Well here we are, the last day of the challenge.
Mum and Kimberly finished their challenges on Friday as detailed in my last post but as you know I still had 0.5 miles left to do.
I played golf on Sunday morning and was going to be watching the Ryder Cup in the afternoon so the plan was to finish my last ride in between.
I had thought about doing just 0.5 miles (down the road and back) but that seemed pointless so I put my rucksack on and cycled to the garage to buy something for lunch and then home again. A total of just over 2.5 miles! By far my shortest ride but still long enough to take me over the planned 300 miles.
I know I keep saying it but I can't thank you enough for all your support and generous donations.
It's been emotional...
Thursday 4 October 2012
Saturday 29 September 2012
28th September
So it's getting towards midnight on Thursday night and Mum and Kimberly are planning on heading out very early to complete their challenges; Mum has 60 lengths to do, Kimberly has 3.09 miles to run, and I have 15.85 miles to cycle.
I suspect Kimberly will get up extra early to finish hers first despite insisting she will start at a time to make it competitive so I decide to employ underhand tactics for the win and go out now!
By the time I'm organised and ready It is 12:30am on Friday morning the 28th.
I set off and get down the road and round the corner before I realise I haven't got my helmet on and after a brief thought of carrying on anyway I decide not to and head back to get it.
As its the middle of the night I'm limited by where I can ride, I don't really fancy pitch black country roads so I have to stick to Yeovil. As this was to be my last ride I wanted to break my top speed of 33.8mph so I cycle down Bunford Hollow. As I'm heading down the unlit road with only a small front headlight I become aware and concerned about hitting a badger or pot hole that I can't see so I abort the speed attempt and proceed with caution. The first loop of Yeovil - along Preston road, back through town, and along Lysander road puts about 7 miles on the track, only about 11 more to go. Along the way I pass several staggering people on the way to or from pubs and clubs, one of which looks like he is stepping into the road towards me but who I manage to swerve around at speed.
As I pass a set of traffic lights my front light vibrates off its mounting and explodes into pieces as it hits the floor. I pick up the bits and it looks like the base has snapped so I stuff it in my saddle bag and proceed without a front light. Later inspection reveals that it hasn't actually broken but the vibration must have loosened the retaining screw.
The second loop of Yeovil is shorter as I don't go right down into town but still leaves me with 5 or so miles so I head for a third loop and victory. Somewhere along the ride I begin to get quite emotional thinking about why we are doing this challenge and the money we are raising for the very important cause. Winning seems to become less important than finishing and somehow having Mum and Kimberly wake up tomorrow to find that I have stolen the win seems to lose all its appeal. As I head home I hatch a plan to finish my ride just short of the 300 miles and leave the win to one of the others. I allow the GPS to register 15.35 miles - exactly 0.5 miles short of my 300th mile and stop the clock. I still have to cycle the last few hundred yards home but it was certainly less than the half a mile I needed.
I went to sleep but I set an alarm early enough so that I could get up and be at the swimming pool to meet Mum and Kimberly when they finish - Kimberly had agreed to finish her last 3 miles there as well. Dad came with me and we took a few balloons with the Royal Marsden cancer charity logo on them to celebrate the finish. When we got to the pool there was no sign of Mum in the water so she must have already finished and was getting changed. As we waited balloons in hand Kimberly ran to the finish line having run around in circles in the car park for the last few hundredths of a mile to get the exact distance she needed. We all went to the changing room and called out to Mum who came out of the cubicle wrapped in a towel to be greeted by the three of us with congratulations and balloons! It turned out that Mum had finished her last length at just after 7:45 am less than 10 minutes before Kimberly so to her delight she was the first person over the finishing line, closely followed by Kimberly. My last half a mile will be done on Sunday, the last day of the month and I'm yet to decide whether I will literally cycle just that half a mile or whether I will combine it with a normal length ride. One idea is to complete the same route as I did on the 1st of September which is about 12 miles I think. It will be interesting to see how much quicker I do it?
So apart from my last half mile, we've all but finished our challenges I set us at the start of the month and I am proud of each of us. Mum has done amazingly well to swim the equivalent of the English Channel - 21 miles - as she keeps pointing out, she's 68!!! One day saw her swim 64 lengths, get out for a coffee while the pool closed then get back in for another 60 lengths once they reopened. Considering her first swim many months ago was just 20 lengths she has come far - both figuratively and literally!
Kimberly also has done absolutely brilliantly, this whole challenge started after I was inspired by her own challenge to run 50 miles last month which she did so to do another 80 this month including one run of 10 miles is awesome.
I'm also very proud of my own achievement of 300 miles (well 299.5 so far) this month as the last time I was on a bike was a year ago and then all I did was three rides of 5, 6, and 10 miles. I know to a seasoned cyclist doing 300 miles in a month is easy but for my fitness level before I started this challenge it was adequate! All in all I've spent about 24 hours on the bike this month and I definitely feel better for it. My legs definitely feel stronger and my cardio fitness has definitely improved. Someone once told me, or I read a quote somewhere that "cycling doesn't get easier, you just get faster" which is so true. The hills at the end of the month still seem just as hard as the ones at the start of the month but my ability to climb them and the pace I ride is getting better. I hope to carry on cycling as I've got a good foundation to better fitness I just hope the weather allows it as we head towards winter. I also need a complete service on the bike, I think I shocked it this month doing 300 miles as its spent the last decade resting easy in the garage! In fact I think I've probably done more miles on it this month than all the miles it's ever done before - maybe not but it could be close! It's creaking a bit here and there and the crank click with every rotation so I think I'll send it to Tri-UK for a well deserved overhaul!
I can't finish this post without mentioning the absolutely mind blowing generosity of everyone who has sponsored us. At the time of writing we have raised £1,515 for the Royal Marsden and Smiler's Foundation which is amazing. We've still got a few people who have pledged their support so I'm sure that total will rise further and I can't thank everyone enough.
I'll post again when I finish my last ride on Sunday, I'm playing golf in the morning and watching the Ryder Cup in the afternoon but I have a window in between to get on the bike.
I suspect Kimberly will get up extra early to finish hers first despite insisting she will start at a time to make it competitive so I decide to employ underhand tactics for the win and go out now!
By the time I'm organised and ready It is 12:30am on Friday morning the 28th.
I set off and get down the road and round the corner before I realise I haven't got my helmet on and after a brief thought of carrying on anyway I decide not to and head back to get it.
