The end is in sight...

I can hardly believe that I've almost done it, but with 116 miles riding to go today and tomorrow and no more big hills (we did the last of the 'Big 4' yesterday) we're definitely on the homeward stretch! This time tomorrow we'll be donning lycra for our last ride and heading off from Tongue ... I do hope that we can finish in decent weather.

I've woken early this morning and been reflecting on the last 3 weeks - is it only 3? It feels like so much longer. We've travelled through the change of seasons which has somehow stretched it in my mind, seems so long since we were cycling all the way from Cornwall up to Lancashire in short sleeved tops with no jackets! And since then have had 'weather' ... although whilst we have had rain and cold we've been very very lucky - some trips cycle in rain every day .....  For the last 3 weeks my daily routine has been so simple -

Get up at 7am, Breakfast at 8am, Briefing after breakfast. Leave bags at reception. Cycle. Arrive at new destination, Shower/Bath, catch up with emails (if there's wifi), wash clothes, dinner, sleep.

Repeat.

The only variation has been the scenery along the way ... some days finish with a beaming smile feeling like it's been a breeze, some with a smile of relief that the hills have finished (for that day at least!). Yet every day has finished with a feeling of delight .... even on the hardest days there's been such beauty and scenery to wonder at.  I have to commend Bike Adventures for the route they've set, I know that Dad questioned it and he felt that it took in more hills than necessary - which it does, but it does so to keep us off main roads and i have to agree with their choices.  It's only Scotland that has had us cycling on busy routes (through the highlands where there is little other choice) and it prompted me to realise how lucky we were to spend most of the trip on quiet traffic free lanes.

So my first cycling adventure is coming to and end .... Dad has been so much in my mind as i've done it. I still remember my reaction when he suggested that we did it together - i totally ridiculed the idea! Oh how i wish we could re-write history. I would have loved to do this with him, or even talk to him about it and share stories! That's the thing i've longed for most... to chat to him about how he found it.

Way back in Cornwall, on the long tough day that i thought would never end, Geoff told me that at John O'Groats there's a book that people who have done the 'End to End' can sign. Since then i've been looking forward to finding out what Dad wrote in it back in 2007.

I do hope he signed it.

So with that it's time to get up and have breakfast and for the penultimate time clothe myself in more Lycra than is good for anyone - get on the bike and pedal...   you'll hear more of me later.

Have lovely days xxx

... Flower of Scotland!

So here I am - in Scotland and it was a lovely (if slightly dull!) ride from Armathwaite to Moffat ... we crossed the border after 25miles and found that the wind (as ever a headwind!) had blown the sign over!!! .... so a quick krypton factor'esque moment of putting it back together and the 'welcome' that Bike Adventures had put up was back in place...

But .. before we got to Scotland 'Bradley' had a little TLC,  over the last weeks the gears have not been happy and the cables needed replacing... so rather than spending the day off trundling around the Borders finding somewhere to sort things out when we passed through Longtown in Cumbria, just before crossing the border I popped into Bike Seven where Shane gave Bradley some much needed attention... new gear cables, wheel bearings tightened.... brakes checked ... and discovery of wildlife being carried!!! I'd picked up a worm who was nestled on the back brake callipers!!! Big thumbs up all round - thank you Shane! 

So we entered Scotland feeling buoyant - and with warm feet as i've finally succumbed to buying some overshoes... and not just any old overshoes... but 'disco' over shoes! ... passing through Ecclefechan, Lockerbie and across the hills... group dinner to celebrate getting thus far ... and we bade a fond farewell to lovely Geoff who has had to leave us to go home ... a new 'sweeper' will be joining us tomorrow... 

Can he possibly be as nice as Geoff?! 

Anyway it's good to be in Scotland but no early celebrations yet - we still have 438 miles to go - and lets face it, Scotland's not known for being flat!! I've had a lovely rest day catching up with old friends ... and revelling in that delicious feeling of 'picking up again' ... where oh where did those decades go?! 

