Century Rides

The training programme is cranking up and we have now been completing 100 mile plus rides!! So I now know that I can cycle over 100 miles in a day - whether I can do it for 9 days running is still to be proven but that won't be tested until the ride itself.

When we registered for the ride, we had to self-assess our ability - as a result, David and I were classed as "Enthusiast" level and I think we only scraped into this category by scoring a couple of extra points for "owning a road bike" that we had in fact only bought a few days before!! The ride organisers have provided a training plan for each level and we have been following this as best we can over the last 9 months. It sets out riding hours or gym sessions for each day, with a few rest days thrown in for recovery. Depending on what else we've been doing, David and I have either been doing our own thing, or whenever possible getting together, especially for rides.

As we approach the ride, the number of hours to ride has been steadily increasing. Last weekend (remember that boiling hot weekend?) saw me ride just over 100 miles on the Saturday, then teaming up with David on Sunday to ride another 88 miles.

This last week should have been a key week with cycling for an hour or two every evening, However, work has been really busy with late finishes, so I have not made it out at all! Not good!

This past weekend, Saturday should have been a 2 hour ride but again I didn't get out (well, it was raining!) and was put to shame by David who still went out and clocked up over 80 miles! David and I did join up for a 7 hour ride yesterday - it was a very windy day, so at some points we were flying, pedalling on the flat at 27/28mph but then struggling to reach 10mph when you turned into the wind! A headwind certainly saps your strength and our route to the east coast meant a tough final 40 mile run home into the headwind. Still, at least it didn't rain and it was another 107 miles under our belts. We are pictured 62miles in at our lunch stop at Burton Agnes Hall.

Not only do we have to find time to fit in all this exercise but there are also hours spent on the internet looking for all manner of cycling gear and accessories. I'd never even heard of chamois cream before, let alone researched the pro's and con's of different brands, but I now smear it on liberally before each ride and probably have the softest bottom since I came out of nappies! My wardrobe now boasts more lycra than either denim or corduroy - not bad for a middle-aged man! Heck, that's the first time I ever thought of myself as middle-aged!

Shopping or training?

The welcome return of warmer weather made today's 63 mile ride more enjoyable than some of the recent training trips. That said sudden warm weather also brings a small plague of insects playing their favourite game to see who can cling on to the cyclist for the longest. Helmet vents double as insect scoops!

Today's ride took us towards harrogate...in fact David carried on to Harrogate to clear the shelves at the Specialized cycle shop but I was heading to Newcastle this afternoon (in the car!) so turned back for home after 2 hrs and left David on his shopping expedition!

Setting the Scene

I thought it might be useful to set the scene as to why I have started this Blog......

In the summer 2009 I read a newspaper article about James Cracknell, GB Olympic rower and gold medalist, and his plans to organise a charity bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End in order to raise funds for ParalympicsGB, the charity that supports British athletes through each Paralympic Games. Before I knew it, I had signed up to ride 1000 miles in 9 days! Fortunately, I persuaded my friend David Lord to also take up the challenge. Other friends declined the invitation - you know who you are!

For a few years, David and I have done a bit of cycling in the summer months, mainly as a way of taking in a couple of pubs in the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds. However, this challenge has taken our cycling to a whole new level.

New bikes were purchased (well, we have to try and look the part) and in September 2009 embarked on a serious training program. Winter rides and frequent visits to the gym started a new way of life.

This Blog will chart the final stages of the training and our participation in Ride Across Britain 2010 or RAB2010 as it is widely known.