Planning progress report

So time is ticking by quicker and quicker and october the 4th will soon be upon me.  The other day I made a list of everything I had left to plan and managedto sort a fair bit of it.
With the time getting ever closer the nerves are well and truly setting in and Im happy to say that it has certainly prompted me to get out on my bike more frequently and get some miles in. I went to wales the other day to cycle with Chris Summerill, a talented guitarist and occasional tri athlete, which meant the drive down was filled with a bit of trepidation about the ride to come, knowing as I did how hilly wales is and how badly I tend to go up hills. Still, it was a beautiful sunny day and we completed 55 miles at a reasonable pace, with chris kindly going slower than he normally would up the hills.
My good mood about how the ride had gone was increased further when I compared the hills with those that I will becoming up against on Route 66.  The climbs on Route 66 are long climbs and get up to a fair height, however most are long meaning that the average gradient is 2 or 3% compared to the 5 6 and 7 % that the welsh hills are made up of.
Socthats the training ongoing. As you might have seen, I also activated my SPOT tracker and set up my Spot adventures page details of which can be found on facebook or  click the following link  

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0PBZg8BR0J8drQqS5CnRjkBdWWyRlokiN

This enables me to send a check in/ok message to 10 friends and family every day and allows others to follow my progress on the online map on the adventures page, which is pretty cool.
I also notified the airlimes of my need to bring a bike with me which induced a mini heart attack when brussels airline mistakenly told me that united airlines would not allow my bike on board from brussels to chicago!
Following a suggestion from a friend I am also organising a quiz to raise more money and have had a good response from a local pub with help hosting it. Further details will be available on my facebook page.

Fundraising has got off to a good start with £1000 already generously already raised and names going on the prayer flags.  I hope to reach a target of my £2000 but am feeling the pressure of completing this challenge and not letting all those people down.

I have most of my kit sorted but am debating buying either a small solar charging panel or something like power monkey but time is running our to get this stuff sorted.

The gig at the end of the ride is pretty much there as regards to planning and I will be making an announcement soon about that.

So hopefully the final planning stages will go to plan (lol) and I will be setting out in october with everything in place.
So all that remains is to keep the legs going round and get some miles under my belt.

Regards the above: a few bits and pieces to discuss. I tried out hydro tabs (Mickey,  I think you should get some btw) as an alternative to the powdered electrolytes. And why I am singing their praises, hopefully if you picture the following scenario, you will understand the benefits.

Somewhere in the middle of the lake district, a lady with a touring bike is crouching by the roadside, as she is crouching she pulls out several bags from her panniers, each one filled with a measured amount of white granules.
Now transfer that story to the middle of , lets say, arizona, only this time the cops stop by.
So white powder not the best thing to be carrying about your person, especially in measured amounts in plastic bags, which I did for weight saving purposes.
So 9 months on and I have switched to hydro tabs, do the same thing, 20 tabs to a tube, which even at 2 a day means only 3 small tubes to carry, and no risk of being detained by the local law enforcement!

2nd thing to share is about connectivity. I am worried about relying on my tab to connect to back home, formapping etc but have found a reliable ish means of wi fi internationally. So fingers crossed it works or internet cafes will become my second home whilst away.

So about 5 weeks to go and the nerves have well and truly set in.
But I guess if this were easy, what would be the point.!

Gadget overload

So after my disasterous ride of the other day, I needed to get back on my bike for a short, feelgood ride, you know the sort where you fly along and feel as if you could go on for days pedaling at the same cadence (rate of pedaling).  I decided to go wherever the wind blew me so to speak but also to combine it with picking up my new gadget from my mum's house.

So with an unloaded bike (no panniers) I set off and was going at a reasonable rate. The roads were good, reasonably quiet, but with enough traffic so I didn't freak out and think somehow the world had ended whilst I was merrily going along.  Some nice coutryside with the odd slope to stretch my legs and the miles flew by.

