Challenge 8 final preparations

Well it's safe to say that my preparations for challenge 8 (tomorrow) are somewhat different to those of 2 weeks ago.

For starters sleeping in my own bed instead of on an air bed with a slow puncture is a big plus. Not having a tent flapping around my head is also a blessing.

So I'm lying in bed writing this feeling reasonably relaxed with run fatboy run on in the background for any last minute motivational tips!

The other difference today was that I didn't need to travel to the start the day before as I will be driving there in the morning albeit 5:30 in the morning. 

But it meant that I was able to spend some time with the family for a change and I also got to watch the moment that James (my 5yr old) rode his bike without stabilisers for the first time!

It was a very proud moment seeing him achieve this and you never know he may even join me in several years time on one of my crazy challenges, he may even take on the Average Joe Challenge of 12 in 12 months?

As for tomorrow I'm looking forward to taking on the 100miles around the Essex countryside!

Goodnight all!

The one that got away...

So I didn't do a challenge for 2 months and then all of a sudden two come in a matter of weeks.

The challenge on Sunday, challenge number 8 for those who are counting, is the additional one I've included due to the toe-gate!

This is the last of the bike ride challenges and its safe to say I will be glad to see the back of them. Although I thought it would be a welcome break from all the running it turns out that it hasn't been and although they have been amazing to do and complete I much prefer the running.

The only problem now is that I have to work hard to get myself back to the level I was before with my fitness. I took park in the local Parkrun on Saturday and was 5 minutes slower than my previous time for a 5k run.

The scary thing was that I couldn't run any faster than what I did so some serious miles need to be done before I take on the snowdonia marathon and the winter 100!

Before than I need to complete the Essex 100, which given the mountains I've had to endure over the last few challenges you'd think it should be pretty flat, give the fact that Essex isn't know for its hills, but you'd be mistaken!

Unfortunately I have no wingman for this challenge and like the Castle 100 in May I will be tackling this on my own, despite the other 600plus riders I will be riding solo.

As a gentle reminder this year long challenge is in aid of Springboard Opportunity Group as I aim to raise £5,000 to support the fantastic work that they do for children with disabilities. So if you can support no matter how large or small please visit my donation page https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/averagejoe. 

Seven Heaven

Well I'm pleased to announce that the Average Joe challenge is back up and running again after a two month gap and what a way to start again taking on the Coast to Coast challenge in one day!

Many people have enjoyed cycling the 140 mile route from the Lake District, across the Pennines and ending up in Tynemouth or Sunderland. But they usual do this over 3 or 4 days not try to tackle the beast in one day.

However after 14 hours and 12 minutes I finally crossed the finish line which means I've now completed 7 of the 12 challenges!

 

I should have known it was going to be a lot longer than I'd expected as the journey up to Whitehaven took over 7 hours thanks to joys of the M6 and the V festival and this set the tone for the weekend! 

But we arrived at the campsite just after 7pm which was only a few minutes walk from the beach and was very picturesque however meant the site was very windy.

I then shared a alleged 2 man tent with Chink (Andy Keeley pictured above) whilst the support team of my sister and Chinks wife Stacey slept in the camper van.

Due to an air bed that deflated quicker than an Arsenal fan on the opening day of the football season and what seemed like gale force winds at the camp site, neither chink or I really got any sleep, I swear at one point the tent was about to take off! 

Anyway the alarm went off at 5am and after getting the tent taken down (wind assisted) and eating some breakfast, we set off to Whitehaven harbour and the start.

At about 7am we set off from Whitehaven we were in high spirits given the lack of sleep however this lasted around 5 minutes when we realised we had got lost and had to pointed in the right direction by a kind local!!

When we finally found the right route it was not really what we expected with the first 5 miles being through housing estates going down alleyways, this meant we weren't really able to get up to speed. It was also around this time that the fine rain (you know the stuff that soaks you right through) started.

Having missed the support crew at our first agreed meeting point we carried on through to the end of the first stage at Keswick 31 miles in.

Here we refuelled and had our own pit stop before heading on off to Langwathby another 28 miles in to the route. 

It was here that the nerves were starting to kick in as we both knew that stage 3 was the toughest stage, it was here where all the major climbs were as we passed through the Pennines.

As we gradually started to climb the second highest climb on the route approximately 1998ft the wind and the rain intensified. Not only this but the mist started to roll in which given the fact that neither of us had lights on made it all the more grim!

We finally reach the summit of Hartside before a very long but quick descent. We met up with the support team shorty afterwards and it was at this point chink was starting to have some doubts about continuing.

But after a short break and some words of encouragement we both set off again. 

Less than a mile on and I think chink had some serious doubts as we started to climb up a very short but steep hill. We were not even halfway up when I heard chink make a very strange noise followed by the sound of metal on tarmac! That's right he had fallen off! This is the joy of riding a bike where you are clipped into the pedal as he had forgot to clip out!

We met the support team around 5 miles further on which was just before the highest climb of the route. Unfortunately after 75 miles, the combination of the hills and the weather had worn chink down and he decided to skip the rest of the hill section, get a change of clothes and get warm.

So I continued on my own towards Black Hill which stood over 2000ft. Despite this being higher than anything on the dragon ride (challenge 6) it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and as I reached the summit there was a break in the weather for the first time and a beautiful rainbow could be seen.

I think it was the satisfaction of reaching the highest point and the rainbow which lead to me sing somewhere over the rainbow at the top of my voice all the way down the other side!

