...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

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!!!!

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!!

Day 2 .... Perranporth to Tavistock....

So this is what lies ahead for today .... wish me luck - there are some long long long hills...

But Dad always said that Devon & Cornwall are the worst days so .... bring on Thursday!!! Slow and steady i will be taking it (particularly up that vast stretch of 'up up up' from 25-35 miles!) ....

Weather's looking brighter than yesterday - it would be amazing to get up to Bodmin moor in clear weather ... but ... all will be good as long as there's no headwind!!! At least it looks like the last miles are better than yesterdays!!

Courage - Sticking post and all that .... will write tonight! xxx

Day One... and we're off!

It's time to sleep but i will write properly tomorrow... but for now ...

 The night before ... staying at Sennen Cove (beautiful!) the sunset didn't disappoint!! 

 This is like a 'first day at school shot' ... not only the nervous/anxious smile..

... but also the 'she'll grown into' look of the jacket!!! 

 Beautiful coastline ... 

But the hills... oh ouch the hills!!! 

 Yay! Look at that!!!! 

Perfectly named... almost 'home' ... little did i know that the last few miles had some of the worst hills! 

So ... Day One under the belt .... aching legs and feeling happy that i'm 'on the way' .... but a long long way to go ... so sleep now, and i'll tell you more tomorrow... 

(But thank you - thank you - thank you - for your messages..... haven't had much time this evening to reply to you all - was tied up sorting out the gear problems that Bradley's been having ... and having 'team bonding' dinner... but the messages have helped me up hills for sure!!!) 

xxx

As i was going to St Ives.....

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives, 

Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, 

Each cat had seven kits: kits, cats, sacks and wives, 

How many were going to St. Ives? 

Earliest traced publication 1730

There we go, the perfect thing to take my mind of the hills on Sunday!  

We stopped in St Ives this afternoon and had a lovely wander ... the sun shone ... the beach was full and it felt like summer was in full swing! Pretty little coastal town ... with a tradition of art ... we didn't make it to the Tate - but i did note it's location... 

I also noted that on a bike St Ives is best avoided ... as it's a long 5 mile uphill grind out of town ... 

Must have a look at the route for Sunday.....  xx  

Screw your courage to the sticking place.....

I can still remember how clever i thought an old school friends parents were when they wished her luck in her O'Levels with a quote from Macbeth....

Macbeth -              If we should fail?

Lady Macbeth -     We fail?
                              But screw your courage to the sticking place,
                              And we'll not fail.

I have spent the day today metaphorically 'screwing my courage to the sticking place' ... I'm now in Penzance with Mum - staying in a charming hotel  and as we haven't seen a flat stretch of road since Somerset the reality of 'Cornwall and Devon are the hardest bit' has well and truly sunk in!  I'm not kidding - i can now see that the first 4 days will be spent either grinding up hills or free-wheeling down them... none of the lovely speedy pedalling along in the sunshine! 

But it is beautiful here... oh so beautiful .... we stopped for a coffee in Launceston a sweet little town with a stunning church and a hilarious attitude to parking restrictions. It would appear that the cornish way is to stop wherever you like and let everyone else deal with the consequences which generally meant mounting the pavements and scraping along the walls...  and then we had a tootle around St Ives before landing in Penzance....  Tomorrow i shall meet the rest of the gang, be-reunited with Bradley and on Sunday we shall head off from Lands End.....  when the day's ride shall look like this .... 

Which whilst hilly doesn't look too awful .... on Monday however we shall start at sea level and fairly quickly (??? well.....)  be up at the highest village in Cornwall on the edge of Bodmin Moor... but for now ... one day at a time and i'm heading towards possibly the most beautiful bed i've slept in for a while.... G'night x

Nerves....

I've been packing today and as i tried to work out what i'll need for this trip the size of what i'm embarking on hit me .... and the nerves kicked in!

I'm sure this is the equivalent of the bit before an exam - after you've left your books behind but before you've sat down to answer the questions - the 'no mans land' where you can't cram anymore. Losing the bike has left me like that for the next few days - i can't calm myself by jumping on my bike to reassure myself.... so .... the nerves kicked in!

My mantra is ... slow and steady - i'm just going for a ride each day in beautiful countryside....  all of which will add up to cycling the length of the country .... and i've been much heartened by my lovely friends reassuring me of my determination and resolve ....

But i have a niggle....

To date in life this 'determination' has always been tested through work.... working long and hard to deliver 'the best' job.... striving to get the right results....  it's always been long hours working and the like....

I've never tested the determination and resolve with a physical endurancy type thing ...

I do hope the determination kicks in in the same way....

We shall see.