Being tested on this ride was my new baselayer, as it wasn't too hot, and my cheap version camelback.  The good think about the camelback is , being able to drink while continuing on, meaning no frequent stops, scrabling for your water bottle whilst trying to balance yur loaded bike, or worse reaching down to your frame, whilst trying to keep an eye on the road for traffic, bumps and suicidal animals (see south to north wales bike ride blog to explain that one).

That's not to say that the camelback comes without it's own challenges.  Occasionally the water tube comes loose from its holder, threatening to disturb bike equilibrium, then have you ever tried to unfasten a drinking tube, open the catch, and bike and suck at the same time whilst pedaling along? Let me tell you it takes practice. I now like to think I have this down to a fine art, at least I no longer wobble furiously, scaring oncoming traffic, pedestrians and myself.

Thebaselayer did its job, I never got cold, I didn't overheat, tho this might be a different matter in the mojave desert and if I did feel more on the warm side (unusual for me), I just rolled up the sleeves, perfect.
Believe it or not, I havent yet had the chance to test out my new rain jacket.  Lightweight and hopefully waterproof, it will also be another layer and serve as windproofing if necessary. However I haven't felt the need to unfurl it as yet, but when I do, you guys wil be the first to know about it!

So this brings me to my final gadget. I stopped at my mums to oick up a device that will allow me to put my tablet on my bike therfore allowing easy access to maps, enabling me to navigate from the saddle without stopping to check the route every 10 mins.  Immediately fixed it to my bike and in due course set off the 2 or so miles back home.  Now english roads being what they are, it wasn't too long before I hit my first bump, not pothole you understand, this wouldnt have qualified or got anywhere close to that description.  This was a small bump in the road. My tabket promptly flew off its mounting and landed face down in the middle of the road. Dont think I've ever stoped so fast, dismounted and barely checking for oncoming traffic, dashed into the road to retrieve my surely broken tablet.
Pausing for effect. ..........

miracles clearly do happen cos not only did no car run over my expensive item, the screen was barely scratched, and it stil worked! Well done samsung, you have made a good product in my opinon.  Ok so the edges are dented but apart from being slightly miffed that my squeaky clean toy is no longer such, im very happy I havent got to fork out another 200 quid to buy another one. 
So what did I learn from this.?
Well ....
1. You can go one gadget too far
2. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
3. Its not the end of the world if I have to stop to check the map, it will provide an excuse to take a photo, take a breather and possibly eat something. 

So that's my ride for today. More lessons learned, more miles on the legs and one happier lid

Finally, just to take the time to plug my justgiving page.  Www.justgiving.com/Route66LHS.

I am cycling Route 66 to raise money for Love Hope Strength Foundation.  This challenge is by no means going to be easy for me.  I have no doubt that I am going to suffer  on a daily basis for 4 weeks. And you get to enjoy the suffering every day of the ride with this blog.
So please could you share this blog, share my just giving page, tell your friends about the nutter on a bike and if you can, sponsor me to help raise money for this great cause.  Thankyou and LHS.

VAIL ROCKED,

So yup its true, I went to Colorado for the weekend. So what does that have to do with Route 66 cycle ride you may ask. Colorado isnt anywhere near Route 66 right? Okay it kinda doesn't and was really just an excuse for going to see Big Country play, twice as luck would have it, and to walk up the spectacular vail mountain trail.

However there are several good excuses I have come up with which will reveal themselves if you want to read on.

I was lucky enough to have a voucher for delta airlines and it seemed rude not to use it.  So Colorado bound I was on Thursday.  I arrived, via detroit and a particularly horrible security and customs ordeal (apparently when there are loads of people waiting to get into your country its a good idea to remove some of the people behind the counters), at a reasonable hour and found myself once again in a car, on the 'passenger' side, with no clutch and saying out loud to myself at every junction "drive on the right"! REASON NUMBER 1: Driving practice!
Oh and as a footnote to the airport ordeal, they have signs greeting you and signs directing you to the tornado shelters. Well it struck me as a bit unusual....