I have to be honest - the last few days have been really emotional ... coming up through Lancashire, Yorkshire & Cumbria left me aching to chat to Dad.  Maybe because the weather and the hills were tough - maybe because they are areas that Dad was very fond of...  maybe i was tired and emotional! I had a lot of time to think whilst i was cycling ... it was a good thing, but quite unexpected. I so wish i could compare notes with him ... 

So back in the saddle tomorrow... Come on Bradley - only 438 miles to go!!! Let's turn the red line black!!! 

xxxx

...Still pedalling after all these years!!!

Good morning! Well... i had my first decent nights sleep last night (... don't ever ask me about the challenges of noisy plumbing in B&Bs ... i can talk at length!) so i am feeling great!

The sun is shining (still!!!) and we're going to cycle up the Wye Valley past Tintern Abbey today .... when they say 'up' the Wye Valley they also HILARIOUSLY say that it's 'downhill' all the way! I've stopped listening .... basically it's all uphill - unless you get a few 'free miles' of breezy whizziness!!

I had a grumpy face yesterday .... for the first time.... i think i was just tired from lack of sleep - but i just felt flat ...  even my lovely friend Charlie cycling with me didn't kick me out of it - but it was so so so lovely to have him along! And the route was stunning .... up Cheddar Gorge which was long and gentle and GORGEous.... you get a whole new perspective of its size when you're on a bike rather than in a car....  you see so much - crazy sheep/goats perched on cm wide ledges nibbling at great height ....  vast crevasses into the rock ... stunning!  We climbed hills and got stunning stunning views across the Avonmouth .... through crazy back lanes and villages of North Somerset .... until we came across a road block!!

Well... when i say road....

There was a Hungarian lorry jammed up a cycle path/ country lane - literally 'corking' the route! Brave souls amongst us tried to battle the nettles and get past but it was impassable  ... and it was not budging! After an impromptu gathering they got the idea and moved it to let us pass...  but we're left wondering what the 'deal' was that had a huge lorry in the middle of nowhere (but not too far from Bristol!) ... ahhhh the speculation is great!

All of which i would love to share photos of ... however .... somehow i lost my camera ....

Thankfully i'd uploaded photos the night before so only 'lost' a mornings photos and a lump of metal.... but ... it remains a mystery!

The afternoon was dominated by crossing bridges... The Avonmouth .... long, windy. M5 roaring within a whisper of the cycle lane ... oh and wobbly! And then the Severn Bridge... VERY LONG! Stunning views ... windy (ish) ... amazing to cycle across it ...

Both amazing experiences!!!

And then we arrived in Chepstow - a beautiful town - staying opposite the castle ... and i had dinner with friends! Charlie's wife came to join us ... Paul came up from London.... we sat by the river and had dinner - and ... it felt normal... being with good friends who know me ... a divine treat!

My grumpy face disappeared entirely ... and having slept well, i don't think it's going to reappear!

A la prochaine .... very soon i will have a photo session.... and show you this wonderful country from the perspective of a bike seat!

Love to you all... messages and encouragement are so gorgeous xxxxx

Cornwall... DONE... Devon .... almost done!

So i didn't post last night for one enormous reason..... I made it out of Cornwall alive, but i merely survived it!!! I don't think i conquered Cornwall in any way at all.... i finished cycling as darkness descended after 8pm  - and all i could do was shower, eat and flake out .... also there was no wifi or mobile signal, so had i wanted to post i couldn't ...

Fair to say - incoherence would have ruled!

I had a real battle with the ride yesterday - it was an uphill slog out of Perranporth and we seemed to spend the day climbing the steepest of hills ... and descending their cliff like counterparts....  glorious weather meant that the sun drained energy and a bad choice to have a milk shake at lunch prior to grinding up some grim hill out of Bodmin saw me sick a few times during the afternoon... I did in the end make it up to Minions (the highest village in Cornwall! Up on Bodmin moor.... ) and the last 10 miles home were hard won.

Yesterday i really doubted my ability to make it to the end ... the briefing in the morning had told us that once at Minions it was a long descent to the River Taymar which marked the boundary of Cornwall - but then 3 miles of steep climbs to the B&B...

