Ok, so September has come and gone and what a month it has been. Everyone involved in the September Sweat Challenge has done a fantastic job and we've all reached our targets.
Mum swam for an hour on the last two days to complete her 30th hour in the pool which is a fantastic achievement. When I first tabled the idea of doing another challenge this year I was expecting her to decline but I got an immediate response of "I'll swim for an hour a day every day" and she has! Brilliant.
Kimberly as you know ran her half marathon earlier in the month and has continued with the running club ever since.
With two days to go I still had nearly 66 miles to ride so on the 29th I drove to Bath to cycle the Bath to Bristol railway path again. The plan was to do well over half of the miles (about 50) so that I would then have just 16 or so to do on the last day and claim the longest ride of the month! The path is only about 13 miles long so I would have to go there and back more than once. After getting to Bristol for the first time I had a text from Jon saying he had done 55 mile so far and had at least 5 more to get home so this spurred me on to do more. I cycled from Bath to Bristol and back twice (about 54 miles) and then went 5 miles along the path a third time before turning round and coming back. A massive total of over 64 miles! I know some people will say that as it was on a railway path there wasn't that many inclines and yes it certainly was easier than if it was on the road but anyone that knows me will know that I'm not exactly an athlete so I think that cycling 64 miles in any shape or form is a massive achievement! I probably should have just done the last mile and finished my challenge but like last year I left myself a 1.1 mile procession for the last day of September.
Jon's ride ended up being just over 61 miles which is 50% longer then his previous longest ride, another fantastic effort and it smashed him through the 400 mile mark. Challenge complete for him. In a text for me he quoted Sir Steve Redgrave (with a bit of artistic licence) and said "If you ever see me near a bike again, please shoot me!".
After being goaded into an extra challenge and targeting 1000km (620 miles) Tom left himself a fairly long ride on the final day. Her did his normal commute of just under 22 miles in the morning and then did 30.1 miles coming home which he thought would break the 1000km mark. Being an accountant I would have expected him to get his maths right but alas his total was stuck at 999km so he went out for an extra couple of miles just to get over the line.
As promised I completed my last 1.1 miles (well I did 2.5) on the final day by cycling to the shop to buy a crate of beer. My challenge is now complete.
I cannot express with enough gratitude how proud I am of the team of challengers and everyone who has sponsored us this month. At the time of writing we have currently raised £1,664 and the total is set to rise further as the promises come in.
Thank you Mum, Kimberly, Jon, and Tom for doing the challenges and thank you everyone else who has supported us.
It's been emotional...
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Two days to go!!
I've been a bit slack with my blogging this year, my intention was to write an entry after every ride but somehow it hasn't turned out like that. Most of my posts have covered several days and this one is no different!
When I last posted I had just over 148 miles to go having slipped behind because of a heavy cold. This week I went out on Tuesday evening for an uneventful 31 miles following a route I've done before out through Martock to Langport and back again. I felt like I could have done more but the evenings are drawing in fast and it was too dark.
Thursday, Friday, and today have all been morning rides before work (and golf today). I find it very difficult to get myself up and out but with the amount of miles I still had to go I pushed myself and got on with it. It's amazing how productive I've been at work afterwards though, morning exercise doesn't half get your energy up for the day!
Thursday I did just under 18 miles and yesterday I did a different route than I'd done before which was just over 20 miles. At one point I was climbing up a medium incline and the road was getting very muddy from a tractor that had obviously been out before me. I had to change right down almost onto the granny gear and as I was pedalling the rear wheel started to spin because of the mud! That made it even harder to get to the top!
Today I had a game of golf arranged for 9:30 but as I still had about 78 miles to go I thought I would go out for a few miles. I set my alarm for 6am with the intention of getting on the road before 7am when it was just about light enough. I checked my tyres as I normally do and the front one was feeling a bit soft so I pumped it up and set off. It was raining but only very slightly so I wasn't getting too wet but as I was passing farm out near East Coker I was riding though what was obviously wet cow crap and it was flicking up off the front wheel and hitting me in the face and mouth! Nice! I headed out towards Ham Hill on a loop that would have given me about 20 miles but after about 11 miles I could feel that the front wheel was softer on the bumps in the road so I pulled over to find that it was losing air again. I aborted the ride and headed home to fix the puncture and get ready for golf. I found the hole in the inner tube and a tiny sliver of glass poking through the tyre was the culprit!