I crawled (and I'm not joking) to my hotel, conveniently situated at the airport, and promptly got texted with an offer of a drink at the hotel by beki hemmingway, a person  have only met once, at the Gathering (Alarm fans will know what I mean). How nice is that! Fortunately I didn't have to drive anywhere as we went to a real American diner, with a neon 'diner' sign above the door. How cool!

Then collapsed in my bed, slept for what felt like 10 mins, woke up at 5am and trying to make the most of my day got ready sharpish and set off for the zoo, yup I know it was early but didnt have long as beki and kelley dooley creek were going to take me to Red Rocks park, and I refer back to the previous paragraph re my snail's pace driving!

The zoo, well I wanted to go to the zoo mainly because I knew they had a polar bear and we don't have any in the zoos in the uk.  I wasn't disappointed because they did have one, but it was kinda, "wow that's cool" , followed by unease because this lovely animal was in captivity and not in the wild.  I did get some lovely pictures of it tho ( found on my facebook photos.) A quick whizz round the rest of the zoo and then off to meet beki and kelly for a walk around the stunning Red Rocks and the amphitheatre there. You will have to look at my pics on facebook ( when I finally get home and post them) to fully appreciate how cool this place is. Highlight of the walk. .... me : "if you see a rattlesnake let me know! Kelly: don't worry, you will know about it from my screaming! Lol!
oh and I RAN up all the steps at the amphitheatre!

So then a brief pause, and off to the Big Country gig and a quick drink beforehand.  Mike Peters popped in for a quick chat, got to watch soundcheck and met up with the ever cool Rob Rushing, who was patient with me in explaining the differences in the swabbing process between the usa and the uk . REASON NO 2: 'helping' to swab people at the gig for Love Hope Strength Foundation. I met some real cool people who were doing the swabbing that night (yes im deliberately sounding american) who have it down to a fine art and didn't need my hinderance!

Then Big Country were on the stage, nuff said, and a cracking gig it was too! Mike and the boys did a fine job but (and maybe I do the americans an injustice) people were more sedate here, no jumping in the mosh pit for me, here wasn't really one.  Nonetheless once again the lyrics of The Journey, Hurt, broken promised land et al were blaring out into my eardrums making me one happy person.

Gigs in the us start later, well this one did, and as a consequence, I didn't start the drive to vail till gone midnight! Well I say I , but actually the very nice Rick/Rich drove me up there, following Rob in his car to arrive safely in time to get a whole 2 hours of sleep before we were up, ready to face the day, and a hike up Vail mountain, at altitude, for VAIL ROCKS!

REASON NUMBER 3: Fitness training (okay okay poor reason) really walking up a beautiful mountain with Mike Peters, James Chippendale, Cy Curnin, Brett Dennon and a few hundred fantastic people who have raised a bundle for Love Hope Strength Foundation! The walk is difficult to describe in one long narrative so here are some snap shots!

People signing Mike's guitar with their names
Chatting to many different people along the trail, making new friends along the way.
Realising that the altitude was suddenly noticable half way up, but using the wonderful scenery as an excuse to take a photo
Music breaks along the way
Mike making it to the top a week after treatment
Breathing fresh mountain air
A couple getting engaged at the top of the mountain , lovely people both and congratulations
The sense of cameraderie
Following the above : a restored faith in the basic goodness of many people
Sunshine ( no not burnt this time) and complaining about the heat ( lol)

And so many other little bits and pieces to mention, hopefully the photos on my facebook site will tell the story more eloquently than I ever could. Those who climbed with Lhs uk up Snowdon and Ben Nevis in the uk or have participated in any rocks events will know what I am trying and failing to adequately describe. Not only have Mike Peters and James Chippendale founded a charity that has already saved many lives but one that has its own . ...... (insert the word you think is appropriate)