As its the middle of the night I'm limited by where I can ride, I don't really fancy pitch black country roads so I have to stick to Yeovil. As this was to be my last ride I wanted to break my top speed of 33.8mph so I cycle down Bunford Hollow. As I'm heading down the unlit road with only a small front headlight I become aware and concerned about hitting a badger or pot hole that I can't see so I abort the speed attempt and proceed with caution. The first loop of Yeovil - along Preston road, back through town, and along Lysander road puts about 7 miles on the track, only about 11 more to go. Along the way I pass several staggering people on the way to or from pubs and clubs, one of which looks like he is stepping into the road towards me but who I manage to swerve around at speed.
As I pass a set of traffic lights my front light vibrates off its mounting and explodes into pieces as it hits the floor. I pick up the bits and it looks like the base has snapped so I stuff it in my saddle bag and proceed without a front light. Later inspection reveals that it hasn't actually broken but the vibration must have loosened the retaining screw.
The second loop of Yeovil is shorter as I don't go right down into town but still leaves me with 5 or so miles so I head for a third loop and victory. Somewhere along the ride I begin to get quite emotional thinking about why we are doing this challenge and the money we are raising for the very important cause. Winning seems to become less important than finishing and somehow having Mum and Kimberly wake up tomorrow to find that I have stolen the win seems to lose all its appeal. As I head home I hatch a plan to finish my ride just short of the 300 miles and leave the win to one of the others. I allow the GPS to register 15.35 miles - exactly 0.5 miles short of my 300th mile and stop the clock. I still have to cycle the last few hundred yards home but it was certainly less than the half a mile I needed.
I went to sleep but I set an alarm early enough so that I could get up and be at the swimming pool to meet Mum and Kimberly when they finish - Kimberly had agreed to finish her last 3 miles there as well. Dad came with me and we took a few balloons with the Royal Marsden cancer charity logo on them to celebrate the finish. When we got to the pool there was no sign of Mum in the water so she must have already finished and was getting changed. As we waited balloons in hand Kimberly ran to the finish line having run around in circles in the car park for the last few hundredths of a mile to get the exact distance she needed. We all went to the changing room and called out to Mum who came out of the cubicle wrapped in a towel to be greeted by the three of us with congratulations and balloons! It turned out that Mum had finished her last length at just after 7:45 am less than 10 minutes before Kimberly so to her delight she was the first person over the finishing line, closely followed by Kimberly. My last half a mile will be done on Sunday, the last day of the month and I'm yet to decide whether I will literally cycle just that half a mile or whether I will combine it with a normal length ride. One idea is to complete the same route as I did on the 1st of September which is about 12 miles I think. It will be interesting to see how much quicker I do it?
So apart from my last half mile, we've all but finished our challenges I set us at the start of the month and I am proud of each of us. Mum has done amazingly well to swim the equivalent of the English Channel - 21 miles - as she keeps pointing out, she's 68!!! One day saw her swim 64 lengths, get out for a coffee while the pool closed then get back in for another 60 lengths once they reopened. Considering her first swim many months ago was just 20 lengths she has come far - both figuratively and literally!
Kimberly also has done absolutely brilliantly, this whole challenge started after I was inspired by her own challenge to run 50 miles last month which she did so to do another 80 this month including one run of 10 miles is awesome.
I'm also very proud of my own achievement of 300 miles (well 299.5 so far) this month as the last time I was on a bike was a year ago and then all I did was three rides of 5, 6, and 10 miles. I know to a seasoned cyclist doing 300 miles in a month is easy but for my fitness level before I started this challenge it was adequate! All in all I've spent about 24 hours on the bike this month and I definitely feel better for it. My legs definitely feel stronger and my cardio fitness has definitely improved. Someone once told me, or I read a quote somewhere that "cycling doesn't get easier, you just get faster" which is so true. The hills at the end of the month still seem just as hard as the ones at the start of the month but my ability to climb them and the pace I ride is getting better. I hope to carry on cycling as I've got a good foundation to better fitness I just hope the weather allows it as we head towards winter. I also need a complete service on the bike, I think I shocked it this month doing 300 miles as its spent the last decade resting easy in the garage! In fact I think I've probably done more miles on it this month than all the miles it's ever done before - maybe not but it could be close! It's creaking a bit here and there and the crank click with every rotation so I think I'll send it to Tri-UK for a well deserved overhaul!
I can't finish this post without mentioning the absolutely mind blowing generosity of everyone who has sponsored us. At the time of writing we have raised £1,515 for the Royal Marsden and Smiler's Foundation which is amazing. We've still got a few people who have pledged their support so I'm sure that total will rise further and I can't thank everyone enough.
I'll post again when I finish my last ride on Sunday, I'm playing golf in the morning and watching the Ryder Cup in the afternoon but I have a window in between to get on the bike.
Friday 28 September 2012
27th September
At the start of today I still had just over 35 miles left to complete my challenge. Mum was planning on finishing her final 60 lengths tomorrow morning so I decided to leave enough miles left so I could cycle whilst she swam and we finished more or less at the same time. I worked out that about 17 miles was about what I should leave so I set out to do my penultimate ride.
I did the East Coker/Dorchester Road loop (6 miles) then out to Odcombe and in to the coffee shop at the garden centre again to meet Mum (11 miles). I then cycled bits of the railway track and into town then home. I actually ended up doing just over 19 miles leaving myself 15.85 miles to the finish.
Kimberly went out for a run in the evening and was going to leave herself about 6 miles to finish which we thought she was doing on Sunday but she then let slip that she was plotting to do a long run this evening and get up extra early tomorrow and finish her challenge before Mum and I even started our final leg - sneaky! After some negotiation she agreed to leave enough miles to match the times of our final cycle/swim then the three of us would start at the same time and race to the finish line.
It turns out she ended up doing a Forrest Gump and just kept on running completing an amazing 10 miles leaving only 3.09 to do! I jokingly threatened to get on my bike there and then and do my final 16 miles and steal the victory but I didn't.
I sat at home waiting for Kimberly to post the GPS track of her ten mile run but the longer I waited the more convinced I was that she was out doing her last 3 miles! Eventually it appeared though and she hadn't been out again.
So there we were 60 lengths left for Mum, 3.09 miles left for Kimberly, and. 15.85 miles left for me. Even though Kimberly was adamant that she was going to start at a time which would match Mum and I in the morning I was sure she would get up and sneak the win and I'd never hear the end of it so I decided to employ my own sneaky tactics... Watch out for my next blog entry to find out what happened!
I did the East Coker/Dorchester Road loop (6 miles) then out to Odcombe and in to the coffee shop at the garden centre again to meet Mum (11 miles). I then cycled bits of the railway track and into town then home. I actually ended up doing just over 19 miles leaving myself 15.85 miles to the finish.
