It’s been a busy couple of weeks so just a speedy, inelegant update before I head to India on Monday morning.

I have been giving plenty of talks in schools over the past few weeks as part of a national campaign to encourage 20,000 more school children to cycle to school. It’s been tiring on the old vocal cords but really uplifting to be doing something positive and generating thousands more healthy, fun, green journeys to school. This video explains more about the BikeIt challenge.

My next book, Ten Lessons from the Road has gone to the printers which is fantastic. There’s been a lot of hard work by Jim and the Can of Worms team to make it look so slick. The book should be on sale in the next month or two.

My friend Phil was told by doctors that he would never walk again following his injuries in Iraq last year. Together we rowed to France last month to raise funds for Help for Heroes. Proof of the power of stubbornly ignoring people who tell you that you cannot do something is that Phil took his first unaided footsteps this week. Wonderful news! (video here)
This also means that he will now be extra speedy in the London Marathon next month: it is only going to take him two weeks to complete rather than the three he had originally envisaged!

As mentioned above, I am off to India on Monday. The main effort of my life right now remains SOUTH, with an expedition to the South Pole in 2009 with Ben top priority. Ben had also hoped to return to the Arctic this season (late March-early May) to bag a solo North Pole speed record. While he did that I decided that a nice sunny walk in India would keep me out of trouble. You will be able to follow my progress here.

I had coffee with Paul Deegan this morning (who always has millions of good ideas (but not enough time to put any of them on his blog)), bought some Immodium, and am now about to throw some stuff in a bag for India.

Finally I will be speaking at the School of Life on Sunday afternoon if you fancy coming along.