So walk over ( sorry I admit, I took the gondola down, with 5 very cool people) ( photos on fb, please tag yourselves!), it was down to the lhs stall to set up and begin the swabbing. Damn it was a laugh and so great to talk to all the people who came over and spared 5 mins of their day , having already walked up a mountain, to swab, GET ON THE LIST, and potentially help save a life.  It didn't harm that the booth was in the perfect position to see the stage, and for me that Mike and James kindly signed my Vail Rocks t shirt, giving me the perfect souvenir! 225, yes that's 225 swabs later, BIG COUNTRY came on stage (lol twice in 2 days, cant get better than that!)  And now for the highlight of my weekend.  I was so lucky and got not only to sing (OR SHOUT) from the side of the stage but got to join mike and the boys on the stage along with some of the other volunteers for a rendition of Love Hope And Strength!

Yet another highlight to add to the memory bank.

Then it was all hands on deck to pack up, Including the stage Lol , which for me was the perfect ending to this perfect weekend.

So it is at this point in the post where I shamelessly self promote my bike ride and say thank you soooo much to all the people who have kindly offered help, emergency contacts, places to stay, tour guiding on my odd day off, said they would folow my ride with interest, said they would help set up donor drives along the way, said that they would join my bike ride for a day ( or more commonly volunteer someone else to join my ride for a day) And offer friendship and help to a total stranger! It is at times like this that I am reminded how lucky I am (without descending into sentimentality) to be a part of the wonderful cause that is LHS, and to have these opportunities to experience all that goes with it.  I think I have already thanked everyone I could think of and if you are still reading this, fair play, I thought you would have given up reading long ago.

VAIL ROCKED!

New Bike... 1st ride.....

New bike.. 

So for all those of you that have been kindly keeping an eye on my progress you will know that i have bought my bike for Route 66.  It was a struggle deciding whether to go for the dependable but heavier and possibly slower touring cycle - specifically made for long distance rides or the fast sleek, lovely road bike!  

Head ruled heart and I went for a Dawes Touring Galaxy AL13 - picked it up Sunday and today I took it out properly for the first time.  I haven't yet fitted a cycle computer to it so had no idea how fast I was going or how far i had gone so that left me with just how I felt about it to worry about.  Map my ride was tracking my progress which I have also posted up on my facebook page! www.facebook.com/Route66LHSCycle  This is my workout on Map my Ride : 

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/293618233

So initial impressions....

Well first I had to get used to changing gears all over again as on my old Dawes they are located on the frame.  These were located (as with all modern bikes) on the handlebars.  Getting used to this wasn't too bad, although did result in one hairy moment where I was trying to change gear and brake whilst coming up to a roundabout and unclipping from my pedal...  Didn't fall off though it was a close run thing!

Initially the bike felt heavier and more unwieldy than my old Dawes, which considering my old bike is steel framed was a surprise.  The bike is built for a more upright position but i spent most of my time on the drops (the part of the handlebars that curves round on a road bike) which is what i am used to doing - only problem is on long rides - riding with your hands on the hoods, (on the top of the bars) is considered to be a better position for all day riding.  this means that you are less aerodynamic but unless you are racing or going into a particularly bad headwind, this shouldn't be a huge consideration.

By the end of the ride, i still felt a bit disappointed in the handling of the bike and how it felt.  Now i know I'm not racing across America, but I've still got to cover a fair amount of distance and a lot of the mental positivity for me is convincing yourself you are going along at a decent speed so the mental consideration of this bike is a big one.  

The bike is a bit rattly which is due to the mudguards - considering the weather throughout USA at the time i am going is supposed to be good all the way along - i could risk removing them.  Why you ask??  Well it's all very well rattling along for an hour or two but this could very well grate endlessly on my nerves by week 4-  another mental positivity thing to consider - when I'm already broken I won't need something else to piss me off!!

Now it may seem as though I'm concentrating on the negatives, picking holes in the details... yes I am, I agree.  so now for the positives.

