August - Expediation Diary

Well here we are on day 3 having covered 195 miles in 2 days. We are holding up really well and this is in part due to the fantastic support we have had. All that training and practice has been paying off. Today we are travelling to france and will rest this pm while we fix up bikes and sort some kit out in readiness for another 100 miles tomorrow and 400 miles before the end of the week. We are sick of the taste of sweet food and have tweaked our diet to include more "real" food. So far so good

Three riders from the Cleansheet team.

Well its nearly time for the off, the last month has been has been manic making sure that my business is organised and I leave everyone in the office with all the support they need to cover my time away.

This adventure has been a year in the planning but the last four weeks has seen me working all hours to make sure everything is in place and that everyone who is a part of the trip knows what’s expected of them. There have been press interviews, radio interviews, IT issues, changes to flights, finalisation of the route planning and all this has left me washed out, tired and with a cough. I have not had the time to train for a month and I have to admit that just right now I’m wondering if I will make the first day of 115 miles and not the whole journey

Ahead of me is 3500 miles of hard cycling in 5 weeks between Hartpury College and Koch Goma School in Uganda, while I was meeting with the team who are organising our Christmas Party to celebrate our success and conclude our fundraising we reviewed a film made at the school we are supporting. It made me realise that rather than feeling sorry for myself because I am tired and poorly prepared physically, orphaned kids in “Koch” will be leaving school this afternoon to sleep rough and probably not eat until they return to school on Monday morning.

We are privileged to be able to support this school and the children who live there by building a farm, assuring the water supply building school buildings, teaching the kids to farm and to look after themselves. What we endure and will endure over the next few weeks is nothing to that which the school children endure all their lives SO, time to get my head in gear, get over myself and get on with it

We leave Hartpury College tomorrow at 09.30 so it you want to wave us off it would be great to see you.

You can follow our progress with daily tweets on - please keep in touch

Finally I would like to thank all the businesses and individuals who have made this all possible. They are too many to mention but you have been brilliant and without you we would have not got this far

We are getting close to our target but don’t feel shy about making a donation if you are able.

Nick Bevan - it was his stupid idea.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of training since the last ride out but at 8.15am on Friday I wished I’d done a whole lot more.

Everyone seemed fitter / stronger / more prepared and enthusiastic while I felt like I was taking a stroll towards the guillotine. However, I’d seen the route out of the Cheltenham and I knew we were going up the old Cirencester Road – which had a hill at the beginning I’d tackled few times and knew I could get up. DURRRRR. Clearly map reading is one of the skills I need to develop – we were heading up Leckhampton Hill. I was scared. My bottom lip wobbled a little bit – not something you often see on a 38 year old, usually it’s just a wobbly bottom.

Natalie and Victoria picking up the pace.

Still, no time for another trip to the toilet, Mr Bevan‘s whip had been cracked and off we headed on our little 103 mile jaunt down to Ferndown. I was scared.

Ten minutes later we were up and over Leckhampton Hill and the bubbles in my tummy gone. 12 hours later we arrived at our camp. A few gremlins accompanied us on the way down – firstly we stopped. A lot. One of my biggest issues is trying to keep my muscles warm during stops as it always takes me c. 5 miles to warm up again. Secondly some were so fast and keen that they sped off leaving the slow and steady behind, while collectively we all made a few wrong turns which meant some hasty ewies or slight detours.

Another mile under the belt.

I had been told we were sleeping in a field with a tap and that was the picture I had in my mind. However, it was a truly beautiful spot surrounded by trees; a special latrine had been set up (thank you Jonesy) along with a toasty camp fire and BBQ. The support team were BRILLIANT – thrusting food, booze and tea into our tired hands. I was so grateful I could have cried.
Wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted when it was thought that my bag was too organised and therefore assumed to be Rich’s (the whippet cyclist), whilst I was given the one with the bottle of wine. Mind you, as long as it had wet wipes and a clean pair of pants, I wasn’t going to complain.

Flat country miles for a change.

Saturday - Camp Hairy Biker

60 miles. On the flat. Bit of sunshine. Not too much wind. All the ingredients for a fab ride out. And it was.

We whipped through the most beautiful scenery dodging horses – all of which seemed to be either pregnant or with foals, they are clearly a dirty bunch of ponies in the New Forest. One particularly ungrateful mare kicked our stalwart cyclist Julia in the tummy – a move that would have given me my golden ticket to get in the car but Jules (you STAR) kept cycling to the finish. A massive achievement given she’d only cycled 10 miles before and was cycling in some ‘discomfort’.

Old men make plans.

Unfortunately the maps were economical in showing how the roads were laid out and we found ourselves trying to cross busy dual carriageways, doing dog legs of Great Dane proportions and at one point skitting through a private estate. All these detours meant that our 60 mile ride became an 80 mile schlep. I was desperate to get back to camp – I was worried about over-doing it and being too tired to make the 100 mile trip home the next day. And (no heaving please) I was missing my boyfriend and was hanging out for a big supportive hug from him. My mouth started going into ‘dogs bottom’ shape but with no one to blame I decided to put my grumpy knickers away and stop asking Dave Jones over and over again how far away we were, like some impatient six year old.

I’m not sure what time we got back, I just remember feeling really tipsy by about 8.30 and I vaguely recall spending most of the evening trying to find the bottle opener (did we ever recover it by the way?)

Back breaking work by the support team.

Our forest hideaway.

The team make plans for day 3.

Firkin the gherkin.

Sunday - There’s no place like home

If someone had given me some ruby slippers that morning, I’d have happily clicked those heels together. Along with the 103 miles to cycle, there was the small matter of a 16%er to tackle.

However, I had a roast lunch to get home for and we were going for it. I think it took us c. 9 hours to get back. We had a finely tuned support team that would have given Ferrari’s F1 pit boys a run for their money. The hardest part had to be the final leg from Cirencester where it started raining, the wind picked up and my energy levels plummeted. Up until that point, it all seemed to flow quite easily but those last ten miles seem to take a massive effort. The best bit was the final mile. My eyes were full of water – I’d like to say it was the rain but it was happy tears. Happy to be home. Happy to have got through the last 3 days and happy to be about to eat one of Kay’s famous roast dinners.

The weekend was an endurance feat on many levels – a cycle of almost 300 miles is an achievement in itself. And something I still can’t quite believe I did. Also to experience three days with the windiest man in Gloucestershire: Firkin the Gherkin. I’m still slightly deaf in one ear; such is the volume and velocity of that boy’s bottom. The easiest thing about the weekend was definitely the people – I feel very privileged to be involved in the cycle and fortunate to be doing it with such a wonderful, motivating and supportive group. Thanks for your advice and niceness, it’s really appreciated.