Kimberly went out for a run in the evening and was going to leave herself about 6 miles to finish which we thought she was doing on Sunday but she then let slip that she was plotting to do a long run this evening and get up extra early tomorrow and finish her challenge before Mum and I even started our final leg - sneaky! After some negotiation she agreed to leave enough miles to match the times of our final cycle/swim then the three of us would start at the same time and race to the finish line.
It turns out she ended up doing a Forrest Gump and just kept on running completing an amazing 10 miles leaving only 3.09 to do! I jokingly threatened to get on my bike there and then and do my final 16 miles and steal the victory but I didn't.
I sat at home waiting for Kimberly to post the GPS track of her ten mile run but the longer I waited the more convinced I was that she was out doing her last 3 miles! Eventually it appeared though and she hadn't been out again.
So there we were 60 lengths left for Mum, 3.09 miles left for Kimberly, and. 15.85 miles left for me. Even though Kimberly was adamant that she was going to start at a time which would match Mum and I in the morning I was sure she would get up and sneak the win and I'd never hear the end of it so I decided to employ my own sneaky tactics... Watch out for my next blog entry to find out what happened!
Wednesday 26 September 2012
26th September
Having not been out on the bike since Monday and then for only 6.4 miles because of a puncture I knew I had to get some miles done today. Mum has been doing 60 lengths a day all week and now only has 60 left to complete her challenge!
I set off to do the East Coker, Dorchester Road loop which is about 6 miles then the plan was to cycle towards Ham Hill and down through Odcombe to meet Mum for a coffee at Palmers garden centre. That little jaunt took me to 11.4 miles today but starting the day with 57 miles left to do I knew I had to continue. I looped down Preston Road then back via the Westland cycle track then all the way across town to the golf club for a pit stop.
I headed for home in a heavy downpour and a couple of laps of the block later I'd put in 22.19 miles today leaving me with just over 35 miles left.
Mum had originally planned to have tomorrow off and do her final 60 lengths on Friday morning so my plan was to do about 22 again tomorrow then do my final 13 or so at the same time as Mum swims on Friday so we can call it a friendly draw!
However, reading the banter on Facebook it now looks like Mum is going for the win and isn't having the day off after all!
I've got a few options... I can either get up at a stupidly early time and attempt to cycle 35 miles before Mum can do an hour in the pool but as the pool opens at 6:30am Mum will be finished by 7:30am so I'd have to set off at 4:45am!
Another option is to go out for another 20 or so miles now in the dark and in the rain thus leaving around 15 miles or just over an hour of cycling for tomorrow morning. The problem is that I've just eaten a huge plate of hot chilli with rice, bread, and beer so I'm feeling a bit full!
The third option is to just forget it, finish in my own time, and let Mum take the win...
I'm going to let my chilli go down for an hour or so and then decide...
You're probably wondering how Kimberly is getting on? Well she ran a great 6 or so miles with the running club on Tuesday leaving just over 13 miles. Her plan is to split that between a run tomorrow, and a club run on Sunday. There is also the possibility that she has done a couple of runs in secret and is planning on victory tomorrow - even more reason to lunge for the finishing line myself!
I set off to do the East Coker, Dorchester Road loop which is about 6 miles then the plan was to cycle towards Ham Hill and down through Odcombe to meet Mum for a coffee at Palmers garden centre. That little jaunt took me to 11.4 miles today but starting the day with 57 miles left to do I knew I had to continue. I looped down Preston Road then back via the Westland cycle track then all the way across town to the golf club for a pit stop.
I headed for home in a heavy downpour and a couple of laps of the block later I'd put in 22.19 miles today leaving me with just over 35 miles left.
Mum had originally planned to have tomorrow off and do her final 60 lengths on Friday morning so my plan was to do about 22 again tomorrow then do my final 13 or so at the same time as Mum swims on Friday so we can call it a friendly draw!
However, reading the banter on Facebook it now looks like Mum is going for the win and isn't having the day off after all!
I've got a few options... I can either get up at a stupidly early time and attempt to cycle 35 miles before Mum can do an hour in the pool but as the pool opens at 6:30am Mum will be finished by 7:30am so I'd have to set off at 4:45am!
Another option is to go out for another 20 or so miles now in the dark and in the rain thus leaving around 15 miles or just over an hour of cycling for tomorrow morning. The problem is that I've just eaten a huge plate of hot chilli with rice, bread, and beer so I'm feeling a bit full!
The third option is to just forget it, finish in my own time, and let Mum take the win...
I'm going to let my chilli go down for an hour or so and then decide...
You're probably wondering how Kimberly is getting on? Well she ran a great 6 or so miles with the running club on Tuesday leaving just over 13 miles. Her plan is to split that between a run tomorrow, and a club run on Sunday. There is also the possibility that she has done a couple of runs in secret and is planning on victory tomorrow - even more reason to lunge for the finishing line myself!
Monday 24 September 2012
24th September
I wasn't planning on a long rude today but I needed to go into town so I decided to go on my bike then pootle around afterwards cycling here and there to eat up a few miles. Initially I emptied my spanners and puncture repair kit from my saddle bag as I was not going to be far from home but something made me put it back in - thankfully!
I went into town and locked the bike up and had a coffee and a wrap then cycled down to the golf club to see if Dad had finished his game - no sign of him. I then planned on cycling the railway path all the way from the golf club to Lysander Road but just as I passed the swimming pool I got a puncture in my rear tyre! I took the wheel off and eventually found the hole and the sharp stone that was sticking through the tyre! The puncture repair patches I carry are self adhesive and are supposed to be great for roadside repairs. I roughed up the area and stuck the patch on then put the wheel back on and inflated the tyre. As I was close to Morrisons petrol station I cycled there with the intention of using the air line to put the correct pressure in but whilst waiting for someone to finish using it I felt the tyre and it was had gone down somewhat so the repair had obviously not taken! I pushed the bike to the supermarket car park and took the wheel off again and on inspection I realised that air was escaping from the edge of the patch. I think it is because the hole was right on the ridge of where the tube was moulded or maybe I just did it wrong?!? Anyway, I put a second and third patch overlapping the first one and reassembled everything. By the time I'd been in to the shop to wash my hands and got back to my bike the tyre was going down again so I walked home.
So in the end although I was right to put my spanners and repair kit back into my saddle bag it didn't make any difference as I still ended up walking home! I'm just about to drive down to Tri-UK to talk about how I fixed the puncture to see if I did anything wrong and to buy a new inner tube!
Thankfully this has happened on a day when I was less than a mile away from home and not when I was on one of my longer rides!
Just 6.4 miles done until I had to abort the ride but it all adds up in the end.
Mum completed 60 lengths this morning which leaves her with 180 left to do. Three more swims of 60 lengths and she will have reached France!!!