1st up.... the gears shifted well and when i got the hang of it, i like the new positioning of the gears.  Going uphill didn't seem very bad.  The pedaling action is smooth and lends itself to spinning up hills - usually with a couple of flicks of the gears down though!!  This might not mean much to non- bike-riders.  It rode the bumps of the Wokingham road in Reading well - no mean feat, and the saddle was reasonably comfortable - though I will probably swop it for my old one (the one i have 'broken' in.)

It might just be a case of getting used to the feel of a different bike and then i will be happy as larry again - or I might have to load it up with kit and then I will feel how good it is at what it is made for... or i might have to go on a very long day or two ride and then feel how well i and it cope with that before I'm sold on it.

The trouble is... in my heart of hearts ... I wanted the sleek shiny, lovely fast road bike.  But that wouldn't be sensible would it????

So I got home and after a slight delay, stopped the tracking on the Map my Ride app and looked at the data.  i was pleasantly surprised.  I had managed 13 miles without mishap, the speeds weren't as dire as I thought they were and total ride time (including stops for traffic lights/trains crossing and getting my bike back into the shed) was reasonable.  So maybe the bike isn't as bad as it feels and maybe it's just my head wishing I was on the other bike.

So maybe the sensible choice was a good one after all..... or maybe you will find me back at the bike shop ordering the other one :)

Tablet navigation

So I caved to modern technology and bought a tablet.  This you must understand was no small thing for a person who swears by paper maps and knowledge of how to read them.  So you may ask why the sudden change of heart.. well given the huge distance I am travelling and my not unreasomable fear of getting hopelessly lost (which would add to the mileage) carrying maps with enough detail would greatly add to the weight I have to carry.
So I bought a tablet with gps, the idea being that I could use technology to track my ride, pin poimt my exact location and direct me the correct way to go.
A week into test use and I have discovered a few pitfalls. 
1. Battery life.- The battery will not lastlong enough to track my ride for 10-12 hours of cycling
2. Wi-fi is not reliable enough to guarrantee a signal, especially in the desert!

So I  invested in an off line mapping system which has maps of the world that you can download when you have a signal. The problem being  that the free version doesn't include a search facility and this makes finding the area of the world that you are in difficult.

So given all this my plan?

I need to try a long ride (100) with the tracking to check the battery life and also perhaps try out the gps on the offline mapping system before investing in the paid upgrade.

Any suggestions, drop in to my facebook page, www.facebook.com/Route66LHSCycle and drop me a line!

Keep an eye out for  updates on the tablet cycling saga!

a quick note

So a small training ride 30 miles... lovely day but bit stressed out cos got things to do.  well into the ride and going well and i stopped for water and it struck me....

i was on my bike .. looking at a field with horses running around and I got that perfect moment feeling. . . . Have you ever had one of those? When the world stops around you and all other thoughts/worries disappear, leaving your mind free! Just thought I would share this with you. These are the moments that I cherish and generally get when on my bike in the middle of nowhere. . . try it, I think you will like it!

Reading to Brighton training ride

Destination Brighton ....  But it's not the destination that really counts...it's the journey!

So this was my first real ride for a long time... so perhaps it was a bit optimistic to aim for Brighton but the weather had seemingly turned in the past week and what could be better than end up by the sea on a sunny day.

Cue disappointment as I got up this morning to a grey, overcast day.  However I packed my kit and set off. I personally can't eat breakfast that earley in the morning but heading out on a long ride without it is not something I would recommend so this is a case of do as i say and definately don't do as I do.... It came back to hit me later as you will see! :)

So the first 10 miles out of Reading were in familiar territory.  that said i did have to refer to the map once which is a bit embarrassing but it did stop me having to do a massive detour so it was worth it.  The wind wasn't particularly strong (always a headwind when on a bike) and i probably set off a bit too fast... too enthusiastic. (Another mental note to myself.)  

The second 10 are generally when it hits a bit as the leg muscles get used to the repetitive strain injuries but generally the roads were good and i was making good time.

The same went for the next 10....