Today's aborted 13 miles means I have now reached just under 335 miles with 65 or so to go! I might do a few more later but will definitely be heading out tomorrow for a longish one.
Mum has had some extra long swims this week and two swims today so by the time she gets out of the pool (she is there now) she will have just two hours to go in the last two days.
Jon has commuted a couple of times this week and is currently sitting at just over 344 miles with about 56 to go. He has gone down with a cold though so the last two days of the challenge will be tough!
Tom continues his march towards 600 miles with 100 miles this week and another 32 today. 535 down, 65 to go!
Donations have been coming in and the total now sits at £1,450 for PROSTATE CANCER UK. Fantastic amount!
When I last posted I had just over 148 miles to go having slipped behind because of a heavy cold. This week I went out on Tuesday evening for an uneventful 31 miles following a route I've done before out through Martock to Langport and back again. I felt like I could have done more but the evenings are drawing in fast and it was too dark.
Thursday, Friday, and today have all been morning rides before work (and golf today). I find it very difficult to get myself up and out but with the amount of miles I still had to go I pushed myself and got on with it. It's amazing how productive I've been at work afterwards though, morning exercise doesn't half get your energy up for the day!
Thursday I did just under 18 miles and yesterday I did a different route than I'd done before which was just over 20 miles. At one point I was climbing up a medium incline and the road was getting very muddy from a tractor that had obviously been out before me. I had to change right down almost onto the granny gear and as I was pedalling the rear wheel started to spin because of the mud! That made it even harder to get to the top!
Today I had a game of golf arranged for 9:30 but as I still had about 78 miles to go I thought I would go out for a few miles. I set my alarm for 6am with the intention of getting on the road before 7am when it was just about light enough. I checked my tyres as I normally do and the front one was feeling a bit soft so I pumped it up and set off. It was raining but only very slightly so I wasn't getting too wet but as I was passing farm out near East Coker I was riding though what was obviously wet cow crap and it was flicking up off the front wheel and hitting me in the face and mouth! Nice! I headed out towards Ham Hill on a loop that would have given me about 20 miles but after about 11 miles I could feel that the front wheel was softer on the bumps in the road so I pulled over to find that it was losing air again. I aborted the ride and headed home to fix the puncture and get ready for golf. I found the hole in the inner tube and a tiny sliver of glass poking through the tyre was the culprit!
Today's aborted 13 miles means I have now reached just under 335 miles with 65 or so to go! I might do a few more later but will definitely be heading out tomorrow for a longish one.
Mum has had some extra long swims this week and two swims today so by the time she gets out of the pool (she is there now) she will have just two hours to go in the last two days.
Jon has commuted a couple of times this week and is currently sitting at just over 344 miles with about 56 to go. He has gone down with a cold though so the last two days of the challenge will be tough!
Tom continues his march towards 600 miles with 100 miles this week and another 32 today. 535 down, 65 to go!
Donations have been coming in and the total now sits at £1,450 for PROSTATE CANCER UK. Fantastic amount!
Sunday, 22 September 2013
10 days and no blog, have you missed me?!?
This is the first blog entry I've written in 10 days, time to bring you all up to speed.
Last Sunday Kimberly was off to Bristol to run in the half marathon which was the climax of her September Sweat Challenge. The family went to support her but I wanted to combine it with a bike ride so I drove to Bath and then cycled the 15 or so miles to Bristol along the railway path, watched the race, and then cycled back to my car. Kimberly had a fantastic race beating her last half marathon time by over 10 minutes and she ran the whole race without stopping or walking. She even said she ran on the spot while grabbing a drink at one of the water stops! A fantastic effort.
After Sunday's ride I had completed 190.1 miles but was lagging behind Jon on 201.2 and Tom on 205.4. We were still all well and truly in the race to 400 though but what a difference a week makes!!
This last week has been really slack for me with only one ride of 32.8 on Wednesday evening then today I cycled to the golf club and back on my mountain bike (7.3 miles) and have just got back from a ride on my road bike of 21.6 miles. I played golf on Thursday evening and during my round I started getting that feeling in my throat where you know you are coming down with a cold. It has steadily got worse over the weekend but I knew I had to get some miles done so today's 29 miles were just a gentle one to see how I felt. It means I've got a tough week ahead of me as I have 148.2 miles left to do in 8 days! That's only just over 18.5 a day though - easy!!!