I went into town and locked the bike up and had a coffee and a wrap then cycled down to the golf club to see if Dad had finished his game - no sign of him. I then planned on cycling the railway path all the way from the golf club to Lysander Road but just as I passed the swimming pool I got a puncture in my rear tyre! I took the wheel off and eventually found the hole and the sharp stone that was sticking through the tyre! The puncture repair patches I carry are self adhesive and are supposed to be great for roadside repairs. I roughed up the area and stuck the patch on then put the wheel back on and inflated the tyre. As I was close to Morrisons petrol station I cycled there with the intention of using the air line to put the correct pressure in but whilst waiting for someone to finish using it I felt the tyre and it was had gone down somewhat so the repair had obviously not taken! I pushed the bike to the supermarket car park and took the wheel off again and on inspection I realised that air was escaping from the edge of the patch. I think it is because the hole was right on the ridge of where the tube was moulded or maybe I just did it wrong?!? Anyway, I put a second and third patch overlapping the first one and reassembled everything. By the time I'd been in to the shop to wash my hands and got back to my bike the tyre was going down again so I walked home.
So in the end although I was right to put my spanners and repair kit back into my saddle bag it didn't make any difference as I still ended up walking home! I'm just about to drive down to Tri-UK to talk about how I fixed the puncture to see if I did anything wrong and to buy a new inner tube!
Thankfully this has happened on a day when I was less than a mile away from home and not when I was on one of my longer rides!
Just 6.4 miles done until I had to abort the ride but it all adds up in the end.
Mum completed 60 lengths this morning which leaves her with 180 left to do. Three more swims of 60 lengths and she will have reached France!!!
Friday 21 September 2012
21st September part two!
I needed to go to Tesco to buy a steak for tea so I went on the bike. I went the long (ish) way round by going down Bunford and along Lysander Road instead of straight down Hendford Hill like earlier.
I bought my shopping, loaded it into my rucksack then cycled home. Just over 4 miles in the bank...
I bought my shopping, loaded it into my rucksack then cycled home. Just over 4 miles in the bank...
21st September
I wasn't planning on riding the bike today but I needed to go into town so I thought I might as well cycle then at least I'd get another few miles done. That's the first time this month I've used the bike for a practical purpose rather than just for eating up miles! Is this what healthy people do?
I cycled down Hendford Hill achieving my fastest speed so far of 33.8mph - more than 10% greater than the speed limit - I could get a ticket for that!
I met Mum in town and had a coffee then cycled to Tri-Uk to enquire about new break pads for the bike. Mine have become increasingly squeaky over the month but the bloke in the shop said I didn't need new ones but could probably decrease the squeak with a bit of adjustment and roughing up with sand paper. My bike is due a service as its never done so many miles in this short a period before!
From Tri-Uk I cycled the railway path to nine springs country park then decided to do a bit of proper mountain (sic) biking and come home through the woods. It's so different cycling on mud and gravel and carrying the bike up and down steps than on the road. Very tiring but a lot of fun. The trouble is the average speed is much lower and so the miles don't tick over as quick. As this challenge is about distance rather than time on the bike I'll stick to the roads for the rest of the month I think!
Just over 6 miles done in my little town trip today but as Tesco says "every little helps"... That reminds me I need to go to Tesco to buy a steak for tea - perhaps I should go on my bike?!?
I'll let you know later if I did...
I cycled down Hendford Hill achieving my fastest speed so far of 33.8mph - more than 10% greater than the speed limit - I could get a ticket for that!
I met Mum in town and had a coffee then cycled to Tri-Uk to enquire about new break pads for the bike. Mine have become increasingly squeaky over the month but the bloke in the shop said I didn't need new ones but could probably decrease the squeak with a bit of adjustment and roughing up with sand paper. My bike is due a service as its never done so many miles in this short a period before!
From Tri-Uk I cycled the railway path to nine springs country park then decided to do a bit of proper mountain (sic) biking and come home through the woods. It's so different cycling on mud and gravel and carrying the bike up and down steps than on the road. Very tiring but a lot of fun. The trouble is the average speed is much lower and so the miles don't tick over as quick. As this challenge is about distance rather than time on the bike I'll stick to the roads for the rest of the month I think!
Just over 6 miles done in my little town trip today but as Tesco says "every little helps"... That reminds me I need to go to Tesco to buy a steak for tea - perhaps I should go on my bike?!?
I'll let you know later if I did...
Thursday 20 September 2012
20th September
I had two days off the bike as planned but knew I had to get back on the bike today sometime. As the day went on I could easily have skipped it but my sister Sarah emailed me and asked if I fancied coming over to help her put up a shelf in her new bathroom so I said I would cycle over. She lives in a village outside of Yeovil and going the route I usually go over Ham Hill and through Martock it was about 10 miles to her house.
I had a coffee once I got there and Lucy showed me all her toys and her new bathroom. Then Sarah realised she didn't have a battery in her wire/pipe detector so she went to the shop whilst I watched Lucy ride her bike - without stabilisers!
Once Sarah got back we put the shelf up and I wired up the light over the sink. By this time Matthew was also home from hockey practice and wanted to go to his friends house so I cycled through the lanes with him and then set off home once he had got there.
It was an uneventful ride home, I came back along the main cartgate link road which is pretty busy but luckily they have a path which I used. It's still a bit daunting having lorries and fast cars passing so close but it was the easiest route home.
The total ride was just over 18 miles which means I have in the region of 70 miles left to complete in 10 days.
Mum had the day off swimming today but Kimberly completed 4.2 miles.
Oh and the donations keep on pouring in and our total raised for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Smiler's Foundation is over £1,200! Thank you to everyone...
I had a coffee once I got there and Lucy showed me all her toys and her new bathroom. Then Sarah realised she didn't have a battery in her wire/pipe detector so she went to the shop whilst I watched Lucy ride her bike - without stabilisers!
Once Sarah got back we put the shelf up and I wired up the light over the sink. By this time Matthew was also home from hockey practice and wanted to go to his friends house so I cycled through the lanes with him and then set off home once he had got there.
It was an uneventful ride home, I came back along the main cartgate link road which is pretty busy but luckily they have a path which I used. It's still a bit daunting having lorries and fast cars passing so close but it was the easiest route home.
The total ride was just over 18 miles which means I have in the region of 70 miles left to complete in 10 days.
Mum had the day off swimming today but Kimberly completed 4.2 miles.
Oh and the donations keep on pouring in and our total raised for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Smiler's Foundation is over £1,200! Thank you to everyone...
