Updated on Oct 13th 2012 at 3:47 PM from the JustGiving API
All done. 1615. 300km in 3 days. Bring it on.Updated on Oct 13th 2012 at 3:47 PM from the JustGiving API
About to set off on final 100km. Chilly!Updated on Oct 12th 2012 at 5:39 PM from the JustGiving API
What a day. Ventoux quicker than anticipated, near hypothermia at the summit, great descent. En route back to Sault first a puncture then pedal crank fell off and then a second puncture! All in a half hour. Anyway completed the 57.69 miles in 5hr 17mins burning 3160 calories and climbing a total of 1842m. 100km tomorrow (I think). Bring it on!Updated on Oct 12th 2012 at 2:35 PM from the JustGiving API
Bloody pedal just fell off! Uphill!!!Updated on Oct 12th 2012 at 11:39 AM from the JustGiving API
Done it. Absolutely fantastic. Now at the bottom as I type, all in one piece.Updated on Oct 12th 2012 at 6:28 AM from the JustGiving API
This is it. This is what we came for. Ventoux in 30 minutes.Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 6:16 PM from the JustGiving API
69.75 miles.Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 6:15 PM from the JustGiving API
Today's stats: 69.75m, time in saddle 5.5hrs, 3356 calories, total ascent 1815m. Bring it on!Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 4:25 PM from the JustGiving API
Just completed the first day. Very hard indeed. Many hills but great experience. Now in Sault for the night. Tomorrow, Ventoux!Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 12:20 PM from the JustGiving API
45 miles in. Stopped for lunch. Best line today. In restaurant with snails on menu. One guy says to group laughter, "are they local". Another guy says, "we'll, they don't travel far!" Made me laugh! Onwards...Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 9:31 AM from the JustGiving API
Right, Coffee now. 24 miles in. Doing ok. Been through fantastic French valleys, vineyards etc. weather holding out. Jesus, the hills though!Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 8:41 AM from the JustGiving API
First rest at 14m, most uphill! One guy suffering. Onwards for coffee...Updated on Oct 11th 2012 at 6:49 AM from the JustGiving API
All set now, about to set off. Red sky in the morning!!!Updated on Oct 10th 2012 at 3:39 PM from the JustGiving API
Just landed at Marseille. Weather fantastic, but rain due on Friday. All 30 really looking forward to getting in the saddle tomorrow.Updated on May 21st 2012 at 7:01 PM from the JustGiving API
Back training after the weekend's excesses. Fastest 15.6 mile yet at 1hr 1min 10secs; despite my first two SBD moments! Top speed 41.4mph, up from 37.7.Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
You may know that sadly my dad passed away in January of this year. For the last three years of his life he had cancer.For much of that period, he spent every Thursday at Michael Sobell House, a hospice affiliated to Mount Vernon Hospital where he met other inspirational people in the same boat as he and who would continue to valiantly fight this disease. Initially, he was very, very reluctant to spend time in a "hospice". But, after going for the first time he immediately made some good friends, and found the staff to be exemplary in their care - and they were, I can vouch for that. He was an extremely social man but, unable to go out on Saturday nights with mum as he religiously would in previous years, he would look forward to his Thurdays at MSH with great enthusiasm.
He was first diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2009, and within a matter of weeks he had his stomach out. After a few complications, he recovered and over the next two years he was almost like a young man again as you will see from the video below.And then it came back, but on his aorta this time so surgery was out of the question. Instead he underwent chemotherapy and tolerated it very well. Sadly though, the cancer spread and following a rapid deterioration he died peacefully with our family at his bedside the day before his 75th birthday.
So, what's this all about? Well on 10 October, along with 29 others I'll be departing from Gatwick, and flying to Provence in France to embark on a 300km cycle ride over three days. On the second day, we will endeavour to cycle up Mont Ventoux otherwise known as the Beast of Provence; and it's not known that for nothing!It is 1912m high. Ventoux means windy and it is not uncommon to have winds above 100kmh at the summit or even snow in July. It can be extremely hot at the bottom, too cold at the top and the gradient is steep with no hairpins to recover. With six kilometers to the summit the Mistral wind (which helps give the mountain it's name) can come into play and can buffet a cyclist all over the road. By all accounts the 7% gradient feels more like 15%. Making it all worthwhile though, from the summit there are incredible panoramic views.
I will be doing this with a bunch of good friends and colleagues, in fact tagging along on their event. They are raising funds for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust and I would like to thank them for their generosity in letting me join their group.If it's of interest, I will be updating this page regularly to let you know how I am getting on and my God, there's a long way to go! I am best part of a stone lighter and by hook or by crook I am going to get up that hill!
Michael Sobell House is a great cause and they really do make a huge difference to those with terminal illnesses that they meet.None of us know when we might need a Michael Sobell House; thank Heavens they are there when we do. Please, dig deep and donate now.
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