I hope the last couple of weeks have been well with you all. Hopefully you managed to have a relaxing half term and spend some quality time with your children, if you have any that is.

And if you don’t, you probably enjoyed less traffic on the roads! We packed in so much.

Michael and I opened the new play area at Foxhills Club in Surrey (which is a beautiful by the way), we’ve been on adventures in Richmond Park, the children pulled over the shopping trolley in Sainsbury’s much to my husband’s embarrassment as he was meant to be watching them, and my quest to conquer cycling continued.

Speaking of which, I can now tell you why I have been riding round the area at 5am looking tired and exhausted.

I have decided (gently nudged if I think back) to take on the challenge of riding the Etape du Tour which will take place in the Alps on July 10th.

Whenever I mention this to anyone, especially accomplished cyclists who know what it is and the route I’ll be undertaking, they look at me with fear!

This is because I will be riding stage 20 of the Tour de France on exactly the same route the pros will do a few weeks later.

I’m not sure why I agreed to do it especially as I couldn’t ride a bike four weeks ago, but this has been the toughest challenge I’ve taken on in my life - trust me labour is much easier (in my case anyway). I’d have five children instead of doing this again.

This section is basically hills and more hills. There have been tears, tumbles and lots of chamois cream to say the least but I’m getting there.

I think this week the sheer weight of training has taken its toll on my body and I had to have a huge session at the physio to sort out a trigger point in my shoulder from bending over the handlebars. I was in agony.

However there is light at the end of the tunnel as I managed an 82 mile ride around the Surrey Hills last week and I will keep going and will not let any hill defeat me.

As the great Mohammed Ali once said: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” I’m trying to find my inner champion right now. May he rest in peace.

You’ll be able to view my cycling journey on a show called ‘Tour de Celeb’ sponsored by Skoda UK on Channel 5 later on in the year.