Monday 17 September 2012
17th September
I did 27 miles and a round of golf yesterday so I was a bit tired when I got up this morning. I had to go to Bath to collect my Mac Mini from the Apple store though so I couldn't not combine it with a cycle along the railway path.
Mum and Kimberly came with me so they could go shopping whilst I cycled then we would meet up for a coffee afterwards. I parked the car and sorted myself out and after collecting the computer I set off. The first couple of miles from Bath centre to the start of the railway path is along the canal towpath, I was only on it for a few minutes when a rat darted between two bushes. Rats always send a cold shiver through me ever since I was confronted by one as a child when I was on my paper round. Still, I was on a bike and he couldn't catch me if he wanted to so I was ok!
I managed to keep a good pace all along the path today, I am definitely feeling a lot stronger in my legs than when I started this challenge. About 4 miles in I suddenly realised I hadn't put a parking ticket on my car but I was to far to turn around now so I carried on. Although my speed was good, I felt tired and so instead of going all the way into Bristol I stopped at a picnic bench after 12.5 miles and had a granola bar. I decided to head back rather than complete the rest of the path as it would still mean a ride of 25 miles which is only 4 or 5 less than if I'd gone all the way.
I got back to Bath and met up with Mum and Kimberly and had a welcome cappuccino. Luckily I hadn't got a parking fine when I got to my car but I put a ticket on anyway before having the coffee. Today's ride of just over 25 miles has taken me over the 200 mile point so I'm well ahead of schedule to complete my 300 by the end of the month. Mum put in a great 80 lengths this morning in her quickest time yet and Kimberly will be running with the club tomorrow.
I'm having a couple of days off from the bike but will probably go out again on Thursday.
Mum and Kimberly came with me so they could go shopping whilst I cycled then we would meet up for a coffee afterwards. I parked the car and sorted myself out and after collecting the computer I set off. The first couple of miles from Bath centre to the start of the railway path is along the canal towpath, I was only on it for a few minutes when a rat darted between two bushes. Rats always send a cold shiver through me ever since I was confronted by one as a child when I was on my paper round. Still, I was on a bike and he couldn't catch me if he wanted to so I was ok!
I managed to keep a good pace all along the path today, I am definitely feeling a lot stronger in my legs than when I started this challenge. About 4 miles in I suddenly realised I hadn't put a parking ticket on my car but I was to far to turn around now so I carried on. Although my speed was good, I felt tired and so instead of going all the way into Bristol I stopped at a picnic bench after 12.5 miles and had a granola bar. I decided to head back rather than complete the rest of the path as it would still mean a ride of 25 miles which is only 4 or 5 less than if I'd gone all the way.
I got back to Bath and met up with Mum and Kimberly and had a welcome cappuccino. Luckily I hadn't got a parking fine when I got to my car but I put a ticket on anyway before having the coffee. Today's ride of just over 25 miles has taken me over the 200 mile point so I'm well ahead of schedule to complete my 300 by the end of the month. Mum put in a great 80 lengths this morning in her quickest time yet and Kimberly will be running with the club tomorrow.
I'm having a couple of days off from the bike but will probably go out again on Thursday.
Sunday 16 September 2012
16th September
Great ride today, 27 miles on the road at my highest average speed yet including the flat railway path rides. I did 7 miles more than when I cycled to the coast on Friday but the terrain was easier and there was nowhere near as much headwind so it was much nicer.
I got up and stuffed down 4 oatcakes, half a bag of almonds and an apple and set off. I cycled my usual route to Ham Hill and Stoke Sub Hamdon then headed towards Martock. As i went through Stoke I followed close behind a land-rover which was great as it gave me an aerodynamic tow. I can see why groups of cyclists take it in turns to go at the front, it's so much easier with someone else punching a hole in the wind. This time I carried on to Long Sutton golf club where I stopped for a banana then came back through Illchester and Mudford. The rest of the ride was as uneventful but the slight hill through Mudford was hard on my legs as I had already exceeded my longest road ride so far. Two Towers Lane was a pain because there was some kind of horse event on and lots of cars going in both directions meaning I had to keep stopping and starting and was unable to build and momentum.
Tomorrow I have to go to Bath again so I'm going to take Mum with me after her morning swim. She can then spend a couple of hours wandering around the shops whilst I dart to Bristol and back on the railway path. I really like that ride because it's long, flat, has no traffic, and it's great for building up and maintaining a fairly constant speed.
Kimberly completed her longest run yet this morning although she forgot to start her GPS watch for the first half a mile so we'll add on a bit to compensate. She said it was her toughest yet and nearly had her in tears but well done to her for completing it. I guess the challenge is catching up to all of us this far in but we've all done really well and I feel very proud. The fundraising is going great and at the time of writing we are only £50 short of reaching our initial target of £1,000!
Thank you to everyone who is supporting us...
I got up and stuffed down 4 oatcakes, half a bag of almonds and an apple and set off. I cycled my usual route to Ham Hill and Stoke Sub Hamdon then headed towards Martock. As i went through Stoke I followed close behind a land-rover which was great as it gave me an aerodynamic tow. I can see why groups of cyclists take it in turns to go at the front, it's so much easier with someone else punching a hole in the wind. This time I carried on to Long Sutton golf club where I stopped for a banana then came back through Illchester and Mudford. The rest of the ride was as uneventful but the slight hill through Mudford was hard on my legs as I had already exceeded my longest road ride so far. Two Towers Lane was a pain because there was some kind of horse event on and lots of cars going in both directions meaning I had to keep stopping and starting and was unable to build and momentum.
Tomorrow I have to go to Bath again so I'm going to take Mum with me after her morning swim. She can then spend a couple of hours wandering around the shops whilst I dart to Bristol and back on the railway path. I really like that ride because it's long, flat, has no traffic, and it's great for building up and maintaining a fairly constant speed.
Kimberly completed her longest run yet this morning although she forgot to start her GPS watch for the first half a mile so we'll add on a bit to compensate. She said it was her toughest yet and nearly had her in tears but well done to her for completing it. I guess the challenge is catching up to all of us this far in but we've all done really well and I feel very proud. The fundraising is going great and at the time of writing we are only £50 short of reaching our initial target of £1,000!
Thank you to everyone who is supporting us...
Friday 14 September 2012
14th September
For the first time since I started the challenge I've had two days off in a row. I intended on going out yesterday afternoon but just never got my backside in gear.
Today I wanted to cycle to the coast which is about 20 miles and I could then either cycle home again or get someone to bring my car and bike carrier down to meet me and take me home.