It was miles 40 to 50 when I hit the Wall.. not literally you must understand.  It is what is termed by cyclists as the bonk.. yes i did spell that correctly.  As any long distance cyclist will know what i mean.  suddenly any little 'bump' in the road is a mountain.  Your legs have difficulty turning the pedals on the flat...  The 2 mile per hour wind seems like a gale... you get the picture.  Any way i struggled on, knowing that this too will pass and i wanted to reach the 50 mile mark before i stopped for a proper rest and food.  

Also this was about the time I hit  the morale sapping A237 (I think that was the number) which undulates horribly!!

Admittedly at mile 48 i saw a nice spot to have lunch so i stopped, the reasoning behind it being that at mile 50 i might well be on a duel carriageway and that's not a nice place to sit and eat, although it does provide amusement for bored motorists!  Lunch consisted of a sandwich, chocolate, more chocolate and a packet of crisps = a couple of Dextrose tablets to top up the energy levels before the carbs kicked in.

FOOD works a treat cos mile 50 to Brighton (77 miles total) were a total breeze.. over the South Downs - I felt like I was flying along.  Then along the coast - Shoreham - Hove - Brighton.  Stopped for a coffee at Brighton Pier (mental note don't drink coffee on a bike ride - toilets can be hard to come by.

Took photos to prove I was there (www.facebook.com/Route66LHSCycle) , then headed off to the station in the hope that a) I could get a train that would have a space for my bike and b) wouldn't break my bank account!   

Unfortunately it was via Clapham and then the slow train (and I mean slow) to Reading - as a side note you wouldn't believe how many stations there are between these two station unless you are forced to stand up for the entire train ride!

So ... happy to have reached Brighton, slightly disappointed that the journey wasn't 100 miles (the ride back to my house from the station made it 80 miles total), but pleased that I didn't feel totally dead when i got home!

All that remains is to see if I can sit on my bike tomorrow! :)

Bikes and backpacks

First bike ride of the good weather for me... just a short one to start off again. Did a16 miles in an hour so not bad going.  I packed light, just the necessaries in case of emergency...

Water X3 bottles
Bike pump
multitool
maps
puncture repair kit
spare inner tubes X2
First aid kit
camera
phone
keys/wallet etc

The thing is because I packed light, i shoved it all in a rucksack, slung it on my back and off i went.  The thing is after 5 miles my shoulders began to hurt.
Now I'm no stranger to cycling with a backpack.  i cycle to work with one, i cycled from Snowdon to Ben Nevis with a very heavy one and similarly from South to North Wales (no panniers for that one).  but this got me thinking....

I have panniers and will use them for Route 66.  i have previously laughed at people on websites who have said under no circumstances tour with a rucksack and i have done 100 miles in a day wearing one.  Maybe it was because I haven't been on my bike properly for a while, maybe it's cos i'm getting older LOL but the fact remains that 5 miles in, my shoulders hurt, after 10 miles i was shifting position on the bike to get more comfortable and after the 16 i was very glad to get it off and sink into my comfortable sofa.

I was planning for Route 66 to just have a Camelback with keys, money and stuff I didn't want off my person in. But even that is sounding rather heavy at the moment.  I don't particularly want a bar bag but even a small backpack with a litre of water will be heavy after the 3 day of 100 miles.

Still i still have a fair few days to go to think up a solution.  Either that or just put up and shut up, with the thought that I'm going to be soooo knackered that i won't notice aching shoulders at the end of the day.

would be interested to hear your views on this.. ultimately I guess the less kit the better! And Pain is Weakness leaving your body so it's all gotta help! :)

Rhode Island

So I may not have mentioned that i went to Rhode Island for the weekend.  The trip had no cycling involved but it is the first time I have gone over 'the pond' and as such was an interesting taster of some of the stuff I would encounter on my month long bike ride.

My trip was to go and see Joe Silva play for a benefit for a young boy with cancer.  Joe has kindly donated his time to play at a gig at the end of my bike ride and the gig was 3 hours of non-stop musical fun. His album Blue is available on itunes and well worth a download!!

