So here I am…the day before we start our Scoot the Loop challenge. We’ve been talking, planning and daydreaming about this challenge for the past 4 months and I can’t believe that the day has finally arrived. It’s so exciting!

This morning we packed the equipment onto our scooters and went through all our kit one more time. The scooters look good. This afternoon we looked over the route, marking where we have had pubs and restaurants kindly offering to feed us, as well as potential places we might be able to hide and grab some sleep for the night.

For the most part I feel ready….except I don’t. I’ve come to realise that when you challenge yourself, you never properly feel ready. There is always something you wish you had more time to do.

This time, it has been the training.

When our Gravity Scooters hit our doorstep in May, I had every intention of using the time to train so that my leg and bum muscles could get used to the strain that we would be putting them under for Scoot the Loop.

Then life got in the way.

Finishing teacher training took a MASSIVE effort – a lot more than I had anticipated. On top of that I had the preparations and assessment for Mountain Leader Award (which I’m over the moon to say I passed on Friday). Not to mention my first gig working as an expedition leader, fundraising for ACE, staying on top of travelling preparations and keeping my blog updated. Basically, it’s been insanely busy (but not in a complaining way – it’s been an amazing few months). As a result though, my training has suffered.

I’ve only managed to find time to take the scooter out on 3 10-mile rides and, as if the lack of muscle building wasn’t bad enough, I’ve consumed more biscuits and sugar to keep me going this year than I have my entire life. Not ideal!

But….adventures rarely go to plan. In fact, I would argue that the lack of preparation, the feeling of uncertainty and the, inevitable, tough physical challenge I have ahead of me, is the whole reason for doing it in the first place.

I’m nervous about how I am going to complete 30miles a day. I have no idea how long it will take us – or even if it’s possible. I have never wild camped in an urban setting before (in fact, I’ve barely wild camped that much at all before). I don’t know how people will react or even if we will be able to find suitable places to sleep. Is the trail even easy to follow….I don’t know!

Preparation is great but, really, nothing will prepare you for an adventure except actually doing it. Not being ready is what holds so many people back from following their dreams. If you wait until you are 100% ready, it will never happen.

Maybe the Scoot the Loop will go well. Maybe it will go badly. We might get lost. It might hurt. We might have to change the plan. Maybe even wuit. I don’t know yet. But there is one thing I do know….it will be an adventure!

Find out how we got on with Scoot the Loop in my adventure journal. Or skip straight to the end with 10 Things I learnt doing Scoot the Loop.

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