really does lift the spirits to know people are following the three amigos.