Just a week to go to the Jennings Rivers Ride and I’m hoping that I’m at least starting to get there in terms of fitness.

One thing is for certain. If it turns out to be another wet day this year I will definitely be prepared for anything that comes. That’s because part of my training took place during some of the wettest weather Europe has witnessed in several decades.

My wife and I took the opportunity to go on a cycling holiday at the start of June while our daughter was away on a 10-day school trip. We chose a river ride in Germany which was recommended by a friend.

All started well as we set off from the source of the River Neckar in theBlack Forestand headed towards Heidelberg, close to where it joins the River Rhine. The villages were beautiful and very historic, looking as if they had changed little for centuries. Some of the half timbered homes looked like a scene from a fairy tale.

Three days in though the weather had turned from warm to damp and then non-stop torrential rain.

I don’t mind getting wet but this was the sort of rain that soaked you right through within minutes. After a few hours the river had started spreading out and ended up two or even three times its normal width.

The Germans were clearly shocked by the amount of flooding that followed. We passed them taking photos and even with our limited knowledge of the language learnt that this was the worst flooding at that time of the year for around half a century. In fact the images made the news not just there but in Britain and right across Europe. (It was the same time as Prague was also at risk and many other European towns and cities).

The worst of it for us was the fact that the lovely cycle paths along the river edge had, by now, disappeared under several feet of water and we had to follow long diversions to get to the next towns and villages. We did learn one useful German word though – Hochwasser (flood). The signs were everywhere.

One town was actually cut off to all road users. So we ended up having to retrace some of our steps and catch a train as it was the only way to reach our accommodation for that night. When we finally arrived we saw the hotels pumping out their cellars.

But none of this put us off and we still had a wonderful – and very memorable – holiday. For me cycling is a great adventure and these challenges are all part of the experience, just like last year’s rather damp Jennings Rivers Ride.

I’m sure this year’s event will be blessed by good weather but just in case it’s not, I’m ready!

If you are still wondering whether to sign up for this year’s Jennings Rivers Ride, don’t delay. It is a wonderful route and a great cause. The money raised will go to the Cumbria Community Foundation, which helps those in need across the county.

If that is still not enough you can consider the fact that you will be leading out some of the world’s top professional riders, including Sir Bradley Wiggins. In fact you will be just 24 hours ahead of them as you struggle over the toughest section of the ride, the gruelling one in four incline of Honister Pass.

The second stage of the Tour of Britain, the day after the Jennings Rivers Ride, will follow part of the same route, probably the most spectacular section. It’s a bit like completing a stage of the Tour de France the day before the pros tackle it. I am sure this will add to the appeal for many amateur riders this year, a chance to see how they can do compared to the greats of the sport.

Sir Bradley has already been confirmed as the leader of Team Sky and other big names expected to be there include Nairo Quintana, the Columbian mountain specialist who came second in the Tour de France, and Mark Cavendish, who is with the Omega Pharma team this year.

I am expecting to be at the finish line of the Cumbrian stage, in Kendal, reporting for ITV Border. We will have highlights and reaction on our Lookaround programme that evening at 6.

It should be a great day and, after the Jennings Rivers Ride, I will be able to say that I have at least some understanding of what the professionals have been through!

I can hardly believe it’s almost a year since the last Jennings Rivers Ride, but am really looking forward to taking part in the event for the second time.

Partly that’s because it’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful rides in the country but also because I have unfinished business with the route!

Last year the Rivers Ride certainly lived up to its name. The roads ended up turning into rivers as the Lake District threw down some of the worst weather it is capable of. By the time I approached the hardest part of the ride, Newlands and Honister passes, along with two friends, officials had shortened the route for safety reasons. The weather had conspired to stop us completing the whole route.

So this time I want to make sure I finish the 75 mile “Big Day Out” route.

The rain wasn’t the only enemy we faced that day. Sharp pieces of freshly cut hedge littered the road and by the time we had crossed Whinlatter Pass the three of us had already had four punctures.

But despite our troubles the Jennings Rivers Ride was one of the best days cycling I have ever had. The route we undertook was spectacular, the camaraderie with other cyclists great and the food stops well organised and very welcome. And of course it’s all for a great cause – Cumbria Community Foundation.

There’s one final incentive this year. The Tour of Britain will be following in our tracks the next day when some of the world’s top racers cross Honister Pass during the Cumbrian stage of the race. Knowing that we will be going just ahead of them can only add to the atmosphere.

I can’t wait. There’s just the issue of a lot more practicing to do before then.