Jon's week has been much better with rides on Tuesday (20.9), Thursday (21.4), Friday (a fantastic 47.7), then a quick 13.3 today. This means that Jon has completed 304.5 miles leaving him just 95 and a half miles to do. Good work sir.
Tom has had the best week though (show off) and has completed his challenge to be crowned the winner of the "first to 400" race! Rides of over 40 miles a day (commutes to work and back mainly) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, combined with a finale of 29.9 today has taken his total to 402.4. Well done Tom, thanks for joining in our challenge, and thanks for helping to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK! Now let's see if you can make it to 500 miles by the end of the month! There's a few beers in it for you if you get to 600!! No chance...
Mum has been away for a few days this week and so missed her swim on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday but she has made some of it up with long a long swim yesterday, and two swims last Saturday but she still has 2 and a quarter hours to make up on top of her normal hour a day. I think she is doing a fantastic job and should easily reach her target of 30 hours. I must say, swimming up and down, up and down, must be very repetitive so credit where credit is due! At least I get to see a bit of scenery whilst I am out on the bike as well as swerving around pot holes, drains, and road kill! Just today I very nearly breathed in a load of feathers as a car in front of me hit a pigeon! It wasn't a full on splat just a glancing blow and the pigeon was left stunned in the middle of the road right in my path so as well as holding my breath to avoid the feathers I also had to swerve around the dizzy bird!
The fundraising has been going very well and at the time of writing we are up to £1,223 all in aid of Prostate Cancer UK! I'm so happy with the response we have had from people and I do hope they haven't felt coerced into sponsoring us! I'm not shy when it comes to asking for money for charity!
On that note, if you are enjoying my blog and would like to sponsor us then please trot along to www.justgiving.com/septembersweat2013/ and in the words of Bob Geldof, "give us your f***ing money!"
Ok, that's you all up to date...
Thursday, 12 September 2013
10th, 11th, and 12th of Sweatember
Tuesday the 10th started with my first early morning ride. My intention this month was to do most of my cycling before work as it gets it out of the way and sets you up with great energy for the rest of the day! Despite setting my alarm early every day I have pretty much failed and have ended up going back to sleep. Usually with an excuse of its a bit foggy, or its drizzling, but mainly it's just me not wanting to get up! Anyway, I managed 11 or so miles on this trip though and although it was very cold I felt good. I left my water at home though and looped back to get it but cut my ride short of the 20 or so I had planned. Overall a slight fail but more miles nevertheless!
Tom and Jon both pulled away from me with Jon doing 34 and Tom doing over 40! This is not an excuse for falling behind but both of them have a decent commute distance to work and with some detours they can extend their rides. I live less than a mile away from my office so I'm relying on discipline to go out on the bike. If you ride to work you have no choice but to ride home again whereas when I get home I have the decision of putting the television on or going out on my bike and my will power isn't the best... Okay enough of that, I just need to man up and get on with it!
No one went out on their bikes on the 11th so I had a perfect opportunity to catch up on a few miles but once again the alarm got turned off and I stayed in bed, what was I saying about manning up!!
As of this morning Tom was out in front on 180.2 miles, Jon cycled to work and then the chippy at lunchtime ha ha (12.9 miles) but that still left him 23 miles behind Tom. I was languishing back on just over 122 miles and once again no early morning ride!
Jon added 11.4 on the way home so as we speak he is now just 12 behind Tom. I went out for my biggest ride yet taking the same route out to Langport that I did last week but extending it further and managing 36.1 miles! By the time I got home it was raining and dark and my front light kept going off but it meant I closed the gap on the others. I'm now just under 10 miles behind Jon and less than 22 behind Tom so I'm back in the race!
My Tendon caused me a bit of grief towards the end of today's ride but like last time I'm currently sitting in a cold bath typing this to try and relive it. Long way to go and I'm sure this won't be the last time it hurts - manning up!