I set off into an awful headwind which made it really hard going and then the ascent through Corscombe was really hard and I just felt like I had no energy. Once at the top I then had a long steep downhill into Beaminster which was brutal! I could easily have beaten my top speed but I didn't feel comfortable freewheeling so I held on to the brakes. I still managed to get up a fair bit of speed even though I was pulling hard on the levers and I was worried about the brake cables snapping which would have meant trying to control a crash into the hedge! I'm sure experienced riders just go for it but I wasn't so willing. Thankfully I made it down safely and then cycled the rest of the way to West Bay. I stopped about 6 miles out and called the backup vehicle (Dad) to ask him to meet me there.
I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not attempting the ride home but I just didn't have the energy, I think I need to look at what I'm eating before I go out on my longer rides.
I still managed to do 20 miles which is the longest road ride I've done. The two longer rides have been on the flat railway path with no traffics which I prefer.
So we're two weeks into the challenge and all of us have done really well. Mum swam 64 lengths this morning which took her over the 50% mark and my ride did the same. Kimberly is just under 1.5 miles away from reaching her halfway point so it's we're all on schedule.
Here are the totals so far:
Paul has cycled 154.83 miles out of 300 (51.6%)
Mum has swum 10.72 miles out of 21 (51%)
Kimberly has run 38.66 miles out of 80 (48.3%)
Today I wanted to cycle to the coast which is about 20 miles and I could then either cycle home again or get someone to bring my car and bike carrier down to meet me and take me home.
I set off into an awful headwind which made it really hard going and then the ascent through Corscombe was really hard and I just felt like I had no energy. Once at the top I then had a long steep downhill into Beaminster which was brutal! I could easily have beaten my top speed but I didn't feel comfortable freewheeling so I held on to the brakes. I still managed to get up a fair bit of speed even though I was pulling hard on the levers and I was worried about the brake cables snapping which would have meant trying to control a crash into the hedge! I'm sure experienced riders just go for it but I wasn't so willing. Thankfully I made it down safely and then cycled the rest of the way to West Bay. I stopped about 6 miles out and called the backup vehicle (Dad) to ask him to meet me there.
I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not attempting the ride home but I just didn't have the energy, I think I need to look at what I'm eating before I go out on my longer rides.
I still managed to do 20 miles which is the longest road ride I've done. The two longer rides have been on the flat railway path with no traffics which I prefer.
So we're two weeks into the challenge and all of us have done really well. Mum swam 64 lengths this morning which took her over the 50% mark and my ride did the same. Kimberly is just under 1.5 miles away from reaching her halfway point so it's we're all on schedule.
Here are the totals so far:
Paul has cycled 154.83 miles out of 300 (51.6%)
Mum has swum 10.72 miles out of 21 (51%)
Kimberly has run 38.66 miles out of 80 (48.3%)
Tuesday 11 September 2012
11th September
I had to take my Mac Mini to the Apple store to get the drive fixed so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and go to the store in Bath and whilst I was there cycle the Bath to Bristol Railway Path again. Last time I got 30 miles I did 30 miles but this time I parked in the middle of Bath (near the Apple store) and started from there.
A fairly uneventful ride to Bristol but after only 10 miles I was feeling quite tired and lethargic; a combination of not having the proper food inside me and that most of the first 10 miles was stright in to a strong head wind! I stopped and gulped down a fair bit of water and had the rest of an energy bar and set off again. Another 6 or 7 miles and I was in Bristol but this time I had money with me so I grabbed a quick coffee before heading back to Bath.
The total ride was just over 33 miles and I completed it in just about 2:30. Not my fastest average speed at 13.03mph but like I said, it was fairly windy and the first and last two miles were in Bath town centre in amongst traffic.
Mum didn't swim yesterday as she fely a bit rough but the dotor gave her the go ahead to continue with her challenge so she made a brilliant effort this morning and swam 80 lengths - her longest swim so far.
With 45 miles cycled in the last two days I have jumped into the lead in the challenge but Kimberly is out with the running club tonight and hopes to do 5 or 6 miles so she will close the gap.
A fairly uneventful ride to Bristol but after only 10 miles I was feeling quite tired and lethargic; a combination of not having the proper food inside me and that most of the first 10 miles was stright in to a strong head wind! I stopped and gulped down a fair bit of water and had the rest of an energy bar and set off again. Another 6 or 7 miles and I was in Bristol but this time I had money with me so I grabbed a quick coffee before heading back to Bath.
The total ride was just over 33 miles and I completed it in just about 2:30. Not my fastest average speed at 13.03mph but like I said, it was fairly windy and the first and last two miles were in Bath town centre in amongst traffic.
Mum didn't swim yesterday as she fely a bit rough but the dotor gave her the go ahead to continue with her challenge so she made a brilliant effort this morning and swam 80 lengths - her longest swim so far.
With 45 miles cycled in the last two days I have jumped into the lead in the challenge but Kimberly is out with the running club tonight and hopes to do 5 or 6 miles so she will close the gap.
Monday 10 September 2012
10th September
I'm playing in a golf match this afternoon so I just wanted to do a quick ride to keep me on my target average of 10 miles a day. Anything over 9 miles would do!
I started out on my usual route heading for Ham Hill but once I got to Odcombe I turned right to head back towards Yeovil. I decided to cycle the outer perimeter of the town which I knew to be about 11 miles as I've walked it once before a few years ago. Heading down the hill from Odcombe I put my head down and pedalled hard and managed my quickest speed so far of just under 30mph. I'm sure I could get more but I'm only on a mountain bike so that's not bad.
The rest of the route was fairly easy going and I stopped to say hello to my brother-in-law's parents as they were out cleaning their car as I passed Combe Street Lane.
Just under 12 miles done!
Totals so far:
Paul: 101.18 miles cycled (33.7%)
Mum: 5.93 miles swum (28.3%)
Kimberly: 27.35 miles run (34.2%)
I started out on my usual route heading for Ham Hill but once I got to Odcombe I turned right to head back towards Yeovil. I decided to cycle the outer perimeter of the town which I knew to be about 11 miles as I've walked it once before a few years ago. Heading down the hill from Odcombe I put my head down and pedalled hard and managed my quickest speed so far of just under 30mph. I'm sure I could get more but I'm only on a mountain bike so that's not bad.
The rest of the route was fairly easy going and I stopped to say hello to my brother-in-law's parents as they were out cleaning their car as I passed Combe Street Lane.
Just under 12 miles done!
Totals so far:
Paul: 101.18 miles cycled (33.7%)
Mum: 5.93 miles swum (28.3%)
Kimberly: 27.35 miles run (34.2%)
Saturday 8 September 2012
8th September
I had fish and chips last night and a bottle of wine so my immediate reaction when I woke up was "I'll go out on the bike later". The grand prix qualifying was due to start at 12:00 and it was 9:30 so I convinced myself to just get it done!
