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dancing james
cliveo
OK, so it is not the TCR or the TABR. It is altogether more pedestrian. But then again, I am not an amazing and young athlete like @skinny @hippy or @wiesia I am old and once again overweight.
Next Friday 18 August, a month before I turn 60, I am off on a long ride. A long ride by my standards. I planned to do one this year as it is now 10 years since I took up cycling just before I turned 50. In those ten tears I have done a few challenges:
2007 London to Paris
2008 Paris Roubaix sportive (full course 265 km)
2009 Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge (600 miles in 5 days)
2009-2010 The Year of the Buttock
2011 London to Monte Carlo (950 miles in 9 days)
2013 24 hour non stop London to Paris (failed)
2014 Toe of Italy to Monte Carlo (1000 miles 8 days)
I wanted something as long and as challenging that I could fit in around work and other committments. I thought of LEJOG but was defeated by the time that logisitics planning would have taken and my wife's adamant refusal to drive support.
And then a thought struck me while followng the progress of Chris Hall in his 107 km a day for 107 days last winter. Starting each day from home eases so many logisitics. Following the same route each day eases worries about getting lost and allows a review of how my body reacts to the strain of accumulated tiredness.
I checked my Strava data and found that Cambridge was just about 100 km from home. 10 days there and back is 2000km. @Cazakstan kindly gave me a better route than I have used before and so, next Friday, I am off.
I aim to ride out early each day to avoid London traffic and so that I can get home in time to recover. I will go at my own pace which is slow. Luckily this is a big ring all the way sort of ride. I will see to what extent I need to stop but @Cazakstan has pointed me in the direction of a good cafe in Cambridge.
The weather looks to be miserable. Thankfully not hot but wet and windy.
I will update you on my progress.
To spur me on and to ensure i don't wake up next Friday and thing, blow this for a game of soldiers, I am riding for a charity. A rather good charity.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cliveo2000ksin10days