Donations have been coming thick and fast this week and we're now nearly at the £1,000 mark for Prostate Cancer UK which is awesome! If ur enjoying my ramblings and haven't sponsored us yet please go to www.justgiving.com/septembersweat2013/ it will make u feel great I promise and you don't even have to do any sweating!
Mum is still swimming an hour a day and we are all geared up to support Kimberly in her race on Sunday!
Monday, 9 September 2013
6th, 7th, and 8th of Sweat!
I actually hadn't planned on going out for a ride on Friday after doing a long ride the day before but when I realised no one else had been out and that I was less than 12 miles from reaching one hundred I decided to do a lap of Yeovil. To make it long enough to reach the 100 milestone I had to take a detour via Odcombe which is a route I've done many times so this is what I did. Just a short 11.9 miles but enough to take my total to 101 and be the first of us to crack 100!
I made yet another cleat based mistake and stopped only 20 or 30 yards from the top of a short climb. I tried in vain to clip back in nearly falling over in the process but failed! I need up walking the few yards to the summit and then clipping in on the flat. I really need to get my mindset right for hills, I know I have the power to get up them but I fail in my head before I fail in my legs or chest! I've even considered swapping back to normal pedals for a while until I get more confident with climbs but this seems like a step backwards so I think I'll avoid it.
Saturday was a huge day for Tom, he rode to work with a scenic detour (20 miles) and then an even bigger detour on the way home taking his total for the day to 50 massive miles! He was a little way behind prior to that but now has a commanding lead and will be hard to beat to 400. Jon also put in a respectable 20 miles meaning in one foul swoop I was dropped from 1st to last place!
Sunday the 8th marked the second day in a pretty lazy weekend for me, I nearly didn't go out at all but I wanted to collect my old mountain bike from my brother in law so I drove to his house then rode it home - just under 8 miles. We had a family BBQ planned for the afternoon so I also used it to go to the shop to get some wine, only 2.6 miles but it all adds to the total. Riding my ageing mountain bike with its poor brakes and gears that change by themselves is hard work compared to my slick new road bike, its definitely old faithful but it needs a lot of TLC if i was going to use it for any length of time again!
I wasn't expecting Tom to ride again today after his 50 miles yesterday but in a demonstration of his determination to be first to 400 he went out again and did another 20!
As I write the totals are as follows: Tom is out in front on just under 140 miles with Jon and I trailing him on about 111 miles. Jon has picked up a niggling injury in his leg which accounted for his rest days at the weekend but he's confident of getting back in the saddle tomorrow (Tuesday).
Today (Monday 9th) marks the first day this month that none of us have been out on our bikes! I'm annoyed at myself really as I set my alarm this morning but once again I snoozed it and went back to sleep fully intending on going out after work instead - and that didn't happen either!
Kimberly ran a huge 9 miles yesterday before the BBQ so she is well on target for her half marathon this next weekend. Mum has been swimming every day apart from Saturday but her challenge is an "average" of an hour a day so a couple of longer swims later in the month an she will make up the time.
Today was an exceptional day for sponsorship with some fantastic donations from members of my extended family bumping up our total raised by £235 in one day to an impressive £673. I must keep reminding myself why we are doing this as I reach for the snooze button on my early alarm call...
Thursday, 5 September 2013
Day 4 and 5 - Time to play ketchup!
After taking a day off to rest my ankle and treating it with an ice pack my intention was to go out yesterday morning but when I woke up it was a real pea-souper outside and with no hi-vis or lights I didn't go out. It's nice to get the ride done early in the day as its out of the way but I would have to go out after work instead.
I didn't leave work until nearly 7pm so I knew I had limited time before it got dark and I very nearly swerved it but I forced myself into the saddle and did a steady 14 or so miles taking care to keep my heels from dropping and my feet flat. The ride felt good and the tendon gave my no bother so let's hope it's okay now for the rest of the month.
Day 5 and yet again it was foggy, I could have gone out but I used it as an excuse to stay in bed! Another post work ride beckoned!
This time I left work at a reasonable time and I was on the bike by 6 pm. I headed straight out to Ham Hill then through Stoke-sub-hamdon to Martock, a route I've done many times (well a few). I then carried on the same road past Long Sutton golf club and out into the Langport road. Here I would usually turn right and head back towards home but I had a quick look at the map on my phone and it looked like there was a good route out through Langport and back to Martock so I went that way.