Well...i hit a real low point in the afternoon after I was ill... and I was pretty much planning that i would make it to the bridge and then fold & beg for the support van to pick me up ... to be honest there were times when i doubted that i'd get to the river... But Jeff/Geoff (must check!) the amazing sweep rider
from Bike Adventures (who is pretty much my riding buddy as i'm the slowest in the pack!) is brilliant and sorted my head out! He also knew that a bottle of Coke & a flapjack at Minions would restore me! Also the combination of the descent from the Moor,  knowing that we'd done with Cornwall, and Jeff's wise words was enough to get me 'home' ... and when i arrived the rest of the team cheered me in ... it brought tears to my eyes ... was a lovely lovely feeling!!

Now i haven't mentioned the rest of the group much - shall do in due course, but i really like the feeling that sits amongst us... a great mix of ages - some couples, some cycling solo, young and old alike...  there's a lively banter and great sense of team spirit ...  or that's what i've felt for sure...

Right - the internet speed is woefully slow... was going to do photos but i shall do a mass photo upload tomorrow!

And on to Devon - Well.... a longer day if you go by miles, but i was cycling better today - the climbs were long and arduous but not so crazily steep (well the odd one!) ...  and there were stunning stretches of 'undulating' roads ...  it was tough to be only at about 20 miles by lunchtime and i worried that i'd be crawling in at midnight ... but the main climbs were the long slog up to Dartmoor.... which, when up there, is not flat for sure but somehow the beauty and the sweeping views made the hills less imposing ... (having spent a good proportion of yesterday walking really steep hills i was in the saddle a lot more today) .... and so many animals... sheep - cows - horses wandering around ... getting in the way (why was it always when you were descending to 'catch the next hill' they'd stop you in your tracks...) i don't know - it just didn't seem as painful.  The descent from Dartmoor was naturally a joy ... and then through lovely Devon villages.... some nasty hills ... but also some 'flying roads'... and then i whooped with joy when we crossed the motorway and saw a sign 'M5 - The Midlands' suddenly i felt as though we'd made real progress...

And tonight we all went for dinner... and Rob (Team Leader!) let on that we're less than 10 miles from the Somerset border ... Devon ... nearly done....

And now for bed... that's all a bit factual ... and i'll share photos and the entertaining side of things tomorrow ... but for now brain is only able to spill the beans and let you know that i am surviving .... ahhh and i thought that the world was perfect when i arrived at the B&B to find my ensuite had a Bath .... AND the owner would put a wash on .... there is no more that a girl could wish for!!

Oh ... but you must know this.... as i was slogging my way up to Dartmoor this morning in the heavy mist .... a 1920's Bentley flew past ... pretty sure it was a 3 litre but may have been a 4 1/2 ....  just like Dad's... felt like he was swooping past to say hi....

I promptly burst into tears... and then pushed on up the hill - it was beautiful!!

Why Acorns?!

Lots of people have asked why I've chosen to raise money for Acorns Childrens Hospices   - after all I've spent most of the last 10 years involved with organisations doing work in Africa. So why has a charity so close to home spurred me on to take on such an out of character challenge?!

Simple really .... because Dad did it. 

Initially I decided to do this to carry on where Dad left off. He did the challenge in 2007 to raise money for Acorns, and he was going to do it again in 2009 - ironically he was due to start the very week that his cancer diagnosis was confirmed in 2009.  When he had been signing up for that second trip he suggested that i should do it with him - and i'm afraid that my response was to laugh!!! Why on earth would we do it together? Can you imagine how much we'd shout at each other as we slogged up the hills?!?!! ... was the gist of it ... 

I wish i'd responded differently! However I hadn't been on a bike for years and was working ridiculously long hours, mainly sitting at computers and in meetings... the notion that i could cycle from Lands End to John O Groats was simply crazy!! 

Anyway - shortly after his funeral i decided that i would do the ride ... in honour of him, and to continue to raise money for Acorns which he was a strong supporter of... so that's where this came from, an emotional daughter doing something for her Dad. 

