The last leg is the longest....

So tomorrow morning we set off on our last leg - at 72 miles long it's the longest of the trip and as the first 50 miles are hilly we have a long day of cycling ahead!

At 5pm the 'cafe' closes and the guy that 'owns' the John O'Groats sign (seriously!?) goes home - so if i want to get 'the' photo at the sign and stand a chance of seeing what Dad wrote in 'the book' in 2007 i'll need to get there in good time....

Wish me luck... it's going to be a long push to the finish ....  oh for a tailwind to help us on our way!

... 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

Hey Ho Hey Ho it's off to Chepstow we go.....

OK ... one day when i get to a B&B that has wifi which works better than something reminiscent of the 1980's i will write properly and upload photos... however for now ...

We're out of Devon and through Somerset ... off to Wales today .... via the Cheddar Gorge.... YAY!

Judging from a couple of texts / phone calls ... i'm wondering if my last post was a little gloomy? ... i haven't had chance to re-read it but when you see the photos you will see (a) me smiling and (b) that whilst the hills were tough - the views were BEAUTIFUL!

We've been so lucky with the weather... more sun ahead today ....  and my lovely friend Charlie is coming to cycle with me.....

Here's what i've learnt ...

When a stretch is described as 'undulating' it means hilly ... when it's gently undulating it means 'still hilly' ... Climbs out of town means ' there's a really BIG hill' and when it says 'Climbs steeply' it's basically a command to 'get off thy bike and walk'!

I will write and upload soon ...

All is good.....

xxxx

PS.. B&B's very variable .... like the hills... this one ... GAAAHHHH!!! Step back into Hi-De-Hi land! I'm a winceyette nightie and jar of cold cream away from it's clientele!!!!

"May the mountains be levelled for you ...."

Is one of my favourite messages over the last few days ....  almost halfway to my fundraising target already and i can't tell you how special it is to receive messages of support ....   they come in all shapes and volumes from the loud yells of 'Go for it'... to the strong and determined 'You know your strength comes from the hills, they're not your enemy' ... I just know already that each and every one will be echoing around in my mind as i battle the miles....

Mid last week i got immersed in helping a friend sort out his invitation list for an upcoming art exhibition which i have to admit has been a welcome distraction from my growing nervousness! Whilst most of the country was finding respite from the rain during this (not so) glorious Bank Holiday weekend I spent my time chained to the computer building a database for a few thousand addresses or out on my bike battling wind and rain!

So - if you're in London around the 17th/18th September then go along to Charlie's exhibition at Gallery 27, Cork Street.  He's a brilliant artist and there'll be a massive range of work on show...

You see... it's been easy to hide my mind from my upcoming ride!!

If i'm honest whilst i am nervous about the hills (.... oh damn those hills!) .. and the weather's not looking good for the first week or so at least ... i am also getting excited! I am such a fan of this glorious country of ours - and i'm really excited about the beautiful routes that i'm going to follow... the crazy place names that will cheer my heart and just the Britishness of it all ...

I wonder what my fellow cyclists will be like... there's going to be 10 of us ... i hope they're nice!

And ...  already plans are falling into place for friends coming along to cycle a few miles - or meet up in a pub en route ....

I've always known that my first big milestone is going to be making it through the hills of Devon & Cornwall ... so it's great to know that for the first day out of Devon my mate Charlie will be joining me (no not the artist ... another lovely Charlie.... !) to cycle from Cheddar to Chepstow ... where his wife and another mate of mine from London will be greeting us!!! I predict i may be ready to have a mini little celebration ....

My Bike goes to Lands End ahead of me .... i drop it off at 9am tomorrow...

Then it's just bags to be packed and off I go!

xxxx

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!!! 

Not so Super Saturday....

Weren't the Olympics fantastic?!... I have to say I was really excited that they were being hosted in my home town & I expected great atmospheres at the events, but nothing prepared me for the change in atmosphere that swept through the whole city. It felt as though the normal busyness and London stress was suspended for a fortnight and the whole town was united in happy sporting joy! Cycling the streets during the start of the olympics was amazing as it was utterly true that the media doomsayers meant that everyone was staying away - so i had a lovely time whizzing around empty roads and exploring new areas.... I was also lucky enough to have 2 bundles of friends visiting for Olympic fun - from Belfast & Edinburgh ... so I had an added 2012 bonus!!!

