I've reached the end of Part 3 in my editing efforts. Only 212 pages to go. I haven't really found much material to cut so far. It still runs about 144,000 words. I did shift some materials from one place to another, and rewrote some parts. At this length, it will be an expensive proposition to engage the services of a freelance editor. One thought I had was to divide the book into two separate books. The first one would still be titled Sleeping Dogs: The Awakening. It would consist of Parts 1 through 3. The second book might be titled Sleeping Dogs: On The Prowl. The materials in Parts 4 and 5 lend themselves to that storyline. The smaller books would be cheaper to print, thus enabling me to lower the purchase prices. It also would be less expensive to engage an editor for Book one. The problem is that Parts 1 through 5 already have been published as one book. It would confuse fans, who might buy the second book only to find out they'd already read it. Sounds like a good way to lose fans. Problems, problems.
Now, some more tips on training for long bike rides. When it comes to training in cycling, there is outdoor training and indoor training, riding alone and riding with others. You should engage in all of them. Outdoor training means riding on the roads. This can be dangerous and the weather can be a factor, especially this time of year for folks in rainy summer climates. NEVER ride outdoors without your helmet. Ride in the countryside if possible, and avoid city traffic. Particularly if you ride alone, ride in the daytime with plenty of light and wear bright colors so the old farts can see you. This won’t prevent them from running over you, but it helps. When you come up to a side street or intersection and traffic is entering, make absolutely certain that you make eye contact with the driver; otherwise, I can almost guarantee they will pull out in front of you - or over you. There are no happy endings for cyclists when that happens. Always carry a spare tube or two; you will flat sooner or later. Also carry a pump or CO2 cartridges and tire tools in your saddlebag so you can fix the flat rather than walk back from 10 miles out. You can get all this stuff at your local bike shop.
Always carry water. You can buy a camelback (and look like a long distance cycling pro) or do what most of us do – carry water bottles in your cages attached to the down tube or behind your seat. You might want to start experimenting with mixtures of water and sports drinks so you have the formula figured out by the time the long ride rolls around. I use a mixture of powdered branch chai amino acids, powdered vitamin C, and powdered whey. Also, try a few of the energy bars to find one you like, and carry 2 of them with you on long rides.