I also got to meet up again with some of the people who came to Joe's abbey road recording session so that was also great.

The trip was good for 2 other reasons (at least).

Firstly i got to experience driving on the other side of the road before I aim to do it on a bike! Now this had several pitfalls... One, I have never driven on the wrong side of the road, 2, the steering wheel is also on the wrong side and 3, I've never driven an automatic.  Add a downpour and it was one very scared Lid sitting in the car at Boston airport, plucking up the courage to press my foot on the accelerator (use only the right foot at all times).

I did make it to Rhode Island, although all the other cars on the road probably wondered why I was going so slowly (I did make it up to 60mph, i hasten to add), but have a greater appreciation for the road layout and how I'm going to cope on a bike.  It will be interesting and I think I'll be glad when i get out of the cities onto the open road!  the road seemed to be in good condition with not too many potholes or other bike obstacles, however I only saw one cyclist in my 3 days there but am hoping that it was the weather keeping them off the roads!
I was actually shaking though when I got there so hopefully i won't be shaking all the way from chicago to LA, it will make it harder!

The difficult part I think on a bike will be the junctions and getting in the right lane.  There will probably some areas where getting off and walking across will be a better option.

Other bits that i found interesting/amusing....

DRIVE IN ATM's and a DRIVE IN LAUNDRETTE....  haha!!!

I had a great time and all the travelling inevitably left me with a lot of time to think... especially as I switched flights because Delta offered me $600 to go via Amsterdam instead.

I was reading a book about a blind man who climbs mountains amongst other things.  It's these kind of people that inspire me.  there was a passage in his book about what freedom meant to him and it struck a chord with me....

Perhaps it was freedom to make of my life what I wanted it to be, or at least the freedom to try, or to fail in the trying.  Perhaps freedom itself was unobtainable and the goal was only to reach for it, strive for it, knowing all along that i would fall well short.  Perhaps the importance was in the reaching out, and in the impossibility of it all, and in the reaching out through the impossibility.


So through this trip I rediscovered my motivation.  i may fail to get to LA in time.  Circumstances may prevent me, my battered body may prevent me, someone may prevent me,.... but at least I will have tried, which is the most we can ever do.  With that in mind ... after the latest round of gigs, I will get myself on my bike, start my training again with this new found purpose.

Motivation...

For those who think I'm super motivated, read on.....

So onto the all important question of motivation.. nope I'm not talking about the motivation to cycle across America ( chance to see some great sites.. check... raise some money (hopefully) for a good cause ... check... Peace and quiet of solo cycling... check) , I'm talking about motivation to get on my bike in wind, rain and snow and pedel for 4-5 hours on roads I have been up and down so many times I've lost count with no real aim but to complete a specific mileage and get home.

It's been lacking in the last month or so and I'm trying to work out why when clearly it's going to make my life in October that much easier.  I've used all the excuses under the sun... It's wet (yes but it might be wet in Chicago), i'm tired (ditto reply) i haven't got enough time (I could be on my bike instead of writing about it on this blog) and none of them seem good enough.

I'm keeping up my fitness by going climbing regularly - only slightly warmer mind you- and have just got back from walking in the Brecons but i need time in the saddle to recreate the feeling miles on my legs in preparation.

So any suggestions would be welcome ....

My plan is to wait for a day where the rain is at least not threatening to batter me off my bike and just go, hopefully if I keep doing this it will become more of a habit and as time presses on and the day to depart comes closer maybe fear of failing will be the motivational factor that I need... until then I will keep plodding motivationless onwards until one day (hopefully soon) I will start to enjoy it again and the thought of sitting on my saddle will be one i look forward to!

How it all began...

For those of you remotely interested, i realised that i had jumped ahead slightly and hadn't given any time as to how this idea started and grew to the point where I found myself booking flights for America!

