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As you all know, I started the WAY Foundation back in 1997, following the sudden and untimely death of my brother-in-law Charlie. Since then, I have watched the Foundation grow steadily to become the respected charity that it is today. I am deeply grateful to all volunteers who have worked so tirelessly over the years to ensure WAY's continuity.Having taken much more of a back seat in recent years, I have nevertheless kept in touch regularly and have always raised money whenever I've had the opportunity, mostly by selling salt dough creations, lovingly crafted by myself and my daughters. This year, I have decided to embark on something a little more strenuous and at some time in the summer (when it's a cool day!) I intend cycling a marathon from Porthcawl, my home town, to Cardiff -to the hotel where I held the very first WAY meeting in January 1997. I have only recently started training and after a hard two weeks, finally managed to get to Bridgend last Sunday - a major breakthorugh, as we have some truly hideous hills on the way out of Porthcawl! One is called Three Steps Hill-but I can assure you all that there is absolutely nothing heavenly about it-except for the feeling I got when I first got to the top....

I am hoping to raise a HUGE sum of money for the Foundation(and would like to donate a small portion please to the British Heart Foundation and to Cancer Research). I'll keep you posted on my progress and let you knwo when I have a firm date. In the meantime, if any of you have any cycling tips (such as not wearing see-through leggings -BIG mistake...hence the long top in the above photo!), I would dearly love to hear them. 6 miles conquered, 20 to go, only a matter of weeks left....

Speak soon! Thank you all so much for the wonderful work you do. I hope that WAY continues to offer you the invaluable support that was so sadly lacking for my mum when my dad died and for my sister, when Charlie died.

Friday June 17th:

Hoorah! Hallelujah! Have just managed to get to the Cowbridge road (and back, obviously!), so feel I've made a major breakthrough today. Cycled a total of 16 miles in all-and managed to get up the legendary Three Steps Hill (with one gasping stop).It's a beautiful day and there were moments of simple, pure joy-experiencing the whiff of muck-spreading whilst hurtling down hill is a surprisingly pleasurable memory....I also found the ride very philosphical. My tactic for getting up that hideous hill was just to focus on the front wheel-and not to look into the distance at the ever-increasing incline. It made me think of the way we appraoch life.I'm always looking at the "big picture" and had always thought that's the best way to be.But today has taught me that it's okay to concentrate on the small steps as well. A sort of "Look after the pennies" outlook on life, if you like. I think I'll try it for a few weeks. I was also greeted by a hearse coming over the hill on my way back into Porthcawl. That was a sobering moment-and also an inspirational one. Carpe diem. Seize the day. It made me determined to get up that hill without stopping-and it worked. Am now turning out bathroom cupboards to look for old tube of Ralgex (disgusting smell but a powerful effect-my dad used to use it). Shoulders and right arm killing me, so will plaster myself in stuff for relief. Must remember to mask pong with some Opium (the perfume, the perfume) before I go to supermarket....

Thank you so much to those who have donated so far. I'm aiming for £1,000,so I've work to do!

Have a good weekend. I'm hoping to make Cowbridge tomorrow-and to do the ride on July 4th.

Take care all.

Caroline

Wednesday June 23rd

Managed to get to Bridgend again yesterday. Searingly hot, sweating like a piggie, pins and needles in my right hand from squeezing brakes sp tightly as I zoomed down Three Steps Hill. Best news of all though- I got up the mother of all hills- Danygraig Hill(with just 2 incy stops to calm palpitating heart). A real breaktthorugh for me, as I've been pushing the bike up this bit for the past two weeks. Wish I could say it's all downhill from now....

Only managed a short ride today, due to work commitments. Am still hoping to do the 4th, but disappointed that I'm not managing to raise as much as I'd planned. May have to do raincheck until early August. Let's see what this week brings. Green and Blacks chocs sending me some stuff to raffle:ditto Tescos(where I held the first meetings back in 1997-in their caff!).

So...there are glimmers of hope. Must go now. Children to see to and school reports to write.......

Thanks again to all who have donated so far.

TTFN.

Caroline

Thursday July 1st.

Have made decision to postpone until August 8th. Sponsorship very slow to come in, so want to have another big drive over next few weeks. Also struggling with training due to family/work commitments. Still haven't made Cowbridge. Always something that gets in the way.But WILL do it this weekend!

Thank you again to everyone who has donated so far. It is really kind of you. As you already know, it's all for a very good cause. Thank you to all WAY volunteers for the fantastic work you do.

Speak soon.

Caroline

Tuesday July 6th

Okay. Confession first. Didn't "do" Cowbridge on Sunda due to seriously high winds. But....good news -have just done it today!! Managed the 28 mile round trip in 4 hours, including 2 stops at Tescos in Bridgend (once for Lucozade, once for coffee, on way back-and both times for the loo!). Met a few obstacles on the way- bike locvk broke, so had to get nice security guard to look after it while I visted the smallest room in Tescos. Sat down on bench when got to Cowbridge-so thrilled to have made it  -and bench collapsed underneath me!! I must have looked like Kafka's beetle, legs flailing in air, as I tried to get up again. Wasn't expecting that hurdle....Then, on way back, chain popped off and I got covered in oil getting it back in. Also forgot to take some choc. or nuts and felt very wobbly on last leg, so have learned a valuable lesson there. Don't want to look like an inebriated cyclist due to low blood sugar!

Thank you again to all who've donated. A big thank you to Tescos for the voucher and to Green and Blacks and Twinings - not forgetting all the wonderful pupils of St.John's School, Porthcawl who have raised a substantail amount by buying raffle tickets this week. Drawing raffle on Thursday, so should have final figure then.

Top of list for rest of week is buying a padded seat. I knew my shoulders and back would ache, but hadn't expected pain elsewhere.....Also suffering badly with pins and neeedles in right hand, due to clutching brakes on downhill "whizzes"  so firmly. Got loads of beeps today from passing cars. Think I should hang a bucket round my neck so they can throw pennies in. Anyone ever done a cycle with a billboard attached??? Wish lorries would slow down more - got mouthful of suffocating exhaust fumes today. Not the fresh air experience I'd anticipated. Still, have very healthy glow tonight. Match my red, throbbing feet beautifully.

Thank you all.

Caroline

Thursday July 8th

The pupils and staff of St.John's School, Porthcawl are brilliant! Thank you to all for buying raffle tickets -just totted up all the pennies and it comes to a grand total of £50-09p! That means that I've edged over the £300 mark today-fantastic. If I can't make the £1,000, then I'm at least aiming for £500 -and feel now that I might make that. Thanks again to Tesco's and Green and Black's for the raffle prizes.Had day off cycling today, but will be doing Bridgend and back again tomorrow.Then it's one more trip to Cowbridge and back next week, before a two week rest whilst on holiday.

Thank you again to EVERYONE- not least, to all the WAY members who keep the charity going.

TTFN.

Caroline

Thursday July 15th.

St. Swithin's bDay. And it's bucketing down here. Oh crumbs. Does not bode well for the 8th!!! But...I'm staying positive and hoping to get one more cycle in today-if wind permits.

Great news yesterday - Sainsburys has donated a voucher, like Tescos-so will be able to do another raffle -and raise more money! After another big donation today-thank you so much Andy- I'm getting closer to the £400 mark. If I can raise another £100, I suppose I'll be fairly happy. If anyone reading this has a crystal ball and can tell me what the weather'll be like on Sunday August 8th-please let me know! Similarly-if you fancy a bit of a laugh (nearing middle-aged lady pedalling uphill in furious winds, wearing lime green tutu-more of that later...) then come out and see me on the A48 on that Sunday.

In the meantime, enjoy the weather. Saves you watering the plants and if you put a bucket in the garden, it's fab for washing your hair. All the tips and wrinkles you could possibly need! (Did you know that ketchup used to be made out of fish broth and mushrooms?) Ah, well. Time to stop wittering now.

Speak soon!

All the best,

Caroline x

Monday August 2nd

Back from hols. last Friday. Swam furiously every day as substitute for cycling-just to keep fitness up. Back on bike yesterday-anmd really suffered!! Managed 10 miles, but was quite exhausted. Still planning on doing the ride this Sunday. Weather forecast looks a little dodgy, but think I'll just have to go for it. Hoping to make Cardiff by 1pm. Aiming to do Sainsburys raffle this week, so should have some positive news on the fundraising soon. Have had lots of other pledges-many friends planning to give me cash this week, so am still hoping to make at least £500(total at moment just under £400, with school raffle money).

Will post again before the BIG DAY!

Thank you to everyone.

All the best.

Caroline

Thursday August 5th

Have just completed another training run to Bridgend and back. Halfords agreed to sponsor me in the form of donating some padded pants, gloves and a padded seat.They also agreed to check the bike over, so I pedalled off furiously, looking forward to a more comfortable ride home! Wind very high today and masses of HGVs around, so had a pretty tough time. Also three lanes, with cones, on hill into Bridgend, which made things extremely difficult-had to stop a lot to let juggernauts(always so impatient!) get past. Eventually got to Halfords and a very nice man called Alastair said he'd check the bike over-while I waddled (more of this to come) off to nearby Tescos for a machine cappuccino and the loo.. Before that, Alastair showed me the padded pants range-and allowed me to try a  few on. I opted for the medium(no small available) and was puzzled that so much of the padding appeared to be covering my posterior-as I need padding in another important little area as well. Left pants with Alastair -and went off, a little in pain today- to Tescos. Talked to very nice Customer Services lady, called Sharon, who,told me I needed to look after my "Mary Ellen". Lovely euphemism-and very apt advice given the discomfort I'd been experiencing. Thanks, Sharon-and don;'t forget to put the coffee on for 10 am on Sunday morning! Duly refreshed after Tescos, I returned to pick up tightened and serviced bike-then donned lovely pants and mounted gel seat for the 8 mile ride home. Realised very soon that I must have an anatomical anomaly going on in downstairs region. Pants only seem to pad the back area.Must undertake study of this problem at some stage....

Bike ride home was hellish. Despite padding, wind was wild and I felt well and truly battered as I entered Porthcawl. Managed last, hideous hill (up to Fulmar Road) by asking for sustenance, out loud, from Charlie, Dad and all the other people I hope are still watching us down here. Must have worked, as the Locks Lane bit was a doddle. My lovely girls made me coffee when I got in -and after 20 mins of raised legs, I'm like  a new pin again!

Off to try and get a WAY Foundation Tshirt done now-and to drum up more sponsorship.

I don't think I'll get to Cardiff on Sunday til at least 2pm now, as Tesco stop has to be later than I'd planned due to their opening times. if anyone wants to pop along to Holiday Inn opposite Castle, I'd love to see you!

Thank you again to all sponsors-have managed to get a further £123 this week offline- so much appreciated.

Speak soon! Maybe one more entry before Sunday......

Caroline

Friday August 6th

Charlie would have been 54 today, so it was very poignant to see his face smiling at me from the pages of the South Wales Echo. Had a piece in there today, to try and drum up more awareness/sponsorship. Thank you to Mandy for agreeing to open old wounds and talk to the Press after so many years.

Happy Birthday, Charlie.You have made the centre pages!

Thank you again to everyone who is donating - some fabulous donations over the last few days, including Charlie's sister, also a Caroline and two of the very first WAY members, Barbara and Julie. Thank you to all the other WAY members, past and present, who have donated (including the lovely Andy Cripps-Happy Birthday for next week, Andy!).

Good news with the offline donations. My optician, Byron Davies, donated £50 yesterday and I have been madly selling raffle tickets to do raffle on Sunday, with goodies donated from Sainsburys.Will update that final sum after Sunday. Have also approached the Principality and HSBC-and my local Somerfield, so am hoping for some good news there very soon, which will help me reach my target.

Hideous weather here today. Am crossing everything that it will have improved by Sunday. Thank you, Margot, for your constant support-can't wait to see the banner on Sunday! Picked up my WAY Foundation T-shirt this afternoon, kindly donated by SJC of Porthcawl. Thank you. Am wondering how I can attch a bucket to my bike, to encourage passers-by to drop their pennies in -as they say, every little helps!

Must go now. Need to write list of last minute checks tomorrow, as am out all day supporting my younger daughter who is running for Bridgend in a South Wales competition.Hoping to get to bed early on Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing Jim and Margot at the Holiday Inn-and anyone else who fancies popping in!

Wish I could have raised more, but have done my best. Still hoping I'll make my target-even if retrospectively. If I haven't thanked you here, let me know!Am trying to do so as the donations come in.

If I don't log on tomorrow, will do a post-mortem on Monday!

Caroline x

Monday August 9th

Job done! It was an ideal day for the cycle-warm ,with very little wind. I set of at 9.20am and made my first stop, as planned, at Tescos-for the loo and a drink. My family was in the car, trailing at intervals, in case I collapsed and it was lovely to hear my daughters cheering me on from the car window. The ride just outside Cowbridge was pretty horrendous-I'd not done the hill before, which snakes round for what seems like about 2-3 miles. I took it VERY slowly-in first gear all the way-and eventually got to the tope, where I could see the family waving from the bridge above. Stopped at local garage, where bemused owner let me use the loo-and even managed to pick three wild apples from the roadside-we miss nature's bounty when we are car-bound. Will have to bake them into a commemorative cake.

Thank you to John and my Mum who were also supporting and again to Margot for her constant support over the last few weeks. As one of the very first WAY members, it has been lovely/poignant to have Margot on board. And....you really excelled yourself yesterday, Margot. Your welcome banner was fantastic! Thank you so much-and for standing there holding it high until I got there(probably feeling a tad embarrassed?!)-so very well done. I was really toucvhed to se it when I arrived. Will try and upload some pictures some time soon-just need to concentrate a bit on the family/house for now, as both have been neglected.

Am still selling tickets for the Sainsburys raffle-thank you, too, to Alan (Superstores in Porthcawl) for his donation. Will probably keep mit going for a week or two-then tot up total before end of August. I think I will have reached the £1,000-so a huge thank you again to everyone who has donated. Am still waiting for some good news from HSBCand the Principality-fingers crossed! Thank you to Somerfield for their last minute donation on Saturday.

Will update with final total, but until then, enjoy the good old British summer!

All the best,

Caroline

Tuesday August 17th. Very late.

Have been very busy cajoling people-even for the odd pound,and, as you can see from today's new total, I have amost reached the target! Thank you to my accountant (my 12 year old daughter), who is brilliant at maths and who has logged all cash donations meticulously and added up like a true professor.

Have a follow-up piece going in this week's local paper(did anyone read last Friday's Echo piece?),so am hopeful that that may result in just a few more donations. HSBC declined the opportunity to donate, but I am still waiting to hear from the Principality.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped. With WAY's blessing, I will be sending cheques to the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research very soon-a small portion of the overall sum raised.

Night night!

Caroline