That hasn't changed, but what has grown alongside is a real desire to raise money for Acorns. They are an amazing organisation - and in an era of funding cuts and budget challenges - offer an extraordinary service to families going through the most difficult of times.  In 1988 they opened the 3rd children's hospice in the world - and have now opened 3 10 bed hospices in the Midlands -  where they offer children and their families a home from home, with 24 hour care ... whilst they deal with life threatening illnesses. As well as traditional hospice 'end of life' care, they provide respite/ short-break and emergency care during illnesses.  

I'm not a parent myself - but i've seen, and can imagine - how devastating it is to have a child with such serious illness.  I would hope that access to Acorns (or something similar) were available and accessible to everyone -  very importantly- in order that they can ensure that their support is accessible to everyone-  there are no charges for the families that use their services ...  so they have to raise the funds to keep going ... 

These are the things that i will be thinking of as i struggle up the hills... 

... That during my cycle 3 families will be going through the loss of their child / brother / sister / nephew /niece /grandchild /friend - Acorns will be alongside them supporting them and caring for them... 

... That it costs £750/day for each child's care.... so far i've raised almost 6 days worth of care (including gift aid!!!) ... I would so love to make it to 10 or more. 

.... For every £1 that Acorns receive ... 88p is spent on the direct care and services that the families require...  only 12p in 'back office' costs - that's pretty amazing for an organisation that has to find its own funding! 

.... That i'm pretty sure that Dad was thinking of similar things... 

Have a look at their website you never know... you might find yourself getting on a bike or doing an equally 'crazy' thing!!!  

And with that ... i'm off out on the bike!!! 

Redhead pushes 2 wheels!!!!

Well ...well...well... I shan't be lamenting the weather in this post! 

Oh no - oh no - oh no indeed, there are far more important things on my mind!! Mainly the crashing dose of reality that came hit me full force yesterday when I went 'hill training' in and around Bath! 

Now I know that London is lacking in hills... And my cycle in the highlands showed me that cycling uphill for 3-4-5 miles will not be uncommon ... And I have no problem with taking a breather and then continuing the climb.... But I really didn't think that I'd be pushing my bike! 

After all ... I'm happy (well, tired & happy) cycling 40ish miles these days.. surely I can cope with a few hills?! 

Until yesterday... I combined 'hill training' with seeing dear dear friends who were full of encouragement as I headed off from their house in Bath towards Wells... As someone not known for her athleticism we were all having a good giggle .... And believe me it wasnt long before I was considering an early retreat!! My aim was to cover The 40 miles to Wells and back - with the promise of a photo of the Abbey to prove my arrival! Well it didnt take much before I realised that I'd only be taking a photo if I was planning a taxi home or a B&B!  Leaving Bath after 1pm I saw that I wasn't going to make Wells and be back for supper!! After 5 miles I was shocked at how tired I was.... Granted it was a long and very uphill 5 miles... But still - it was ONLY 5 miles!! Thankfully the views were stunning and everything about the ride (except the lack of engine!!) was beautiful.. But it was a sobering ride! Once I'd decided (after about 11 miles) that I was re-routing I left the main road and started dipping and climbing the country lanes in and out of the prettiest of Cotswolds villages. 

I spent an inordinate amount of time using the smallest gear-set and was shocked/gutted/defeated a couple of times when I 'escorted' my bike up the steepest part of the hills! 

 As luck would have it my new route bought me 'home' via Monkton Combe not far from my god-daughter's house so I sprung a surprise visit and had a lovely 'hello' and some cheery support ... Especially as we left together (Tuesday-ballet lessons!!!) with Anna-Banana yelling out of the car window 'Coyney you're going ##mph' ... Best cheer leader a girl could have!!! 

So my mind is focused... The old power/weight ratio is not all that it needs to be ... My head is not as positive as I need to be (when I see a long hills approaching a little devil in my head starts to tell me how 'there's no way' I'll manage it!!!!) ... And I have a LOT of work to do in the next 8 weeks. 