So by the time we got to Super Saturday and i hadn't been on the bike for 4 days i packaged everyone off for Science Museum excitement and headed out on the bike... i must note that i've reached a stage whereby if i don't get on the bike for a few days i actively miss it - so it felt great to be out and about again. I headed north from NW3 - up the dreaded Highgate Hill .... will i ever enjoy 'climbing' on the bike?! .... and out through Muswell Hill and off towards Hertford. Hard ride to start with but the '10 mile' pinch kicked in and then i began to enjoy it more (whatever it is with my body i don't know, but it grumbles and gripes for 10-15 miles - and then seems to give in to the ride, so whilst it doesn't suddenly become 'easy' somehow it becomes less grumbly?! If that makes sense!) .... It was a nice morning - sunny and breezy with showers threatening but thankfully not materialising...

Then as i was heading home I did something really daft! As i was freewheeling down a hill i took the opportunity to stretch out my calves which were feeling tight ... pushing my heels towards the floor i was happily whizzing along ... until a slight bend in the road meant that as i turned the bike my heel hit the floor and at speed i had a big tumble!

NOT SO CLEVER!

Thankfully i landed in ditch/verge .... which was (thanks to the recent rains!!) soft rather than rock hard so despite my speed i got away lightly .... just a few bumps and bruises -  apart from the arm that I used to shield my face... the speed wrenched my arm and shoulder....  So Super Saturday saw me back in the sling that i spent most of last summer in (having only 12 months ago had that shoulder re-pinned back together!)

So .... strict instructions not to get back on a bike - only static bikes in the Gym allowed.... and much physio over the last couple of weeks... What a fool!

I was for a while really concerned that i'd put an end to my big adventure... but ... the body is an amazing thing and once we'd confirmed that the muscles / ligaments were only strained and not torn I was hopeful that all was not lost!

So here i am two and half weeks away from the start in Lands End ... and i got back on the bike for the first time yesterday. Shoulder is still a uncomfortable, but i have a couple of weeks - and lots of strapping! There's no doubt that being out of the saddle for the best part of 2 weeks will make the first week or so of the trip harder, but .... thankfully I should still be good to go! It's just going to test some of that 'Coyne determination' a little bit more....

So normal service will soon resume as i'm back in the saddle and continuing for the next 12 days to rack up some mileage!

So the Olympics are upon us!

And before i disappear into the frenzy of delight that is they bring upon us  (i've been excited about this for months now!) i popped up to see Mum and say hi ...

It's not bad you know trundling about with a bike - the only thing that surprises me is that mine is always the only bike on the train!  However i'm not complaining...

So i (for the first time ever!) arrived at home on 2 wheels ... woke the (oh so effective?) 'guard' dog up as  i walked past his bed ... seemingly the crunch of wheels and feet on gravel wasn't enough to disrupt his doggy dreams! And flaked out ... yesterdays miles were many short dashes about town - i racked up over 30 overall but there were up and down to hampstead....  NW3 - Soho - For coffee with a friend from my old Edinburgh days... great to say hi! .... back to NW3 to pack a bag .... dash up to Brent Cross (over the heath - in the heat!!) and back to NW3 to pick up bag... then sprint down to Borough market with rucksack (too hot!) to meet dear dear friend for a long drink (we had a couple of hours to catch up with each other whilst she was waiting in between hospital appointments!) Lovely sunny chats and stories to share... and then a dash to Euston to get the train to Brum!

 Amazing selections of freshly squeezed juices at Borough Mkt! 

 Yep... that would be the Shard. 

Bike... resting awhile in between dashes! 

This lovely weather is tempting me out of bed whilst it's cool ... so this morning i was on the bike by 6.30 and heading out from Sutton towards Staffordshire to revisit childhood homes and schools!! It was a bright cool morning when i left and with a stash of Brasil Nuts in my pocket i crept out of the house. Why is it that the first few miles hurt so much more than the next ones? For a while i felt the call of returning to bed... but quickly enough the countryside and big skies won me over...