After out manoeuvring some sheep on the road I finally completed the 3rd stage to Allenheads. Chink was now warm and fuelled again and agreed to rejoin me after the final climb another 12 miles away.

 

It wasn't too long before I reached Parkhead and I was rejoined by my wingman. I must say that I don't blame him for not joining me until then as the final climb was a right beast and although not the highest approximately 1600ft it was very steep over a 2 mile period!

So back together and after negotiating some signs that had been tampered with we reached the end of stage 4 atRowland Gills. At this point the adrenaline was starting to kick in as we only had 19 miles left to do and according to the map it was all flat!

We became so cocky we told the support team we didn't need them and to head off the the finish, at this point we had been going for around 12 hours!

Well the route was flat but along tracks/trails which had gates or meant we had to cross a road. This, like the start, meant we weren't able to really get a move on. What did get a move on though was the rain as we were treated to the heaviest downpours of the day.

We finally reached the river Tyne and were becoming very pleased with ourselves until we started to question where we were on the map.

We finally did the unmanly thing and asked someone if we were on the right path only to find out that we had actually gone round in a circle and were in fact almost back to the start of the final stage!

Now on the right path we tried to make up time but again the route was very stop start, however the mileage started to drop and with only 4 miles left we were thinking of the finish.....that was until I got a puncture!

137miles of hard slog ruined by a broken bottle on the streets of Newcastle!

But it was ok I had spare inner tubes and a portable pump...only my portable pump didn't work! I was getting angry and frustrated at this point and after getting some air in to the tyre we set off again with me trying to nurse it home.

This lasted about a mile as my tyre came off the wheel and the inner tube got wrapped around my brake causing it to split. Now close to tears and wanting to throw my bike into the Tyne my wingman stepped up and sacrificed himself well his bike anyway and told me to take his bike and finish!

And that was what I did, so with no map, no phone and the light now faded I cycled standing up (as the seat was far too low) towards the finish.

After getting a little bit lost I finally found the blue C2C signs that had got us from the west coast to the east coast and in the distance I saw 3 flashing lights.

One of the lights was a lighthouse in the harbour but the other 2 were the phones of the support crew at the finish line!

And at 9:12pm on Saturday 17 August, after 140 miles and 14 hours 12 mins after leaving Whitehaven I had finally reached Tynemouth, albeit on my own and on chinks bike!

Also at the finish were Claire, John and Joseph Lodge our friends and host for the night who had been waiting patiently for a couple of hours.

After dragging my very wet and muddy self back to the camper van and loading the bike we then set off to pick up a now stranded and cold chink.

With chink collected we set of for Whitley Bay and a fine feast of chilli, beer and Match of the Day!

Although it wasn't long before the efforts of the day finally kicked in!

The following morning after a good nights sleep and a big breakfast of sausage and bacon cobs it was time to clean/repair the bikes before loading them up for the journey home.

However with the sun now finally shining it meant we had one last thing to do before setting off and that was to go back to the finish together!

So only 5 challenges now remain and the next one is in two weeks time on 1 September the Essex 100.

All of this effort is to raise money for SpringboardOpportunity Group and to promote the great work they do.

To donate please visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/averagejoe

Finally thank you to chink, Janet, Stacey, Claire, John and Joseph for the support during this challenge as I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!  

 

Challenge 7 final preparations!

I'm writing this at 9:45pm lying in a tent on an air bed that has already started to deflate!

Some would say this is not the best preparation for cycling 140 miles but for me it has brought back a load of memories from when I cycled Lands End to John O Groats where I had to do that every night of the nine days!

We are staying on a very windy caravan park which is about 4 miles away from our starting point, I will be sharing a tent with my wingman while the ladies/support team have the luxury of the camper van. 

The plan is an early start for breakfast and then start cycling from 7am!

So for now I will sign off and try to get some sleep which is not very likely with a flapping tent but after all this is a challenge!

The journey from middle earth continues...

It seems like an eternity since my last challenge in wales and in all honesty two months is a pretty long time in the scheme of things.

I am well on the recovery from the attack of the hobbit feet and have been getting some mileage under my belt on the bike even if I can run properly at the minute (if you saw me run before you'd think what's new!).

Anyway it's just over a week until the start of challenge 7 which is to take on the famous coast to coast cycle ride in one day. This will be the longest of the cycle challenges and starts in Whitehaven in the North west goes up and over the Lake District through Newcastle and finishes 140 miles later at Tynemouth.

This is not part of an organised event so I apologise now to Team Average who are joining me on the challenge.

There are a number of familiar faces as part of the team for this challenge they include:

Big Sis

You may recall Janet joined me in stratford for the final leg of Challenge 4 - 6 marathons in 6 days.

This time she has gone from competitor to support crew which includes driving the camper van and being the chef during the challenge.

Next up is Russ

Russ is Eva's dad and he joined me on challenge 2 the New Forest Ultra. Now Russ is clearly the fittest in the team and I will be relying on him to get us around in one piece.

Finally let me introduce you to Andrew Keeley Aka Chink

Chink is my best mate who is a Team Average newbie and by his own admission has not done as much training as he'd like but in the 19 years that I have know him he can turn his hand to pretty much any sport and I'm sure this will be no exception.

So that's the team for this challenge, there is one other person to mention and that's Claire Lodge who has kindly allowed us to camp up at her house on the Saturday after the challenge, I hope you have plenty of hot water!!

There's now only a few days left to get some training in before the challenge, remember as always you can donate at https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/averagejoe