Sarah, Jason, and the kids arrived in a sparkling new car they were test driving so I said I would cycle out to their house for a coffee if they were back by then.
I set off at 10:00 and cycled out to Ham Hill then through Stoke Sub Hamdon to Martock then Ash. I stopped at the Quarterman's house at about 10:45 but they weren't home yet so I had a quick water and oatcake stop then set off for home. I'm getting out of the saddle now more and more rather than change down through the gears when I hit a hill. I'm definitely feeling better and stronger on the bike than I was 8 days ago when I started this challenge!
I was going to cycle back to Yeovil through Tintinhull and Chilthorne Domer but once I got to Tintinhull I saw a sign at a right turn to Montacute so I went that way. At one point I was coming down an incline at speed and at the bottom I could see that the road was covered in water, grit, mud, and probably cow crap so I made sure I hit it with a straight wheel so as not to slip. I hadn't accounted for the splatters from the wheels and I had to ride the rest of the way home through Montacute and Yeovil covered head to toe in mud (and poo)!
A total of just over 18 miles...
Beginning to get bitten by the cycling bug!
Sarah, Jason, and the kids arrived in a sparkling new car they were test driving so I said I would cycle out to their house for a coffee if they were back by then.
I set off at 10:00 and cycled out to Ham Hill then through Stoke Sub Hamdon to Martock then Ash. I stopped at the Quarterman's house at about 10:45 but they weren't home yet so I had a quick water and oatcake stop then set off for home. I'm getting out of the saddle now more and more rather than change down through the gears when I hit a hill. I'm definitely feeling better and stronger on the bike than I was 8 days ago when I started this challenge!
I was going to cycle back to Yeovil through Tintinhull and Chilthorne Domer but once I got to Tintinhull I saw a sign at a right turn to Montacute so I went that way. At one point I was coming down an incline at speed and at the bottom I could see that the road was covered in water, grit, mud, and probably cow crap so I made sure I hit it with a straight wheel so as not to slip. I hadn't accounted for the splatters from the wheels and I had to ride the rest of the way home through Montacute and Yeovil covered head to toe in mud (and poo)!
A total of just over 18 miles...
Beginning to get bitten by the cycling bug!
Thursday 6 September 2012
6th September Part Deux!
I didn't stop for long in Bristol as I couldn't find a cashpoint so I never bothered with the coffee. By the time I got back on the railway path I had done 15 miles so I knew I would be up to at least 28 by the time I hit back to my car. After about 4 miles I stopped at a picnic bench and had my bandanna, oatcakes, and the rest of my water then set off for the final time. Getting to the end of the path near my car the GPS was showing 28.2 miles so I decided to continue along the canal for about another mile then turned round at cycled back to the car making the whole ride 30.07 miles in 2 hours 16 minutes. My average speed was up on previous rides but then I expected this because the railway path was pretty flat all the way.
That's just over 71 miles completed in 6 days which is 11 miles ahead of my "10 a day" target.
Kimberly is currently out running so although I have taken the lead it is only temporary! Mum swam a mile this morning and is planning another one tomorrow.
Totals at the time of writing:
Paul 71.02 miles out of 300 on the bike.
Mum 4.94 miles out of 21 in the water.
Kimberly 16.73 miles out of 80 on the run!
Oh and I never ate any flies today! I chewed a couple but managed to spit them out...
That's just over 71 miles completed in 6 days which is 11 miles ahead of my "10 a day" target.
Kimberly is currently out running so although I have taken the lead it is only temporary! Mum swam a mile this morning and is planning another one tomorrow.
Totals at the time of writing:
Paul 71.02 miles out of 300 on the bike.
Mum 4.94 miles out of 21 in the water.
Kimberly 16.73 miles out of 80 on the run!
Oh and I never ate any flies today! I chewed a couple but managed to spit them out...
6th September
Got up this morning, put the bike on the car rack, and drove to Bath. I've just completed the Bath to Bristol Railway Path - 14 miles in 56 minutes. Just going to stop for a quick coffee and refuel (banana and oatcakes) then cycle back to my car. Will have completed 30 miles by the time I finish.
Wednesday 5 September 2012
5th September
No cycling today but I thought I'd write a quick post because I have something to say!
Dad has an old bike carrier covered in cobwebs in the back of his garage which has hardly been used and fits any car so I dug it out.
I fitted it to the back of my car successfully and am more or less happy that it holds my bike securely so now I have a much greater range of options when it comes to cycling routes. I can now drive to any location and cycle a loop route before driving home again!
I've done a quick search on cycling routes in the south-west and have found an interesting one along the Bath to Bristol railway path. The path is 13 miles long, entirely Tarmac, and is only open to walkers and cyclists - so no traffic. The plan is to drive to Bath with my bike, cycle the railway path there and back and drive home; a total of about 26 miles. I've also bought a small waterproof bike bag which fits under the saddle so I can now carry some money or cards and some energy snacks or fruit.
Mum is the only one of us who has completed part of our challenge today, completing just under a mile in the pool. I'll be back on the bike tomorrow and Kimberly is planning a 6 mile run tomorrow night with the running club.
Dad has an old bike carrier covered in cobwebs in the back of his garage which has hardly been used and fits any car so I dug it out.
I fitted it to the back of my car successfully and am more or less happy that it holds my bike securely so now I have a much greater range of options when it comes to cycling routes. I can now drive to any location and cycle a loop route before driving home again!
I've done a quick search on cycling routes in the south-west and have found an interesting one along the Bath to Bristol railway path. The path is 13 miles long, entirely Tarmac, and is only open to walkers and cyclists - so no traffic. The plan is to drive to Bath with my bike, cycle the railway path there and back and drive home; a total of about 26 miles. I've also bought a small waterproof bike bag which fits under the saddle so I can now carry some money or cards and some energy snacks or fruit.
Mum is the only one of us who has completed part of our challenge today, completing just under a mile in the pool. I'll be back on the bike tomorrow and Kimberly is planning a 6 mile run tomorrow night with the running club.
Tuesday 4 September 2012
4th September
Day off for me and mum yesterday but Kimberly ran another 5 or so miles.
