Acclimatisation

I mentioned it was a silly day to go cycling, yes that was because I learnt the hard way. Just back from Thailand I'm still acclimatising to the British weather and stupidly thought shorts and fingerless gloves are still appropriate.

Yesterday was my first outing on my bike for a month, a little chilly and damp but I rediscovered my love of cycling. I did my best to keep my refurbished bike looking sparkly. I had only dropped it in to the shop to sort out a "noisy" wheel yet when I picked it up a month later it had new wheels, handlebar tape and even a pump.

I was not going to be disheartened by today's abysmal forecast, so when it turned out to be only fog and drizzle I was delighted. Just incase, I did put on my overshoes to ensure my feet didn't get damp.  

I am not a particular competent cyclist, even after six months, so rarely cycle alone. Left with no choice today I set off onto Dartmoor for a touch of peace and quiet. It certainly was quiet, I think everyone else had sensibly listened to the weather man.

Soon the rain came lashing down, the wind picked up and the fog remained. It was just as I realised my overshoes were no longer functioning and I had no idea where I was that I hit a pot hole, it is those few seconds later that you pray you've got away with it, I hadn't.

I am not very experienced with punctures so my first reaction was unwrap my phone from its plastic bag and call someone. Not quite sure who or why but a lift was appealing and if that failed at least instructions on what to do next. I was somewhere near the highest village on Dartmoor, a great tourist spot in the summer but so remote there is no such thing as phone signal.

Next step is to let out a few frustrated/self pitying tears.

I then reassessed the situation and nothing was going to change, I had no option but to see what I could do myself. I always carry a spare inner tube but purely for the purpose of someone else to "help" me - not that it has ever been used.

About thirty minutes later and very chuffed, I had self taught myself to change my inner tube. It so happened that some luck was on my side, this is the first ride I've ever carried my own pump. I must admit that I've never pumped up my own tyres and was therefore slightly unsure as to how the pump fixes, I pumped away for about ten minutes (well it felt like that long) to no avail.

Unsure whether it was my pumping technique or another puncture I had run out of ideas so the only option was to sit down and let out another few girlie tears.  

By this stage I was chilly (check out the goosebumps), soaked through, phone-less and basically bike-less and lost. It was then a toss up but I decided to walk back the way I'd come. Luckily the first house I tried had a very helpful occupant who kindly invited the muddy dripping mess that I was into his house.

I discovered where I was and that my father happened to be at home. I then had to grovel and walk (barefoot - saving my brand new cleats) about a mile through what was now torrential rain with intermittent hail.

So tomorrows ride...yes I've not been deterred just yet but I am definitely finding company or otherwise I'll just be doing laps of my house.

JOGLE day 9

I can not believe it is all over, I reached the final destination of Lands End nine days after leaving John O'Groates. It has taken me a couple to days to collect my thoughts and recover, but it's already starting to become a distant memory. With a few days left to go we were reminded to enjoy every day and cherish the moment; even when the legs were on fire, battling into a headwind, with the rain stinging your face. Thankfully I took this on board and as a result appreciated every pedal stroke, okay maybe my memory is already playing tricks on me.

The final few days were tough, the Westcountry threw everything it could find at us, there were hills after hills, a consistent strong headwind and what felt like relentless rain. We spent our last night at base camp celebrating how far we had come and basically presuming we had made it, I think it was partly this complacency that was to blame for Sunday being one of the toughest days. With "only" 93 miles to pedal - yes it is funny how my perception of distance has changed after eight days of 105 miles plus - I presumed the final push down through cornwall would be the equivalent of the victory leg on the Tour de France. For the first time on the trip I was cold and almost miserable, conversations had started to dry up and we were finding ourselves actually discussing what is happening in the "real" world. Yes the physical conditions on the final day were tough but it is now I realise what actually made it so challenging for me; I did not want to leave the bubble I had lived in for the last nine days. In a strange way I was grateful for the poor weather we were greeted with at the finish line, it made the emotions and goodbyes slightly easier to deal with.

This has been a trip of a lifetime and made even more worthwhile by raising money for the Bath Rugby Community Foundation. If you have enjoyed reading my blog then please feel free to click on the link below and help me raise as many £'s as I cycled in miles:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/fundraiserPortalHome.action

JOGLE day 8

We are in Cornwall, how on earth did that happen. It was a strange day for me passing through my home county of Devon, admittedly I didn't know all of the route but I had a good idea of what hills lay around each corner. I think I might have annoyed my group slightly when pointing out various landmarks in which they blatantly had no interest, although I was a little disappointed that the route did not show off our wonderful coastlines or moorland. It was another tough one for most with climb after climb and a constant southwesterly "breeze" accompanied by torrential showers. The fact the route was considerably shorter than yesterday was soon balanced out by the terrain and it became a little too much for some who had come so far but could not quite finish the penultimate day.

The combination of my excitement from being so close to home with knowing all the sites already gave me a perfect opportunity to push out of my comfort zone and ride with the fast boys. I soon learnt that this is a very different style of riding to what I've become accustomed to; talking was not encouraged, pit stops were very brief and there were no let ups in the pace. All of that aside I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the biggest bonus was arriving in camp two hours earlier than normal; this meant only one thing, more time to appreciate the exceptional food on offer.

I have mentioned the slight competitive nature I display every now and again, today I demonstrated this perfectly when scoring a hat-rick and moving to the top of the leader board. This time I think I might have taken it too far though as I am now winning for the greatest number of falls. Yes I hit the deck for a third time on this ride and was saved from a forth by a lovely yet unsuspecting fellow cyclist who's coat luckily didn't rip when I grabbed on for balance. After eight days of cycling I have got stronger but not so sure my skills have improved that significantly.

JOGLE day 7

I can not believe we are back in the Westcountry already, only four days ago we were still cycling through Scotland. Due to the huge distance and climbs we had to complete today combined with the nasty weather forecast it meant a 5am alarm call. These early starts and routes in excess of one hundred miles have almost become normal now but only a month ago I was still complaining about the Sunday group training rides starting too early at 9am and I even thought forty miles was a big challenge.

Today on paper was definitely the hardest challenge of the whole route, it was equal distance to my furthest ride with about double the amount of climbing, so it is a little odd that this has been my favourite so far. The fact we were all prepared for the worst probably helped, expectations were not high and we therefore hit the road in good time and started out at a decent pace. After the last few days of plodding through various urban areas it was delightful to reach the countryside again and for me the highlight has been passing places I recognise, although I was glad I didn't know the exact hills ahead of us as ignorance can be bliss.

I think I am actually adapting to cycling, I feel stronger now than when I started. I'm doing my best to keep this quiet as I think I'm one of only a handful of the six hundred riders not to be sporting an injury or illness (touch wood), I just hope that my enjoyment whilst out on the bike is passed onto my team mates. It was exactly this time last week that I was sat in my tent in John O'Groates nervously waiting for the challenge to start and just hoping to get that first ride ticked off. Seven days later and today I was actually disappointed when I saw the finish line, I was happy to do another twenty miles.

JOGLE day 6

It is rather difficult to reflect on today right now as we are fresh out of the briefing for tomorrows ride. It's only 9pm and most people are already in bed, that is how horrendous the route has been made to sound. Today was a walk in the park compared to what is ahead, we covered 108 miles and just over 3000ft of climbing on the journey from Aintree to Ludlow. Spirits were high once we got out of Liverpool and left the busy city and majority of rain behind us. I found myself in an efficient group and we were in at camp before 3pm which was a pleasant surprise, I used this time wisely, most of it has been spent refuelling!

Now at the end of day six I am starting to regret letting my competitive spirit override my self preservation. I have been approaching this cycle trip as a holiday but when I am challenged there is no choice but to accept. Two days ago I found myself in a breakaway, the only option was to take it on, then yesterday I thought I'd spice things up a little with suggesting some sprint stages. All of this was before I bumped into fellow cyclist Olympic Heptathlete Kelly Sotherton leaving the final pit stop just as I was entering, she announced rather loudly that her plan was to beat me to base camp with the threat of a boasting tweet. The race was on much to the disapproval of my slightly jaded group and after much persuasion I got the pace moving, we started to chase Kelly's pack. Any fatigue I might still be suffering was certainly worth the "win".

JOGLE day 5

It was a breakthrough day, we passed the half way mark in time and more importantly in mileage, it is hard to believe as it seems we've only just left Scotland. After today's enormous 121 miles we are now actually closer to Lands End than John O'Groates, maybe spending over eight hours in the saddle was worth it after all. This was a tough day for all the riders, the wind was again not on our side and the rain "showers" seemed pretty constant at times, however the route was a little more scenic (when we could see it through the fog) and the roads seemed as smooth as a peach compared to Scotland. This is our second night at a race course, tonight we're in Aintree and I must admit the home of the Grand National makes doubles as an impressive campsite.

Having been riding with the boys for five days now the conversations are becoming more relaxed and we are all being a little more honest, a few times today that maybe went a touch too far. I have no one to blame but myself and my vocal opinion on a few clothing issues I've witnessed over the last few days. There really should be a ban on the sale of any white Lycra, especially when it covers the more private areas. This might not be such a talking point if it wasn't for a certain cycling rule, apparently cycling shorts are designed to be worn "sans" underwear, I have unfortunately, whilst cycling in a chain, had first hand confirmation that men abide by these rules. Being new to this sport I am still learning these rules and personally do not see the reason for not wearing underwear. This hasn't been an issue until today when I suddenly got a little paranoid that maybe my shorts, even though black, might be a little thin when wet. Having no girl to ask for an honest opinion the boys convinced me I was safe, that was until the chaperone loudly asked why I was not following this unwritten cycle rule, I could have died with embarrassment, especially after my earlier criticisms.

JOGLE day 4

Day four and I'm going to be brief. Not only was today quite uneventful I'm also exhausted, I think we were all a little complacent when thinking that it would be a doddle compared to yesterday. The route was about ten miles shorter and a little flatter, this however did not take into consideration the bone shaking road surface, constant head wind, damp weather and the not so delightful views as we pretty much followed the M74 out of Scotland and all the way to Carlisle.

On a separate note I promised to share some other details with you today. I personally have never been tempted to let silicone go any where near my body but am aware that many ladies enjoy its effects when implanted in certain areas. A more common body area for such silicone enhancements in the Asian population is its use to enhance the shape of the derrière, this is one part of my body that certainly has never needed any help, that was until a few days ago. I have been warned by many cycling friends that my bottom is going to bear the brunt of this challenge, all the same I did not know what to expect and just hoped that my natural padding would be sufficient; unfortunately it seems not. Before beginning this ride we were given a first aid list with various creams and lotions that I was not even aware of, however one item with which I was familiar was the blister miracle plaster that is made of a silicone type gel. Knowing that my shoes fit well I did not feel it necessary to stock up on this, I certainly did not think outside of the box. Now I won't disturb you with any details but let's just say I never expected silicone to be anywhere near my derrière.

JOGLE day 3

End of day three and we are still in Scotland. I'll never look at a map of the UK in the same way again, I really hadn't taken in anything north of Edinburgh but it has definitely been worth the miles even if just for the dramatic scenery on all three days. Early this morning as we were grinding slowly up towards Glen Coe into a strong headwind with little conversation flowing spirits could have dropped, yet all that was needed was a glance ahead to see the snow capped mountains breaking through the clouds. As we climbed further the views became more dramatic, not sure if it was the fatigue affecting me but I could easily imagine myself on the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter books as I watched a train disappear into the mountains.

We were warned in the briefing of today's challenges, it was to be the biggest total climb we will have yet faced along a route getting us into Glasgow  total of 115 miles after leavening Fort William - our group were more than a little apprehensive. I have started to develop a coping mechanism, one which my dentist or any nutritionist would probably strongly disapprove of - it all comes down to sugar. It doesn't seem to matter in what form the sugar is and I dread to think what the total might have come to today; to give you some idea throughout our ride I ate a flapjack, 9 mini bars of chocolate, 3 mini bags of jelly babies, one Scottish fudge tablet, and a hot chocolate, I followed this up with three amazing puddings once back at camp, but don't worry there was also plenty of savoury to balance it all out.

