BPE Luxembourg to Budapest Bike Ride: How are the 'Home Team' getting on?

Day 4 of the “Home Team’s” Cycle

In 2013 Lexus interpreted Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to say that “if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward”.  Here at St James’ House, the Home Team has been working very hard to prove that you can actually move forward whilst remaining perfectly stationary.  By the end of day 4 (Thursday) our cyclists had turned the peddles on the exercise bikes 1,026km (that’s 637 miles in ‘real money’) keeping us ahead of our own daily target and, more importantly, overtaking the Away Team.  By the start of day 5 (Friday) , we were setting off from the equivalent point on the route that the Away Team are aiming to finish at today. 

The Home Team has a further advantage today (aside from the obvious advantages like air conditioning and a notable lack of Gestapo in St James House) which is that the Away Team is on a half day (slackers).  Oh, and it’s pretty hard to get lost on a bike that isn’t moving.  This means that we should end the day significantly ahead.

This lead on the Away Team is very much down to the frankly ridiculous level of competition that has emerged between BPE colleagues here in Cheltenham.  Perhaps the ‘must win’ attitude of law firm employees should not have come as such a surprise and I should say that whilst there are many personal rivalries on the go, the overall attitude remains that the individual achievements will combine to ensure team success.  (Of course by team, we mean the Home Team… we really want to out cycle the Away Team).  To satisfy the competitive spirit we have arranged a “race day” on Tuesday 24th whereby the “top 3” boys and “top 3” girls will each have the opportunity to take to the bikes once more for a final hour with a prize of eternal glory for the man and woman who each top their category by cycling the furthest in 60 minutes.  One can’t help but be reminded of Kipling so to misquote…

“If you can keep your leg strength when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can out do yourself when all men try to out-do you

But make allowance for their achievements too;

If you can pedal and not be tired by peddling

Or being exhausted, don’t deal in that,

Or being taunted don’t give way to taunting,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can cycle – and not make the bike your master;

If you can pedal – and make 35 km your aim,

If you can meet with Sweat and Cramp

And treat those two imposters just the same:

If you can bear to have the public watch you cycling

Knowing this is just a trap for fools,

Or watch the sweat drip past your eyelids, pouring,

And wipe it off with a soaking towel;

If you can make a heap for charity

And pedal on til the crowds give more,

And come back the next day to start again,

And never breathe a word about your pain:

If you can force your heart and legs and buttocks

To serve your turn long after the pain kicks in,

And so pedal on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to you: ‘Pedal on!’

If you can cycle in front of strangers and keep your virtue,

Or cycle with Partners – nor lose the common touch,

If neither Corporate nor Accounts can hurt you,

If all colleagues cycle with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving hour

With sixty minutes’ worth of distance cycle

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it

And – which is more – you’ll be helping Footprints, my son!

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These notes have been prepared for the purpose of articles only. They should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice.