Story
WE DID IT!
Donations still coming-in so not sure of final total yet but we've beaten the target so I'm delighted - and so grateful to everyone who helped, supported and donated. Bless you all and thank you again! Brilliant!
First photos now at www.express-solutions.co.uk more coming.
When my dearly loved wife Cathy, who had lived with breast cancer since 1983, was diagnosed with terminal, secondary brain tumours in 1999, I thought my world had come to an end. I'd never felt so helpless and alone.
However, with help and support from many wonderful health-professionals, friends, family and
particularly the Severn Hospice, Cathy was able to die as she had lived
- with grace, courage, joy and love - surrounded by people who cherished
and respected her and knew her worth.
When cure is no longer possible, care is and I soon discovered that the hospice is very much about living. None of us really knows how long we'll live and life needs to be about today - living it and loving it.
The hospice continued to support me for years after Cathy died in 2002, helping me meet all the challenges of bereavement, value my life and live it to the full. They supported me when I discovered I'd developed Diabetes in the course of caring for Cathy and I now live an active and fulfilling life, despite the condition.
Cathy was a devoted and inspirational teacher and made such a difference to so many people's lives. I'll be 50 on August 13th 2010 and to celebrate her life, the work of hospices everywhere, success in living with diabetes and my half-century birthday, I'm going to attempt a Century ride on August 14th 2010; 100 miles from the East Cheshire Hospice in Macclesfield, who cared for my Father, Eric, via the Severn Hospice in Shrewsbury to my home in North Shropshire.
Initially, the treatment I received
for Diabetes caused huge problems and I could hardly make-it up the
hill to the village shop, but through diet and exercise with support
from good friends and the Hummingbird Centre at Shrewsbury Hospital, I narrowly avoided
having to use insulin and have even been able to reduce my medication.
I want to do something special to celebrate being alive and well!
I've built-up my cycling mileage and now average between 500 and 600 miles every month. I decided, a year ago, to attempt this 100 mile ride and cycled over 6,500 miles in 2009, working towards this target. I achieved 82 miles in a day, last August, carefully managing my blood-glucose levels and now it's time to build-up to 100 miles on August 14th 2010. I want to raise as much money as possible for the Severn Hospice and express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of their work and the difference they make to so many people, providing help and support when they need it most.
Page created 2nd February 2010. Updates:
January 2010 - much turbo training in the kitchen by the boiler due to snow and ice. but achieved a 50 mile day-ride and a total of 575 miles for the month. Brrr! Tough but fun!
February 2010 - Lovely Chris & Christiana from the Wrekin Osteopathic Practice say they'll give free leg-rubs during the 100 ride. Cool! :-)
- 504 miles cycled in February and a 63 mile day-ride achieved. Working on the bike I'll use for the ride. My good friend John Pryce and my niece's husband, Nick Bailey will now join me on the ride.
March 2010 - detailed route-planning and beginning to publicise the ride. Lot's more riding to do and hoping the snow and ice are behind us now!
- 616 miles and a 70 mile day-ride this month. Tired!
April 2010 - detailed route-planning continues. 75 mile hilly day-ride achieved on 11th.
-540 miles this month - flagging. Come-on Roy!
May 2010 - 82 mile day-ride early in the month. On-track for over 600 miles by the end of the month... so far. Time to start doing some publicity and there's still some final route-planning to do. Gulp!
-85 Mile day ride on 23rd and 635 miles ridden this month. It took me two weeks to recover from the 82 mile ride earlier in the month, but only two days to recover from the 85 mile ride so I hope that's progress!
-The route is planned, ridden and measured between Macclesfield and Audlem. Next month, I'll organise the Shropshire bit to include the Severn Hospices at Shrewsbury and Telford.
June 2010 - Very tired at beginning of month but finally managed to meet or exceed targets - by the skin of my teeth! 91 mile day-ride achieved on melted roads on 27th and 570 miles ridden this month.
-Route now fully planned and measured (102.73 miles). Organisation in-place. Now working on publicity and fund-raising.
July 2010 - 94 mile day-ride on 11th, so in theory I'm ready, but boy am I tired! 'Just need to do it now! :-) The challenge will be doing it on a specific day, however I feel and whatever the weather. If the wind is from the SW (& it often is), then the first 70 miles will be in to a head wind. Hurrah!
July total 595 miles.
August 2010 - well, all the preparation is complete; sponsorship coming in although the £1,000 target is still some way off. A few last minute hiccups with health and bike issues but I think we're on top of everything. Time to let the legs do the talking and hopefully my next update will be with the ride completed.
Thank you so much everyone for your generosity, encouragement and support. It means such a lot :-)
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