After Martock I headed back my normal route through Ash, Tintinhull, Montacute, then Yeovil. By this time the light was fading fast and to be honest I shouldn't have been out without lights and hi-vis but there was nothing I could do other than pedal faster to get home quicker!
When I got home I stretched all of my leg muscles and I'm currently sitting in a bath with the water just out of the cold tap! It's not exactly an ice bath but its bloody cold and if its good enough for footballers and athletes then why not! Brrrr...
Jon commuted today adding another 20 odd miles to his total. Tom had a great day yesterday taking a longer route to and from work and managing over 40 miles!
Haven't heard from Kimberly in a few days but I'm guessing her training is going well. She received her entry number for next weeks marathon - only 10 days to go!
Mum ha swam for another hour today making it four 5 days in a row an her time per length is getting quicker! Later in the month she is away for a couple of days without access to a pool so we've agreed that to complete her 30 day "hour a day" average she will do a few longer swims to make up the missed days.
Keep donating! Link is on Facebook...
Thank you all...
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
The pain remains!
After yesterday's ride I was really feeling the pain in my right ankle so I made the decision not to ride this morning. I did a few searches on the Internet and it appears as though what I am feeling is a strain in my Achilles tendon caused by too much effort without building up to it! Oops!!
It should be fine but I'm now concerned that its going to be a problem all month but we'll just have to see. It feels fine to walk on but when I stretch the tendon by lifting my toes up it causes some discomfort. From what I've read it's common in runners but also cyclists can have the same problem when they pedal with the heel down causing a stretch in the tendon especially up hills.
I've just started using cycling shoes with cleats that clip to the pedals which means that the pedal position on my foot is set solid. I'm wondering if I'm used to cycling with the pedal further back on my foot which is perhaps why I'm pushing my heels down. I'm going to have a look at the cleats on the shoes and see if they can be slid back further and I'm also going to take more notice of my pedalling style and try to keep my foot flat!
Sod's law that this would happen to me after only two days but then again it's completely my fault for not preparing properly and attempting to hit the floor running - or should I say cycling!!
With me not getting on the bike today my total remains at 44.7 miles whilst Jon's commute today along with a scenic detour home has pushed his total to just under 70! Tom is behind us both at 28.7 miles but that was done on a single commute to and from work so another day like that tomorrow will see him jump into second place ahead of me and close in on 60 miles.
I'm going to go out in the morning for a ride but I'm going to make it a steady one to see how my ankle is.
Mum has completed 3 one hour swims so is progressing nicely and I haven't heard from Kimberly today but Tuesdays are usually her club runs so I expect she is out on the streets as I type.
On a side note I've contacted the Western Gazette about doing an article and they are keen to write something and come and take a picture of us all so watch this space - you might be seeing my ugly mug in the paper soon!
Monday, 2 September 2013
Day 2 - The pain begins
Woke up at 5:45 this morning but it was still quite dark outside so I didn't actually get out of the house until gone 6:30.
As soon as I sat on the saddle I could tell it was going to be a painful ride as my backside was killing me! I remember this from last September and it is a result of not having been on the bike much this year. It only lasts for a couple of rides so I'll just have to get on with it.
I cycled out to East Coker again then back along the Dorchester road and then headed out towards Ham Hill. My intention was to do about 20 miles today but as well as the pain in my bum my right ankle was also playing up! It's really painful at the back on the tendon so I'm hoping that also goes away soon!
I didn't ride all the way to Ham Hill instead I turned down into Montacute and then back into Yeovil and home. Just under 13 miles done taking my total to just under 45.
Mum completed another hour in the pool today so that's 2 down and 28 to go! She's had some offers of sponsorship from her pool buddies which is excellent news.
Kimberly managed a 9 mile training run yesterday which was brilliant considering she wasn't feeling too special! Less than two weeks to go until the half marathon but she's feeling more confident now that her training is well underway.
Tom kick started his challenge today by cycling just over 14 miles to work and will no doubt do the same on the way home unless he's planning a detour to get some more miles in?!?
Jon is also feeling the effects of yesterday's big ride so is resting today but he plans to commute to work and back tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who has sponsored us so far, the total is rising and we're up to more than £360 now!
Sunday, 1 September 2013
1st September - A ride in three parts and three different paces!
