This weekend our great friend and JOGLE sponsor, Simon hosted a wonderful BBQ with his brother Pete at their home in Flitwick, Bedfordshire.
What weather! It was just a brilliant day of food, drink, family and friends.
As ever though, it offered me a hidden training opportunity.... and I spotted the chance to add a ‘back-to-back’ training session to my programme, which I had been really hoping for at some point.
So I pedalled off from home at around 10am on Saturday morning, with my route strapped to my handlebars and the sun on my back.
Meanwhile my long suffering wife dealt with swimming lessons, children’s friend’s birthday party, and then drove up to Flitwick to meet me at the BBQ with the kids. (thanks Hay... x)
I arrived after 4hrs 45mins of cycling, and 80 miles, having followed a lovely route, especially the stretch through Windsor Great park and the back lanes nearing Flitwick – and of course the weather made a big difference. After which I spent the next 5 hours steadily eating and drinking.
After staying over with Paul and Jayne (She’s such a lovely lady, as my ever observant son pointed out) I gingerly climbed back onto my bike to come home after lunch on Sunday. Paul joined me until half way, along with his training buddy, Pete who set a fairly aggressive pace for my less-than-fresh legs! I said my farewells to Paul and Pete at 40 miles, and they headed back up to Toddington.
Needless to say the tow to half distance was appreciated, and I made it home after another couple of hours and a half. The rain showers arrived as I was passing Ascot Racecourse, which worried me as I hadn’t packed full wet gear – but it turned out to be light – thankfully.
I was pretty exhausted when I got back, and enjoyed probably one of the best hot baths I’ve had in a very long time!
On Friday, Paul and I were invited to visit the CHASE Hospice, Christopher’s for a tour.
Wow.
I knew that these people do some awesome work, and give so much support to children and families but to what great extent I realise now, I actually had no idea.
The hospice is run and managed by people with the biggest hearts possible, and also with an incredible insight regarding what these children both need and deserve during their last months, weeks and days of their lives. Their reach extends way beyond the walls of the hospice and out into people’s homes within a vast area.
The difference that CHASE makes to the lives of these children and their families is just mind blowing, and for anyone with a healthy life and family (like myself) this was both a humbling and emotional experience which will only strengthen my commitment.
How CHASE manages to make their money last as well as they do just beggars belief, and I can only say that I am so happy and proud to be able to do my bit towards helping their truly worthy cause.
So far, I’ve seen some amazing generosity – and if you haven’t managed to, or found the time to donate yet – I ask you please do so as soon as possible.
Not a lot of training outside of my shed this weekend, however I completed a street collection in Godalming High Street with my 3 little helpers - and we raised a whopping £840 for CHASE!
We worked our audience really hard, and steadily improved our sales pitch from 09:30 until 16:30 by which time we were just dead on our feet, and our arms were considerably longer than when we started as the collection buckets became so heavy. Ice-cream and visits to the pick 'n mix sweet shop proved successful bribes for my under-age workforce.
I'd like to say a really BIG Thank You to the wonderful, and generous folk of Godalming who donated so generously, helped along by some amazing weather all day long. Also to Ella, Katie and Toby who worked their socks off helping Dad.
Not at work this Saturday so I made an early start in the bright Westoning sunshine with Pete in tow. Can’t remember what he was complaining about this time – blistered feet? - I warned him months ago that playing five-a-side footie is bad for a man of his age.
The plan was an 80 mile ride north to the Northants / Cambridgeshire borders following a painstakingly-plotted GPS route on the lanes as far as possible.
Fortunately conditions were perfect with a light breeze and, thanks to the ban on UK flights, the skies were cloudless and quiet. After an unplanned diversion towards Kempston along the busy and muddy A421 we found quiet dry roads and started making good progress up towards Newton Blossomville and Olney. This was a route we had used in January but a far cry from the frosty temperatures last time. North East of Olney, we breezed through Harrold as the village was woken by a V8 Caterham. Definitely a day for a sports car, but Podington was quiet with no dragster action at the Santa Pod raceway.
We made it over towards Kimbolton via another diversion (I missed a turn but didn’t tell Pete) and stopped for a coffee at Olivers opposite Kimbolton School. 50 miles in 3 hours. We watched a slow motion reversing accident in the High Street while enjoying an excellent bacon butty in the sunshine. Shortly afterwards we turned south to begin the southwards leg of the ride towards Staploe and Roxton. This is when the saddle soreness really kicked in so we paused to watch folks messing about on the River Ouse at Great Barford.
