Wet behind the Ears

My week similar to the last three have all included quick jaunts from Houston to New Orleans, and then a 2 1/2 hour drive down to Port Fourchon in Louisiana. This has played havoc to any form of training and dietary routine.(Fried Shrimp, Broiled Shrimp, Fried Oysters. ...you get the picture!!

For those of you who don't know the area well we are talking about the "Boonies"! A great percentage of Louisiana is made of "Wetlands" which has been under threat now for many years and the road to Fourchon is no exception as you drive along Louisiana Hwy 1 South following Bayou Laforche

Its not uncommon to see the bodies of alligators along the side of the road as the poor beasts have been hit by cars.

My company is thinking about sponsoring the Tour De Rouge next year which is a ride from Houston to New Orleans over a 5 day period cycling 85-90 miles a day I am keeping my fingers crossed as it will be a wonderful experience. (And I thought Dogs were a problem)

Meanwhile back to present day riding!

The US contingent of the Mules have been training hard in the Texas heat, with 50 mile rides on Saturday & Sunday and with no heat relief in sight we have decided to extend both our biking performance and our sporting challenges into the realms of the maritime world.

We have all opted for getting kayaks as we feel that this will help our upper body strength and get those abdominal muscles stronger for those long endurance rides.

So starting next week we are going to cycle in the mornings and Kayak in the afternoons. If we really get inspired we could hitch up the Kayaks to our bikes.

Of course our new expansion has also started debate on whether of not our kayaks should be suitably named:

• Mulee Celeste
• The Flying Mule
• Thermuleopylae

We have also set ourselves a new goal - "Texas Water Safari" which is touted as the worlds most difficult canoe race.

Virtual Mileage. While my Twin Brother Philip is taking his virtual tour Westwards from England (He is now over 3,000 miles and into Massachusetts) I am just passing the Northern Coast line of the Cape Breton Islands as I head East at 2220 Miles.