So the first day of the September Sweat Challenge is finally here! I woke up fairly early and was ready to go at about 8:15am. I was feeling a few nerves as I haven't been out on my bike for a while and wasn't sure how I would do but I set off anyway. This was also my first time out on the road with proper cycling shoes with cleats that clips my feet to the pedals!
I started my ride by heading down into East Coker then past the reservoir and out to Halstock. I then did a u-turn and came all the way back - 12 miles done. I headed back out of Yeovil and rode to Ham Hill through Odcombe and then over the A303 to Martock and Ash where I stopped at my sisters house for a top up of water and a coffee - 20 miles done.
Matthew and Lucy (10 and 7) wanted to go for a ride so we had a slow meander along the Mash Cycle Route to Martock - Mash is an amalgamation of Martock and Ash and Matthew helped design the signs that are on all of the lamppost showing the way! It took us about 50 minutes to do just 4 miles but this challenge is not about performance it's about mileage so I didn't mind and besides it was nice to get out with the kids.
When we got back to the Quarterman's house Matthew was itching to ride for longer and at a quicker pace so I said he could ride back to Yeovil with me and I would then take him home in the car. We cycled from Ash to Tintinhull then through the lanes to Montacute and back to Yeovil. The biggest hill of the day was Forest Hill which we joined halfway up at the pub. Stupidly I stopped on the hill to wait for Matthew to catch up and then had the task of starting up a steep incline whilst trying to clip my feet in the pedals! I kicked off with one foot clamped in and tried to do a couple of revolutions before putting the other foot in but my foot slid off the pedal and I came extremely close to falling over sideways as I tried to put my foot down which was clipped in! Luckily I just managed to rip my foot out and put it down before landing in a heap on the pavement! Second time of setting off was a bit better but it was still hard trying to clip in while pushing upwards... Lesson learned - don't stop on a hill!!
Mum completed here 1 hour swim today at 8am, just 29 more to go! Kimberly has done two of her four weeks training and will run the half marathon in just two more weeks' time.
Jon has been out for his first ride and as expected did just over 40 miles to take an early lead. I don't think Tom will be riding today as he is in a 36 hole golf competition but I'm expecting a big ride from him tomorrow.
I hope you enjoy my blog throughout this month I'll try to keep in interesting. Please leave me a comment either on here or on Facebook and please please sponsor us by going to www.justgiving.com/septembersweat/.
Thank you.
Monday, 26 August 2013
Kimberly's training going well
From Kimberly: "Just did 8.15 miles. Thought it was going to be a nightmare but altho I'm now tired it wasn't bad at all! What a difference a week makes!"
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Kimberly's third training run ends at the pub!
From Kimberly: Just completed a running club pub run. 7 miles across fields and bridges with plenty of stiles and gates to climb. Sadly no alcohol at the pub after but the cold pint of diet coke and prawn and salmon salad went down well! Next run will be saturday, then a long run on sunday.
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Kimberly's marathon training begins
Kimberly started her training for the marathon in earnest this week as she only has 4 weeks until the big race!
She went out on her own last night, and tonight she did the 5k timed run with the running club - the idea is that you improve on your previous time. She beat their estimated time by 20 seconds so she's chuffed with that.
Her next run will be Thursday at the club pub run, this will be a stop/start run so she wont be worried about how long it takes and will be focussing more on just getting the miles done.
New year, new challenges!
Wow has it really been nearly a year since we did our last set of challenges? Yes it has! I'm pleased to say we raised over £1,600 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity last year and we're aiming even higher this year!
My Dad was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and had it removed back in 2011 which wasn't without its own complications but thankfully he is now cancer free. This year we are going to be raising money for Prostate Cancer UK which funds valuable research in this area and helps men with information and after care.
My challenge is to cycle for an average of 1 hour a day - every day - in September and my Mum (who's 69 don't you know!) will be swimming for the same amount of time! My sister Kimberly will be training for and running in the Bristol Half Marathon by running 5 times a week! Her challenge starts now because the race is half way through September so please show your support.
I'll be blogging about our progress here and updating Facebook so I look forward to your support.
You can sponsor us by going to: www.justgiving.com/septembersweat2013/
Thank you.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
30th September
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...
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...
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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)