John O Groats to Lands End - part 3

John O Groats to Lands end - part 3.

There is a saying in cycling which says that "it doesn't get any easier, you just get faster", that is spot on!
It certainly doesn't get easier!

Today is the day I leave home for John O Groats, the training has been tough, tougher than I ever thought it would be. Just think about how bad the weather has been, everybody I know has been complaining about the wind, rain and the lack of sunshine. Then imagine having to get your bike out and ride for anywhere between 5 to 7 hours at a time in these conditions because that's exactly what I have had to do over the last couple of months.

When I started this challenge you picture in your mind cycling down country roads with the sun on your back on a lovely sunny summer day, well it couldn't be further from this if it tried.

Despite the weather there has been lots of positives:

I have trained harder than I have ever done before, I have cycled over 3,000 miles since October and I have lost over 3 stone and even though I still don't look good in Lycra I have never been in the 14stone category since I past it as a teenager. And amazingly I have stopped dieting and eat more than I have ever done, so no more fad diets just get on a bike!

I finally conquered my demon hill, Shaley Brow. I certainly wont set the record for the fastest ascent of this monster but I have conquered it! I'm not ashamed to admit that I let out a cheer on reaching the summit for the first time it was the hardest thing I had done on a bike but the "wall of tarmac" doesn't give me sleepless nights anymore and I ride up it at least once a week just to prove I can.

I have ridden 100 miles more than once in a single day. The first time took 7 hours of cycling and it hurt! It hurt both physically and mentally its amazing how dark your mind goes and then starts filling with self doubt as you approach another incline but it proved to myself  that I can dig deep and I can do it. The next problem will be doing that and more everyday for 9 days but I cross that bridge when I come to it!

I know the ride will be tough but being away from my wife and family will be tougher. I have never spent more than a couple of nights apart from Nicola in the 25 years we have been together. She has been amazing during my training putting up with me moaning and either being at work or out on the bike and doing very little in between, but I wouldn't expect anything else from her because she is amazing and that why I love her! I am already looking forward to day 5 when we camp at Aintree race course because that will be the day i get a visit from them and get to spend the night at home! 

I always knew the biggest challenge when doing this event would be me,  I am my biggest critic and am always questioning myself. Its difficult to explain but no matter how hard I work I always think I can't do it and I could have done more training and I know there are people who don't think I can do it and have been expecting me to get injured or to pull out, however I am determined to do this and will complete this no matter what.

I would like to thank everyone who has sponsored me so far after all that's why I am doing this to raise money for our Charities Tommy's and Bliss.

I know I can't expect people to sponsor me for every event we do,  so I promise that this will be the last event I ask you to do so for a long long time.  This doesn't mean that I won't take part in other events because I will, I will always continue to promote our foundation in memory of my granddaughter but I will support the other people who volunteer their time and effort to raise money for our chosen charities.

So if you can i would really appreciate it if you could click on the link below and support me in my challenge.

 

                                                                      uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ isabellarosefoundation

Finally I want to mention my granddaughter Isabella, you are the reason I am doing this and I miss you every single day. The pain of losing you has never gone away and even though your not here you have changed my life. We have done so much in your memory and have helped other families who have suffered stillbirth and babies born too soon because of you. I love you and I always will and over the next 9 days I will be thinking of you every minute of every day! I hope I make you proud xxxx
   

Thank you for reading my blog and wish me luck!

www.isabellarosefoundation.co.uk

John O Groats to Lands End (JogLe) - Bike ride part 2

                                        




Lands End to John O Groats Bike Ride Part 2.

Its now October and a new "flying machine" super carbon fibre bike has been purchased! Its supposed to make riding easier but guess what it doesn't, the ride is smoother but the training is still brutal and I don't think I will ever like riding up hills! However the weather is reasonably dry and until the clocks go back I'm managing to get out on a night after work and a longish ride on a Saturday.

As soon as the dark nights arrive that's me done! I certainly do not feel comfortable or safe trying to ride long night rides on our brilliant roads. Its only when you take to two wheels do you realise the state of our roads with more and more potholes appearing on a daily basis.

You also to appreciate how many bad / ignorant drivers there are on the road! This includes the idiot (language modified here) who thought it would be ok to pull out of a side street straight across the cycle lane I was riding in and then started to give me abuse as though it was my fault! To be fair there are also a large number of cyclist who are plain stupid and think its ok to dress all in black in the dark with no lights on their bike.

Riding a bike has certainly made me more aware on the roads maybe it should be a compulsory part of a driving test, but there again if you taught people to respect each other and just a few basic manners that would be an improvement.

Cycling has become my new obsession, its all I ever think and talk about and I know I'm driving people mad but the size of the challenge I have signed up to is daunting. I can honestly say that's its the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep and that's if I can sleep as there has been many restless nights thinking about the this ride.

The realisation of how hard this will be for me has well and truly sunk in but I am determined. The training comes first and I plan my week and weekends around it, on the plus size I have now lost 25lbs and officially I have gone from Obese to overweight on the BMI scale, i think Dr Christian would be proud!

