Story
Day 5 (cont.) Stumbled back into the car park at about 16:30 on Friday afternoon after climbing Snowdon. The climb followed a 36.2 mile (2hrs 52min) cycle from Ruthin to the start of the Pyg track, including a particularly painful 12 mile climb from Betws-y-Coed to the top of the Llanberis Pass.
Day 5: Unbelievable. The last day!!!. Cycle from Ruthin to top of Llanberis Pass, climb Snowdon, drink champagne, collapse (hopefully in that order). Hoping to set out around 8.15 and start ascent close to midday.
Day 4: Set off this morning at 7.10am. Long cycle day ahead. (certainly looks a long way on a map!!!) All being well the end location will be Ruthin in North Wales. We`ll see how the body copes!!! Tremendous progress so far today. By mid afternoon Matt had reached Helsby in Cheshire. He is expected to reach Ruthin, North Wales around 6pm in the evening. Arrived Ruthin at 18.23pm. Total distance from Windermere 127.3 miles in 8hrs and 43 mins of cycling. A really nice touch was meeting up with Dad at Helsby, Cheshire, this afternoon. Matt is like the proverbial Duracell bunny!!!. Fingers crossed and the challenge will be achieved tomorrow!!!!!!.
Day 3: The intention today is to cycle from Carlisle to Scafell, climb the peak and then all being well, cycle to Windermere. We`ll see just how much yesterday`s ride from Balloch to Carlisle took its toll. Later than usual update partly because Matt didn`t finish until 8pm this evening, partly because mountains and mobile phone reception don`t mix. Started at 7.25am reaching Langdale 43.8 miles and some 3 hrs later. Ascent of Scafell started at 11.45am, summitted at 3.30pm and back down by 6.53pm. Relatively short ride of some 11.2 miles to Windermere for overnight stop. Another gruelling day, absolutely shattered with a quick trip to the "chippy" for re-fuelling before some well earned rest and sleep.
Day 2: Today is an all cycling day, all being well to Penrith. Will have to find my way through Glasgow first though!! What a gruelling day!!. Set off from Balloch at 8.15am. First puncture, north of Glasgow at 9.55am. Finally made Carlisle at 7pm, that's 7hrs 29 minutes of cycling. Talk about the pain barrier. Total distance cycled 123 miles, totally exhausted but very happy to have achieved this distance. Navigating Glasgow was a nightmare and took longer than expected. Looking forward to food and a well earned rest.
Day 1: Started climb of Ben Nevis at 6.50am. Summited at 9.30am and down by 12 noon. 12.34 pm started cycle journey south. Arrived at Balloch, at the southern end of Loch Lomond at 6.13pm. This was a very exhilarating but extremely tiring 86.7 miles from Ben Nevis. Hurray for Lion Bars and pasta! Now all that is required is plenty of sleep for the journey south tomorrow.
Day 0: Set off to Fort William this morning. Arrived safely after a slight detour involving the A82!!. Looking forward to a hearty meal and some sleep.
UPDATE: Take a look at the final training movie!
UPDATE: Take a look at highlights from a training ride in the Brecons!
Welcome to the fundraising page for my Three Peaks and Bike Ride challenge.
I guess I should start by explaining 'what' exactly the challenge is...
...well, the plan is to climb each of the three peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) with the added twist of cycling in between. All in all that should be about 500 miles of cycling and 25 miles of walking up and down mountains. The aim is to get all this done in 5 days and raise as much money as I can for Cancer Research UK. To help me through all this, my lovely wife, Cat, will be providing logistical support and keeping me company on the peaks.
Now, although I've done a fair bit of walking up and down steep things, cycling anything over 10 miles is pretty new to me. This means that since mid may I've been spending an increasing amount of time cycling around the outskirts of Oxford. If you fancy reading more about the joys of training, take a look at my website: www.mattdkelly.com/threepeaks.html
So, why am I doing all this? On Feb 14th 2005 (about a month after handing in my Ph.D. thesis) I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After a brief run in with a surgeon's scalpel I was transferred into the capable hands of the CRUK Medical Oncology Unit at the Churchill Hospital for a spot of chemo. Despite the massive shock and general crappiness of the whole thing, I did get the opportunity to witness first hand the incredible role CRUK plays in the care and treatment of people with cancer. Fortunately, breakthroughs in treatment mean testicular cancer is now a very treatable disease with survival rates over 95%. Unfortunately, too many other people aren't as lucky. CRUK needs your help to improve the odds for these cancers.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Cancer Research UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please, sponsor me now!
Cheers,
Matt
One more thing... if you're reading this, and you're a guy, next time you get the opportunity, give your balls a quick check. If you notice anything suspicious, go see your GP. Although it's unlikely, almost 2000 guys in the UK will be diagnosed with testicular cancer this year. Don't be embarrassed, the earlier it's treated the better!