This morning I got up at 7:30 and had a huge bowl of porridge before getting on the bike. I had to do at least 15 miles to take me over the 40 mile mark which is where I should be after day 4. I decided to do the same route as day 1 which was out over Ham Hill, through Stoke Sub Hamdon, Montacute, then back through Yeovil and up Bunford Hollow. That ride was 14.47 miles so I needed to do a bit of a detour here and there to get the extra half a mile. I found the going quite tough to begin with as I could still feel the first two rides in my legs but my backside was feeling a bit better on the saddle and I was feeling better as I warmed up. Once I got back to Goldenstones I went left on the old railway line instead of right to Lysander Road. I cycled all the way to the end at Sherborne Road then back into town. I made the decision to cycle up Newton Lane and along by the show ground but just as I passed the old Western Gazette offices I had to brake hard as a Mini pulled out in front of me. No harm done though and my different route home meant that today's ride was just over 16 miles. Kimberly is running with the club this evening and Mum has swum another mile earlier on.
The story so far:
Paul: 40 miles out of 300
Mum: 3 miles out of 21
Kimberly: 12 miles out of 80
Oh and I've eaten a fly on every ride so far!
This morning I got up at 7:30 and had a huge bowl of porridge before getting on the bike. I had to do at least 15 miles to take me over the 40 mile mark which is where I should be after day 4. I decided to do the same route as day 1 which was out over Ham Hill, through Stoke Sub Hamdon, Montacute, then back through Yeovil and up Bunford Hollow. That ride was 14.47 miles so I needed to do a bit of a detour here and there to get the extra half a mile. I found the going quite tough to begin with as I could still feel the first two rides in my legs but my backside was feeling a bit better on the saddle and I was feeling better as I warmed up. Once I got back to Goldenstones I went left on the old railway line instead of right to Lysander Road. I cycled all the way to the end at Sherborne Road then back into town. I made the decision to cycle up Newton Lane and along by the show ground but just as I passed the old Western Gazette offices I had to brake hard as a Mini pulled out in front of me. No harm done though and my different route home meant that today's ride was just over 16 miles. Kimberly is running with the club this evening and Mum has swum another mile earlier on.
The story so far:
Paul: 40 miles out of 300
Mum: 3 miles out of 21
Kimberly: 12 miles out of 80
Oh and I've eaten a fly on every ride so far!
Sunday 2 September 2012
2nd September
I woke up this morning at 8am and got up considering going out on my bike. It didn't take much internal persuasion to convince myself that I was too achy to go out this early and so I went back to sleep! I got up a bit later and at lunchtime I watched the grand prix. I was planning on getting some more miles done but I knew it wouldn't take much for me to take the day off - after all yesterday's 14.5 miles were the first time out on my bike for a very long time so I'd need some time to recover!! I figured it would be nice to do about 15-20 miles so that I could get myself well ahead of the 10 miles per day average that I needed. At roughly 11-12 mph average I decided that if I went out at 6pm I would be finished before it got dark. Having very nearly not bothered I thought to myself that I had to go out as this was only day 2 and if I was going to succeed then I needed to put in the effort. I went out on the bike and the moment I sat in the saddle I realised that my backside was bruised from yesterday's ride and that this was going to be painful! On top of that it was looking like rain so no doubt I was going to be uncomfortable and wet! I completed 10.24 miles in the rain finishing off the same as yesterday cycling up bunford hollow which I had to stop 3 times on yesterday to catch my breath. I'm happy to report that even though my legs felt far heavier on today's ride and my backside was very painful I only stopped twice going up there today so I'm hoping that it won't be too long before I make it to the top in one go. I'm also hoping that my arse gets used to sitting in the saddle because if it feels the way it did today for the rest of the month then it's going to be a harder challenge than I thought! I'm sure there will be people out there that think cycling 300 miles in a month is easy and to a keen cyclist I'm sure it's not that big of a challenge but I'm starting from a very unfit and overweight position so for me it is certainly going to be tough. I hope that over the next month my fitness will improve and I hope to do some much longer rides. Both Kimberly and mum have had a planned day off today so no running or swimming but Kimberly says she is running on Monday and with the club on Tuesday and mum plans to swim every day this week except Thursday.
So far:
Paul: 24.71 miles cycled out of 300
Kimberly: 6.6 miles ran out of 80
Mum: 0.93 miles swam out of 21
So far:
Paul: 24.71 miles cycled out of 300
Kimberly: 6.6 miles ran out of 80
Mum: 0.93 miles swam out of 21
1st September
To complete my 300 miles I need to cycle an average of 10 miles a day so if I want days off I'm going to need to build up to much longer rides. Today I was due to play golf in the monthly medal early in the morning and had my niece's birthday party to go to straight afterwards so if I was going to get out on my bike it would have to be in the evening. Kimberly got up early and went for her first run and completed an impressive 6.6 miles which is the furthest she's ran in one go so she was well and truly off the mark. We finished at Lucy's party at about 6:30pm and I spoke to my mum and tentatively asked her if she was going swimming? If she had said no then I expect I would also have skipped my first ride but thankfully she was motivated and after checking that the pool was open she agreed to go. I went out for about an hour and a quarter and completed just under 14.5 miles whilst mum swam 60 lengths. Another 4 lengths would have been a full mile but unfortunately the pool was closing and she ran out of time. I made part of my route go past the swimming pool and stopped a while until mum came out to congratulate her on kicking off her part of the challenge. By the time I got home my legs were a bit like jelly but I felt really good that all of us were off the mark on day 1.
Paul: 14.47 cycled
Kimberly: 6.6 miles ran
Mum: 0.93 miles swam
Paul: 14.47 cycled
Kimberly: 6.6 miles ran
Mum: 0.93 miles swam
The challenge is born
A few days before the end of August 2012 my sister completed a challenge she set herself which was to run 50 miles during the month. She's been running for a few months now and has become much fitter as a result. My mum has also been exercising, swimming a mile three or four times a week. Over the last few years I've made the odd attempt at getting fitter losing a stone or so and doing a bit of exercise but I've never really been able to make the commitment I need to get the results I want and so I started to think about my own challenge. I approached my mum and said I had a challenge for her which was to swim the equivalent of the English channel during September and that I would also set myself a similar cycling challenge. I've started cycling a few times but again never managed to keep it up for any length of time so I felt I needed a challenge to get me going. I worked out that for mum to swim the English channel (21 miles) she would need to be in the water for approximately 26 hours and if I cycled at an average of 11.5 miles an hour for the same length of time that equated to about 300 miles. I emailed my sister an suggested that she up her challenge from the 50 miles she ran in August and join us. She said it would be hard but she thought she could manage 80 miles in September and so the challenge was set. At the time I got my sister involved I also thought it would be a great idea if we used the challenge as a way to raise some money for charity through sponsorship. My cousin lost her husband to cancer back in 2010 and a number of his friends had started a foundation called Smilers and were holding a dinner in early October in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity so I thought it would be perfect if we could also support the same charity. I setup a justGiving page for donations, created a group on Facebook to post details of our challenge and progress, and we announced it to the world... No going back now!
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