The Evolution of a MAMIL: A 3000 mile cycle trip through Europe as a new-born Middle Aged Man In Lycra - Couverture souple

Holly, Stephen

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1976826519 ISBN 13 : 9781976826511

Editeur : Independently published, 2018

Synopsis

When a middle-aged, unfit, and rather grumpy man decides to buy a bike and some Lycra, then to cycle nearly 3000 miles from John o'Groats to Gibraltar, what could possibly go wrong? The story is of the mental and physical highs and lows experienced whilst cycling nearly 3000 miles across 4 different countries from John O'Groats in Scotland to Gibraltar. The physical battle includes struggling with the repercussions of an old stag-doo injury; trying to survive on a diet of pies, cakes and ice cream; and being driven to drinking and smoking along the way. The pain and anguish almost has me quitting on a number of occasions, but then halfway through I finally find some fitness and focus on visiting some beautiful places and meeting some amazing people. The mental struggle is an equally significant aspect of the story and has me going through an emotional rollercoaster from deep despair to ecstatic crying. I spend time digging through my mind to try to find happiness as I travel through hours of isolation, then discover the purifying feeling of decluttering my thoughts enough to find inner peace. As the journey goes on, and I become stronger and fitter, the trip becomes less about my quest for contentment and more about the adventure and the people I meet along the way. I watch a ‘Sexy Female Magician’ in Benidorm, go to a naturist camp in Caboneras, and am offered ‘man-love’ by a drunk man in Almería. The journey is performed throughout with the contrasting advice from 2 other characters: one is known as the Cycling Oracle, who is an experienced cyclist that provides useful information which is generally ignored. The other, an alcoholic friend called Carlos, provides rather less useful information which, whilst being quite funny, is almost always ignored. The story also includes a 4-inch plastic Minion toy called Manion Friday, who manages to have his own adventure along the way including creating a pop quiz, becoming an alcoholic and a drug addict, and faking his own death before being resurrected in the Costa del Sol. The book is written in a raw style with comedy and jeopardy at the forefront. I talk honestly and openly about my own stupidity, as well as the highs and lows I go through, allowing the reader to associate with me, and to feel all the positive and negative emotions I go through. The target audience is 30+ year old ‘normal’ people who can relate to the feeling of getting older and should be inspired to take on some crazy midlife adventure themselves. They should walk away at the end with the realisation that you don’t need to be superhuman to complete such a journey, just determined, and maybe slightly deranged a bit as well.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Independently published
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1976826519
• ISBN 13: 9781976826511
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 265
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible