It has been a long journey that I have embarked on since last September, after completing the London bikathon for LLR on my once trusty mountain bike, the notion that I would be even contemplating London Paris would have made me crack up. However I had purchased my road bike by the end of September and when announced at the start of November I jumped straight in with both feet without a care in the world, London Paris became a reality. Back then I was over seventeen stone, been riding for only six months and partaking in a diet that may have contained 5 a week rather than 5 a day. Moving forward six months and the month of April has just passed, so how does the progress look and do the figures stack up. Well the tail of the tape is as follows: 
My weight is now 14 stone 11 pounds, that's another half a stone lost in April, 507 miles cycled in the calender month and a fund raising total at £800. Wow how everything has moved on, after all the bad weather and limited occasions to get out the miles have now flowed, the weight keeps coming off and above all else we are getting closer to the £1,000 target for charity. I have to thank my wife at this point as Angela has been my driving force in fund raising as well as chief motivator during the dark days of winter. So if she comes calling during the next few weeks please give generously. This week I kept up with the increased mileage with another 136 miles done over four rides. Tuesday saw me complete 57 miles in bright sunshine, a long loop taking in Danbury, Hatfield Peveral, Ingatestone and Billericay. The legs felt good and the hills came and went with relative ease, the one incident came at Buttsbury wash. The ford over the road there had run wild during the winter months and the foot bridge had been the order of the day, with the turn in the weather and the river levels dropping today the ford looked ready for the taking. A cautious approach saw me beyond the point of no return, all looked fine to start, it became apparent very quickly though how deceptive the depth is and soon water flowed freely over my feet. Clever that but at least it was warm and I appreciated the shoe design with drainage wholes in the sole, so drying out did not take long. Friday and Saturday saw me commute to work by bike, at twenty eight miles I did the journey one way each day, leaving the car there overnight, it still makes me chuckle the reaction you get from work colleagues when you turn up fully kitted out in Lycra. At least it gives them something to laugh about. So to today and a ride with a difference, I had a busy schedule and limited time so I went for something new for me a real speed ride. My normal comfortable speed is around 15 mph, which I can manage over fifty miles. Today I didn't have a target but set out hard and drove through the peddles the whole twenty miles of my planned route, returning home and with thighs burning I was over joyed at the 18.1 mph shown on my trip computer, what a great end to the week. So June 6th is my own personal D day and now less than five weeks away, how quick have the last six months gone and how far I have already travelled. While I put the finishing touches to my training and fitness please take a moment, stop and think................ Cancer touches everyone's life at some point and with continued research Leukaemia and Lymphoma can be beaten. So If I have inspired you at all with my own personal efforts please just give a little via my link opposite. In return I will tackle my personal challenge and keep on cycling, "Roll on Paris"
My weight is now 14 stone 11 pounds, that's another half a stone lost in April, 507 miles cycled in the calender month and a fund raising total at £800. Wow how everything has moved on, after all the bad weather and limited occasions to get out the miles have now flowed, the weight keeps coming off and above all else we are getting closer to the £1,000 target for charity. I have to thank my wife at this point as Angela has been my driving force in fund raising as well as chief motivator during the dark days of winter. So if she comes calling during the next few weeks please give generously. This week I kept up with the increased mileage with another 136 miles done over four rides. Tuesday saw me complete 57 miles in bright sunshine, a long loop taking in Danbury, Hatfield Peveral, Ingatestone and Billericay. The legs felt good and the hills came and went with relative ease, the one incident came at Buttsbury wash. The ford over the road there had run wild during the winter months and the foot bridge had been the order of the day, with the turn in the weather and the river levels dropping today the ford looked ready for the taking. A cautious approach saw me beyond the point of no return, all looked fine to start, it became apparent very quickly though how deceptive the depth is and soon water flowed freely over my feet. Clever that but at least it was warm and I appreciated the shoe design with drainage wholes in the sole, so drying out did not take long. Friday and Saturday saw me commute to work by bike, at twenty eight miles I did the journey one way each day, leaving the car there overnight, it still makes me chuckle the reaction you get from work colleagues when you turn up fully kitted out in Lycra. At least it gives them something to laugh about. So to today and a ride with a difference, I had a busy schedule and limited time so I went for something new for me a real speed ride. My normal comfortable speed is around 15 mph, which I can manage over fifty miles. Today I didn't have a target but set out hard and drove through the peddles the whole twenty miles of my planned route, returning home and with thighs burning I was over joyed at the 18.1 mph shown on my trip computer, what a great end to the week. So June 6th is my own personal D day and now less than five weeks away, how quick have the last six months gone and how far I have already travelled. While I put the finishing touches to my training and fitness please take a moment, stop and think................ Cancer touches everyone's life at some point and with continued research Leukaemia and Lymphoma can be beaten. So If I have inspired you at all with my own personal efforts please just give a little via my link opposite. In return I will tackle my personal challenge and keep on cycling, "Roll on Paris"
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