I had already done South to North Wales in 2011 on my MTB and was signing up for Snowdon and Ben Nevis the following year... in a passing conversation with Kat (LHS Chief Exec) she jokingly suggested that I cycle between the two... little did she know that that was the start of all this... the idea took root in my head and the following year I found myself standing at the top of Nevis having cycled 472 miles from Snowdon to get there!

At the gig on the Fri night before Nevis climb i was chatting to some people, when someone asked what I was doing the following year...

Jump back to a facebook conversation with Lily Elsayed.... I have always wanted to cycle across America (half jokingly)... well I know someone who wants to drive Route 66, they could be your support vehicle, came the reply...

Initial laughter.. then ideas started spinning round my head, a few mapped out routes later and the idea was solid in my mind.

That's the power of suggestion at work!  So unless you want to me to cycle round the world, climb Mt Everest (although that i would happily try), or get lost in the jungle of Bolivia whilst trying to cycle the length of S America, don't suggest it as a passing joke... it  will start off as a vague idea, form into an outline and end up as a fully formed plan, with tickets booked and lead more stress for those that get worried about me doing these things solo (see previous post)....

So saying that someone mentioned an Alaska bike/walking endurance challenge, then i saw a picture of the Alaska highway.... so it looks like another year's challenge... ahhgggg better get this year's over with first right????

Time flies when you are planning.....

209 days to go... yes that is 209 days until I fly out for the great unknown... well chicago anyway to begin my journey over 4 weeks to Santa Monica Pier.

I have spent the last 6 months since my last bike ride planning this in my head and now the plans are slowly starting to come together... a few bumps in the road aside.. it has gone well.

So to address the bumps...

I am now doing this solo... not a problem in my book but this seems to be a big hurdle for a few of my (very good and well meaning) friends.  The big problem in their book is the danger aspect of being female and cycling solo.  I try to cite examples of those who have done similar things before and survived to write books.  I say that I know people in the USA who will help me in an emergency... I say that I could just as easily be hurt or worse cycling in this country.  All these arguments fell on deaf ears and were met in some cases with glares!!   Now i know they mean well, and it comes from worry but I will be fine.  It's not as if i haven't undertaken some bike touring solo already (Snowdon to Ben Nevis and South to North Wales, ok so it's on a bigger scale), and I'm not going to some war - torn country or the jungles of Belize or Everest (though I'm not ruling any of those out for the future!).

However if I wanted my life to be bearable for the next 209 days, i had to think of a solution to ease their worries.  Enter SPOT, a device that will enable me to send messages to friends and family to let them know i am ok , without the need for a phone signal.  It can call emergency rescue wherever you are in the world to your exact GPS location and can track where you are at any given time.  Expensive but well worth the lessening of glares and the guilt at making them worry!

Next bump...  Am I capable of this ???  So now i have to carry my kit, which means buying a bike that is more durable and less light and speedy, making the task harder.  Cycling 100 miles a day is not a problem for me... cycling for 2/3/4/5 days in a row of 100 miles a day, bit tougher but still doable in my book, cycling 100 miles a day for 4 weeks, we shall see....


Time to train....  Anyone that knows me knows that I have little spare time... I seem to have something to do most days.  Fitting in work, climbing, studying, Alarm gigs, and some sleep take up most of my time.  The key will be organisation and just getting on with it.  Easier said than done but I must fit in time to train otherwise I'm in danger of keeling over more than a few miles from Santa Monica!!!

So those are the bumps.. now to concentrate on the positives....

I have booked my flights, so no turning back.
I have mapped my exact route.
I have started to organise a gig in LA at the end of the ride and have the incredible Joe Silva playing with a couple of other musicians TBC
I have done some training
I have done a bike maintenance course (just in case)
I have wonderful friends and family that will support me even if they are worried
I am going to get to see America the proper way
I will raise money for a good cause and hopefully sign people up to the bone marrow donor's list along the way!!!

So watch this space for updates, a day by day blog of the agony when I start, and other musings of a long distance cyclist!
Lydia