This last week of sun has got the farms running busy ...  between Shenstone & Chesterfield i was passed by a convoy of equipment heading out to the fields ... and a Land rover full of cheering men! ... i was slogging my way up a particularly long hill ... and their cheers 'You're almost at the top love!!!'  'Grab the wing mirror we'll help' ... boosted me on...  Made me realise how oblivious to the 'land' we are in London ... i'm guessing that they were off to start bringing in the hay?

At 8.12am this morning the nation was meant to ring bells to celebrate the start of 2012 Olympics ... (shouldn't it have been at 20.12 this evening?.... but anyway) ... as i left Whittington i decided that i could get to the Cathedral in Lichfield in time if i put my mind to it so i pedalled as fast as i could and got there by 8:06 ...  then a lovely lady arrived on her bike and asked me if i'd come to 'ring my bike bell'.... we both commiserated when the cathedral didn't ring out (nor did any other churches that we could hear!) so we stood and pinged our bike bells together!!! 2 other cyclists joined us ... and we had a cheery olympic moment!  We rang our bells for Lichfield!

Lichfield Cathedral... 

And then i turned towards home ... aiming to be back comfortably by 9am for breakfast when calamity struck....  whizzing down a hill (the very one i'd been cheered up earlier) I suddenly felt the chain go slack and assumed that it had (bizarrely) broken or come off - so i pulled off the road and had a look. Well - i have to admit i didn't really know what i was looking at, but it was abundantly clear that something was missing as the chain was slack and hanging off the rear derailer... I put my best engineering brain to it and couldn't fathom how to fix it so i did what all good girls do...

(a) Phone Mum and ask for a lift home....

(b) Phone 'The Oracle' and ask advice - despite my crazy descriptions of things he managed to diagnose that the 'jockey wheel' had come off - which confirmed that there was nothing i could do in a field to fix it!

Not a bad place to be stuck for 1/2 an hour on a sunny morning! 

So ... the bikes now fixed and 2 cycle repair shops are baffled as to how it happened .. a fair bit of  'never seen that before love' type muttering and now the piece is replaced and the original one winging its way back to Shimano - Yay to warrantys!

Now back in London i'm ready to get the party going for the Opening ceremony tonight - and head off to see the Horses Skipping tomorrow (that is the Int Team Dressage!) ...  But before i go ..

I have been thrilled by some of the support i'm receiving from around the Globe .. and the number of Dads friends - who've known me all my life - who are getting behind me! My Godparents from Park City will be in the UK in September so are coming to see me en route... and other friends from Baltimore have asked to be kept updated on progress...

So for you Kevin - I'm still not stick thin (dammit!) - i am definitely getting fitter - I will always hate hills - but i have mastered clippy shoes for the pedals!!!  I shall keep you updated!!!

Cambridge'd!

I've been a bit quiet recently .... partly because i was away over the last week - retreat to Malsanger and then a few days in France .... but also because after being battered by the hills around Bath i've been feeling pretty low about the trip ...

However 2 things have changed all of that! 

Firstly chatting to the organisers of our trip - who whilst we were sorting out the logistics reassured me that everyone will walk up some of the hills in Cornwall /Devon ... and not to worry .. just keep on training! 

And secondly .. yesterday i completed my longest ride yet - 64 miles from London to Cambridge! It was a fantastic day and even better .... i'm feeling good today and have already been back on the bike again! 

My friend Rachel and I did the cycle which was brilliantly organised by Bike Events who i have to say ran it perfectly, I couldn't fault a thing  - over 4000 cyclists kicked off from London,  the sun shone, thankfully there was a gentle breeze and we wended our way through country lanes up to Cambridge... there were some long long hills but i'm happy to say none of them defeated me (although i salute Rachel in her amazing hill prowess!) ... and we had a lovely lovely day. For much of the route there was no traffic (maybe they very wisely avoided hoardes of cyclists on narrow lanes!!) and the lanes were filled with cyclists pedalling along .... a really lovely experience. It's run every year in July - and if the weather's good I wholly recommend it! 