I have now progressed to cleats (clip in pedals) instead of the normal pedals as I have been advised that its the only way of getting up those hills as your supposed to be more efficient! Well they should also come with a health warning, the first time I used them I forgot I had to "unclip" and pulled up at a round about but couldn't get my foot out and fell flat on my face!
Fortunately my embarrassment hurt more than the actual fall, and as everyone keeps telling me everybody does it the first time you use them but this doesn't give to comfort when your lying on the floor with the bike in on top of you!

In order to keep up with the number of rides I have purchased an indoor turbo trainer which basically you attach the bike to to enable you to get some miles done inside. Yes its boring but at least I can continue my training no matter what the weather. The addition of a tv in our utility room makes the training more bearable even if it sometimes its as hot as the the South of France due to the constant use of our tumble dryer which appears to be on 24hours a day, no wonder my electric bill is so high!

On the rare occasion I take to the roads I have decided to take on a few of the local hills but there is one beast of a hill that I am yet to conqueror locally known as shalely brow but to me its known as EVEREST!

I have tried and failed a couple of times, there is a sign that's says its a 14% climb and I couldn't help thinking that i should be able to get up this and have really been dejected thinking if I cant get up this how am I going to get up those hills in Devon. However I have recently been sent an article written by a local cyclists who described it as a vertical wall of tarmac and that the 14% is the average but at the top it rises to massive 28.5% incline. I have to admit that this did make me feel less of a failure.

On my last attempt I got further than I did before and generally gave it everything I had forcing every last bit of effort I had in the lowest gear I have. The sweat was pumping the legs were aching and my garmin heart rate monitor was bleeping away telling me my heart rate was too high it actually reached 194bpm but again I had to turn round. Bradley Wiggins I am not but I will be back I am determined it wont beat me, in the mean time Im thinking of trying to get in touch with Lance Armstrong for advice he found hills no problem at all!

Its now January and this training is beginning to pay off as I have said I have lost 25lbs so far and have started training twice a day four days a week with a long training session at the weekend. Getting up before work and doing 30mins on a bike is not easy for me as I have never been a morning person but I am beginning to feel the benefit. I know I have a long way to go and still a lot of weight to shift but I have made a good start.

I would like to point out that all money raised will be divided equally between the Charities we support and all costs for this event are being paid by me and a couple Company sponsors, this means that 100% of all donations will go to the charities as always.

If you feel you would like to make a donation please click on the link below or you can pay via our web site  www.isabellarosefoundation.co.uk

Thank you

David

Virgin Money Giving Isabella Rose Foundation

John O Groats to Lands End (Jogle) bike ride - part 1.

Hello

As one of the founder members of the Isabella Rose Foundation I am always looking for new challenges to raise funds for the charities we support (Bliss, Tommys & Whiston Hospital) so with that in mind I have signed up for the 2013 John O Groats to Lands End cycle ride.

The ride is 960 miles over 9 days of some of the most beautiful but most difficult roads in the UK, and if that doesn't sound hard enough I am 42, unfit,  I weighed 18 stones and when you consider that besides the occasional family leisure rides I haven't regularly ridden a bike for the past 25 years you may be wondering why am I doing this.

Well this blog will hopefully explain why and explain to you exactly how hard this challenge actually is!


It all started during a family holiday to Scotland in 2011 we visited John O Groats and like everybody else who drive the seemingly endless miles to the end of the country we stood in a queue to have our picture with the famous white sign.

In the queue we stood next to a lady from Sweden who over the last three weeks had just cycled from lands end on her own, "it's the best way to see a country" she said. I think this is when the seed first set in my mind to cycle from one end of the country to the other.

However I never gave it another thought for six months or so until I came across an article about the Deloitte RAB LeJog 2012. The ride that year was due to take place in September and when the event started I followed the progress of the ride on their website and twitter and even visited their overnight camp site at Haydock during that week. It seemed a well organised set up and I began to wonder if I could actually do it, so I registered an interest on their website for the 2013 ride.

Then at the end of September I received an email from the organisers regarding registering for the 2013 ride. So in what I can only describe as a moment of madness I signed up for the event.

I have never been fit or athletic and I have always been over ambitious when it comes to setting personal goals but this takes it to another level even for me!

About 10 mins after I signed up I sat down at my desk, put and my head in my arms and thought what the hell have I done.

So in September 2012 I started my training for the 2013 ride which will take place in June.
I'm over 6ft and as I stand on the scales the needle creaks up to a massive 18 stones so if I'm going to take part and hopefully complete 960 miles over 9 days through some of the most hilly parts of the country I had better get some serious training done.

The first problem I had was I needed a bike suitable of completing long distances, now when I was a kid they were called racers however nowadays I discover they are called road bikes. There are two main differences they are now made out of carbon fibre and the price! You can buy a small car for the costs of these new bikes but if I'm going to do it I am going to do it right so after weeks looking around a brand new carbon fibre all singing and dancing bike is purchased.

Training has begun and I will update how its going in part2.

In the mean time please take a look at our website www.isabellarosefoundation.co.uk for details on our foundation and who we support.

And if you would like to sponsor me for this event you can through our website or click the link below

Virgin Money Giving Isabella Rose Foundation