My other niggle is ... am i leaving anything behind!?

xx

(BTW ... it is confirmed I've decided to name my bike... 'Bradley' .... Bradley and i will conquer the hills... maybe not in a Wigginsesque effortless manner... but we shall conquer the hills!!!)

Bikeless.....

My bike ..... possibly to be known as Bradley ..... has gone now - next time we're together will be at Land's End!

Me next ....


Oh my!

But to take my mind off it .... a couple of thousand invitations to put in envelopes today .... the sun is shining ... there's a garden in SW London waiting to host a 'stuffing party'!!

xxx

I wonder who you all are?! ..

I just stumbled (late night inertia in front of the laptop!) across a page in the workings of this blog that tells me how many people have been visiting ...

Oh my goodness it's been quite a surprise ... so now that i know there are quite a number of you ... whoever you may be ...

Hello! Thanks for dropping by and reading my ramblings .... and do send a message and say hi...

.... and particularly for the Russian contingent ....

Hello - Интересно, что вы искали, когда вы нашли этот блог! Sx

x

"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!!! 

To name or not to name....

I've been asked quite frequently what i've called my bike ... but i haven't named it... which makes me wonder if i should....  i play around with vintage cars and they all have names and crazy as it may sound i 'chat' to them when i'm driving - urging them up hills (they're the kind that tootle rather than roar along!) and if anything sounds a bit suspect having a reassuring chat that everything 'will' be ok! Mainly to reassure myself obviously!!!

So ... why haven't i named my bike? Will it help me to think 'we're' in it together as i struggle up the hills?! I wonder...  in which case, what should i name it?!

Answers on a postcard!!!

Am i finally losing the plot?!

Had i named it i would have been having an enquiring chat on Tuesday when i was struggling with gear problems (again!) ... i had a bit of a fright that i was finding the 'easy' -  'spin your legs like a windmill' gears quite hard going - i was puzzled! And concerned - had i lost all my power during the week or so out of the saddle with bad shoulder?! But inspection revealed that the rear gears were stuck and not changing ... so off i went to my trusty local bike shop who spotted cabling issues (how do cables 'slip' out of tight connections?!?!) and restored it to working order!!! As a consequence 'trusty steed' is today having a full overhaul service to ensure that we're ship-shape and ready to go ...

When i say 'we'..... well - you know what i mean!!! If only there was a spanner set that could 'tune' me up too!!!

Just over a week to go ... i'll be back in the saddle for the next few days - then on Tuesday 'bike' is being picked up to be taken to Lands End... and i shall follow on Friday for a lovely stay in Penzance before the big adventure begins on Saturday....  currently when i'm not busy with other things i'm either riding or obsessing about weather conditions and gear....

You'd think i was heading off to remote lands.... when really, the truth is i'll probably be cycling past bike shops most days so if i need anything .... but somehow there's something in 'being packed and prepped' at the start!

You cyclists out there ... any top tips?!

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!!!

Happy Birthday to me.....

And to celebrate i woke up at 6am and headed out on the bike before it got too hot ... a glorious ride!! As it's my birthday (and pretty warm!) i treated myself to a long gentle ride.... 30+ miles along the Thames ... gorgeous....

Heading down through town i can already tell the impact of the Olympics, there's far far less traffic than normal (yay!!) ... but on the downside - where the Olympic lanes (which are now in action) are forcing all traffic into a single lane people are being much more aggressive with cyclists and barely allowing any room as they pass to ensure that they don't encroach the Olympic lane and get a fine!

 Lovely and cool in Lincolns Inn ... was fun to see lots of pre work training sessions going on! 

My Olympics definitely kicked off in style yesterday when we all cheered and whooped a dear friend who was running in the Torch Relay...  We had a beautiful day over in Kew and celebrated the Torch in style! So i smiled to see the Olympic rings on Tower Bridge... whoever thought of this deserves a big cheer i love it! 

The Shard ..... Really is big! 

Loved this typical view .... looking across the river seeing the beautiful church spire rising up behind the apartments.... I'm slightly sad that the skyline which was once dominated by spires and cupolas.... is now dominated by things like The Shard and The Gherkin ... and it's so easy to miss the spires!!! 

So my Birthday ride was a lovely one ... was getting hot as i got home .... and now for a lovely day ahead....  

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! 

Two wheels.... two rails....

Am loving getting around the country on train with bike ... but should really have panniers to make the luggage issue easier (have had a few hairy rides through london with overfilled rucksack threatening to topple me!) ... but am delighted that the train/bike combo is pain free! I have been surprised that usually my bike has been the only one on a train...  

Love this at Paddington .... bike parks for commuters! Not nearly enough yet - but good start! 

Whereas getting on at Bath ... it was just me... 

7 weeks to go! 

Less than 50 days on the countdown timer now... 

Getting close!!! 

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!!!!

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!