The start ..... cyclists had been leaving for 3 hours ... we were the last group... which was huge! Fair to say when we arrived and found ourselves surrounded by Wiggins'alikes we were slightly concerned!!! 

 The girls ready to start ....... 

 They had 4 refreshment stops en route ... brilliant! 

 We spent the day surrounded by bikes!!! 

 Glorious views from the top of hills... and the most glamourous cyclist i know! 

(NB there were some people who walked up hills... I felt slightly delighted I didn't join them!)

And then when we got to Cambridge... well this cycle should really be called 'London - Cambridge & then around Cambridge for miles' ... and eventually we got to the finish line! Which was well worth finding as they really made an event of it .... people wooping and cheering as we arrived... medals and certificates handed out ... 

There was even a bouncy castle!!! 

So after chatting with some lovely cyclists and getting fine advice about upcoming adventures we got back on our bikes and got the train back to london ... 

It was a really lovely day - and i'm feeling so relieved...  64 miles matches the longest day on LeJoG and whilst i know the  terrain may be tougher... well... i can do this thing! One day at a time i can do it! Apart from a slight issue with my new clippy shoes (toes going numb - apparently i had them done up too tight) all gear is working ... and for those of you that have warned me of 'chafe' issues... well this stuff  along with padded shorts seems to avoid the issue! Enough said! 

So ... now ... 6 weeks to go and many more miles to get under my belt!  Please keep on sponsoring me ... it really is spurring me on! 

Seriously ... time to build an Ark...

This summer of ours is beginning to really wear me down ... and it's been a real challenge getting on the bike over the last couple of weeks. With 8 weeks to go - this is NOT good - but the relentless rain has been a real deterrent!

Here I sit in another downpour - wondering if Murray's semi-final will even get played today - and i'm finding it so easy to do anything but get on the bike...

I had a long chat with the 'Oracle' last night and now skipping is being introduced into my life (... don't think i've skipped since i was at prep. school!) ... will let you know how i get on if the rain ever pauses .... skipping in the rain is just so wrong! And kettle-bell as well.... diversity he says will speed up the fitness and get me more excited.

As is sit looking out at the sheeting down rain ....  i wonder if i'll ever feel excited again!

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

My goodness..

I've spent today at the screen sending out emails - telling friends and family far and wide about this crazy little adventure of mine! And £1050 pounds sponsorship has come in already! 

Suddenly my target of £10,000 is feeling achievable... i do hope i can reach it... 

More to the point - i do hope i can cycle the whole thing! 

Having listened to the wind battering the windows all day whilst i've been emailing - i can avoid it no longer - time to get on the bike! 

Thank you kind and generous friends... i know the time will come when the only thing that gets me up the hills is knowing of your support!  You've done a great thing, Acorns is a wonderful charity! 

Those who disdain the humble cyclist ....

Whilst i have begun to love cycling ... i would only go as far as saying that i tolerate cycling around London... it never ceases to amaze me how many road users have complete disregard for everyone else on (& off!) the road.  It is sorely tempting to get a camera fitted to my helmet and start to compile the craziness on the roads.

I have begun to identify patterns ...

- The larger the vehicle the less likely to use indicators....
- The smaller the vehicle the more erratic the behaviour ...
- Cyclists - the more safety gear the more likely to stop at red lights....
- Pedestrians.... alas totally unpredictable ... other than the obvious - if theres a phone in the hand they're likely to step into the road without looking!

I foolishly thought that i'd 'sneak' through the backwaters of Mayfair where there isn't much traffic... well it was a lesson in flawed logic. Whilst it's true that the traffic numbers are low... this does not lead to free flowing streets as the only vehicles in Mayfair are all oversized 4x4's that can barely squeeze down the streets and certainly never use indicators or mirrors... slapping bonnets or boots as they swing towards me is become increasingly common....

Wonder if i'm slapping the cars of russian drug lords?!

Cycling this week has been a bit of a chore - lacking motivation somewhat.... and the mixed weather is tricky - having (almost) mastered the layers required for cold, blustery, stormy weather i'm now learning the best gear for hot, muggy, rainy weather ....

So off i go ... another session ahead of shouting at pedestrians and slapping cars!

Joy!!!

Sx