The following section down past Moggerhanger and Hatch was really pleasant, through Ickwell Green with the May Pole and around towards Old Warden. The traffic was light and we did see some aircraft; Sopwith Camels from the Shuttleworth Collection obviously hadn’t been grounded by the ash cloud. At Chicksands Woods we knew we were on the home straight and we had already covered 80 miles, so we stopped to chat to some hardcore downhill MTB experts.
The last few miles were hot but quick, counting down to our revised target distance of 90 miles. Back in Westoning, Pete’s milometer showed 88.5 miles, so I decided to pedal the extra mile back to Harlington to break the 90 mile barrier. I couldn’t bear the thought of Pete taunting me if I didn’t get the proof! 91 miles in about 5.5 hour’s cycling time and 2 sunburnt legs. Nice.
Thanks to Pete for his company again and to my lovely wife for another pink pass (thanks Jaynie xx).
Bank holiday Monday, and it was time for my solo return from Barton on Sea to Godalming. Paul had long since departed, and I was leaving my family behind to enjoy a few more days holiday. After all of the trouble we’d experienced on the way down I sent the GPS back with Paul and decided to keep my route simple. That meant main roads through Brockenhurst to Lyndhurst, and the out of the New Forest to Romsey, Winchester at which point I picked up the A31 back to Godalming.
I’d been watching the weather forecast over the weekend and was hoping for pay-back, with no change in wind direction, meaning a refreshing tail wind home for a change. I got it! All of which meant I did a PB of 70 miles in 4hrs 10mins, av speed 17mph – with luggage on my bike.
Admittedly this was also helped by a couple of races with other “roadies” – one of who was most put out with me clinging onto his back wheel for 5 miles despite his best efforts to shake me off getting low down on his tri-bars.
Did a gentle 35 miler on Tuesday afternoon, and have eased back into my early morning turbo training routine again now that holidays are all behind me.
I have to say however, it was awesome to ride with Paul on Friday - to see how fit we’re both getting and more importantly to appreciate how team morale brought us through some pretty horrendous and challenging conditions. Apologies to the poor old fella who wandered into the public toilets en-route for a quiet no.2, only to find inside two shivering lycra-clad nutters ramming bananas and malt loaf into their mouths whilst groaning with pleasure under the hand dryer!
Next planned ride together is w/e 24th April, solo efforts until then.
Good Friday? My wife disagrees. We’re on the road at 8 am instead of sleeping in, en route for Mat’s. An hour later we’re in Godalming getting kitted up for a planned 75 mile trek to the New Forest, GPS on and ready to go. The weather forecast was horrendous!
We enjoyed the first 90 minutes in the dry Hampshire lanes between Brook and Bordon but I was struggling with the GPS thanks to the almost sunny conditions because I couldn’t read the screen. I soon realised that tapping the touchscreen to bring up the map whilst holding both brakes on and steering into a junction was going to be tricky. Then it rained. Hard. For more than two hours between Alton and NewArlesford. Spirits were low and our fingers and toes were getting painfully cold and wet. The minor roads were awash and water was soaking down inside all of our many layers.
After a rest stop, bananas, malt loaf, change of gloves, belated addition of waterproof leggings, and repeated use of a hot air hand dryer we picked up where we left off. Starting off again is always difficult, like getting into a cold swimming pool, but mercifully the rain had blown over and we made another 15 miles to Hedge End in relative comfort and looking for food. Right on cue and at 50.01 miles exactly, the Burger King sign was not a mirage. Time to try dry out!
This is where we got too comfortable. Until we started off into the shopper traffic around the Retail Park, which was full of dopey idiots – sorry, impatient dopey idiots – we were glad to move on. We crossed the Woolston toll bridge towards Southampton and this was where the wind really strengthened.
The Hythe Ferry had just left when we arrived at the Red Funnel terminal at five past four. So we didn’t get to Hythe until quarter to five. This felt like tedious progress, so we were keen to get a move on through the New Forest. Trouble was, the GPS led us astray in Hythe, then the battery gave up after seven hours, which was inconvenient - and left us unsure how far we had left.
Beaulieu was a very welcome sight after a real struggle into the wind, but time was getting on and Brockenhurst was still five miles further. We caught up with a guy on a unicycle doing a 200 mile ride, which made us appreciate our two wheels all the more! After slip streaming a Winnebago campervan for as far as possible, Mat survived a cramp attack at Sway, and we eventually got to our heroes welcome from Mat’s very extended family in Barton on Sea. Job done and over 80 miles in total!
Thanks to the whole De-Gruchy clan for a cheering reception and lots of chocolate.
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