I knew it wasn't going to be easy .... Dad always said that the hills in Cornwall / Devon are tough... Yesterday it sank in and I had a vey big reality check! So time to up the ante on the training front ...and kick into a pretty severe diet ... The hills aren't going to get any flatter, but every lb that I don't have to drag up them will help!! 

As for the wretched devil in my head .... All ideas on how to shut it up / drown it out .. Much appreciated!!!!

Rain Rain go away!

Having seen that the 10 day forecast predicts rainy blustery weather for the foreseeable... i really can't turn this blog into a weather rant ... so instead i shall reflect on the wonderful weekend i had!

As you know ... i love 'playing around' with old cars... another legacy i have inherited from Dad - after many years of being 'Dad's shadow' and tagging along to events with him i have over the last year or so got involved in my own right. I had an adventurous drive to Sweden last February to collect my 1928 Chummy and since then have started having 'Chummy based adventures'!!! More of them later ... and indeed were i not spending so much of life in the saddle this summer i would be having more of them now (although the weather isn't ideal!) ... 

Anyway Sunday was the VSCCs day at Shelsley Walsh - a historic hill-climb venue near to Worcester... so this was how i spent my day... 

 
 

The best kind of car park - ready for picnics galore! ..... and my kind of Paddock!!!!!

Lining up to get ready for the start

 Ooooh look at that - Napier Bentley ... 24 litres of power!!!  

The delightful young Jim Young in his 1932 Aston Martin.... 

 1937 Lagonda Le Mans Rep... 

 My new friend Ellie & her Dad Adam - she can't wait to get behind the wheel!!! 

 Last minute chatting waiting to start... 1921 Bugatti Type 13 

 At the start ..... ready to go! 

It was a great day - catching up with friends (old and new) ... gazing at wonderful cars and all of the excitement of a speed event!  More photos of the action are here  

Then it was back to London and into the saddle for more wet, blustery cycling ... in muggy wet weird weather.  Less than 60 days to go.... 

Getting scary!!! xxx

Dreary - Grey ....

After a dramatic start to the day (water dripping through the ceiling of the bathroom!) ....   it was almost a relief to get on the bike and out of the house.  Thankfully it was a simple thing - builders are working on the flat upstairs so could correct their mistakes pretty quickly! Leaving only a sodden mess to dry up and clean!!

I say almost a relief  ....  funny how now that i know that the bike fit is not right i am finding it hard to settle into any measure of decent distance... so i opted for a jaunt locally instead.....  the weather is dreary - but at least it's not sheeting it down.

Started off by heading down to Regents Park and whizzing around a few laps... which is an easy pleasure and thankfully lacking in traffic - i love passing the zoo though - always fun to turn off the music and listen out for exotic sounds.  Dreary weather today though so i'm guessing any animal with sense is staying warm and dry undercover! All very quiet from the zoo...   started to wonder what my thoughts are going to be dominated by in September... day after day in the saddle - i wonder if i'll (finally!) work out the structure to the book that i keep threatening myself i'll write!

From Regents park i headed up through Primrose hill and wove around hampstead gradually climbing and following the hills....  i still haven't summoned the nerve to attack Highgate Hill face on (once on it - there is no escape!) but i shall do ... whats my target? By the end of May? .... Highgate hill .... 2 miles of long slog with some nasty steep bits....

Hmmm..... there's a thought!

So i explored my local patch - out to hampstead garden suburb ... weaving through the farthest reaches of the heath,  Golders Green. Was a lovely ride. Nothing too dramatic - pretty hilly (must sort out my odometer stuff so that i can track climbs & distances etc ...)  but 14 miles on the clock and home for lunch ....   Until i get the new bike i'm keeping things gentle - don't want to aggravate my back any more... so when i get back from France i shall be really pushing myself to cover ground & settle in to the new bike. Only 120 days to go to the start ....  i knew putting a countdown would have a positive effect!

Dad's birthday today ....  so much of cycling brings him to mind.... i wonder what he'd think?!