Along with my teeth there are a few other body parts that are starting to suffer, I'll update on this tomorrow.

JOGLE day 2

It is amazing what one hundred plus miles can do on a bicycle can do, I slept like a baby last night only to be woken by the more subtle song choice of "one thousand miles" by the proclaimers; let's just hope I won't be walking. When I was trying to drag myself out of my sleeping bag there were far too many similarities to a typical training camp, just with an earlier start. Today I decided I would join the Bath clan and it was worth the effort, even if just for the banter, and when sat on a hard skinny saddle for most of the day it is incredible what difference a good bit of chat can do.

The plan today was to air on the side of caution again as each consecutive day is supposed to increase in mileage and altitude as the week goes on. I didn't quite stick to that but think hiding in the slip stream of some of the Bath rugby players made my life a lot easier, not sure my work at the front had the same effect for them.

Before yesterday's ride the route planner Matt claimed it was the most beautiful route he had ever mapped, last night I believed him, today that belief was shattered. The views were utterly breathtaking, there were even gasps of delight from some of the toughest rugby players as we pedalled the 114 miles from Kyle of Sutherland to tonight's destination Fort William. It was tempting to stop for photos on route but no camera would be able to capture the sheer magnificence as the sun and blue sky were reflecting off the mill pond that was Loch Ness. I have visited Scotland a few times in my life but had no idea that these scenes could be mistaken for the front page of a holiday brochure, we all commented that we could have been anywhere in the world. Scotland has exceeded any expectations on day two, maybe I am on holiday after all.

JOGLE day 1

I have a slight problem; so much to report but so little energy with which to do so. A combination of wonderfully light evenings (not sure it even gets dark up here in northern Scotland), some loud and interesting snoring patterns, chilly temperatures inside the tents plus the anticipation of the day ahead equalled an abysmal nights sleep. I was slightly concerned I might have missed the promised alarm call when so many zips could be heard on the surrounding tents, I needn't have worried, 5.30am on the dot no one would be in danger of missing Queen with none other than "bicycle" blasting out across the camp.

Even after our cheery greeting I was a little slow off the mark and seemed to loose my fellow Bath Rugby Foundation riders, I therefore played it safe and opted for a chaperoned group at the slower pace of 11-13mph. Tackling my first 100 miler (and with eight days to follow) I was very conscious to conserve my energy and not let adrenaline get me through today at an unsustainable pace, however this pacing did go slightly out the window when I needed to pedal a little faster to warm up.

We had two perfectly timed "pit stops" along the absolutely stunning 105 mile route. As well as catching up with several of my fellow Bath riders I met some interesting people along the way who seemed able to put up with my constant chat for a few miles each.

The hardest part to describe today would be the route. Yes admittedly it was helped by the clear blue skies and the gentle tail wind but the landscape we passed was stunning, top marks to the route planner on day one.

JOGLE day 0

There is no turning around now, the only way home is by bike.
It's 11pm and I am sat wide awake in my tent on a temporary campsite in John O'Groates wondering what I am doing here. It was only a few months ago that I first sat on a road bike and somewhere between then and now I decided that having mastered staying upright on my bike it was time for another challenge.
My journey here (in the cycling sense) is a story for another day but I must admit it has only really dawned on me right now that this is real. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to run the London marathon, swim the channel and cycle the length of the country; I am now only a few hours from beginning the first of these lifelong targets.
I was always a last minute "crammer" when it came to school and this seems to have stuck with me beyond, I have probably not so wisely also applied this to my cycling preparation. With my last minute efforts I did manage to complete 998 miles in my total cycling career, I now "only" have to do 982 in the next nine days!
I am lucky to be doing this not only for a great cause, the Bath Rugby Community Foundation, but also a brilliant group. The bikes were all packed up in Bath and headed up ahead of us, we then followed the next day with a flight to Inverness. One night spent there it was then the final leg of the journey today by bus to the most Northern point of the UK. This long journey has given us plenty of time for team bonding and sharing all of our worries or should I say excitement.
The brilliant organisation has meant our preparation and first night at base camp has been better than expected. I am well fed, watered and now all that's left to do is get some all important sleep.