Science in Sport: Offer a helping hand...

This week SIS, Science in Sport, leaders in sports nutrition have stepped forward to help our team by providing their products to the team at a special rate.  With the amount of cycling ahead of this, this offer of support is welcomed and will really help keep the team focused and on the road at our peak performance.

My thanks to Iain Farrington and Pete Slater of Science in Sport for their generous offer.

Ian

A Massive thank you...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

And that does not feel like enough thanks for all of you that have already sponsored the team. A massive, huge, big, enourmous, humongous thanks to each and every one of you.

This weekend the sponsorship has surpassed £1600, and is still going strong. Knowing that we have this support behind us certainly spurs me on when faced with the steepest of hills, or when lacking in strength 50 miles into a training ride.

There are so many people we must thank for their kind support so far, every penny really helps make a difference.

So our thanks to Harry, for donating his pocket money, Gary MacKay, Max & Jenny Bruckshaw, John Atherton, Chris Swinnerton, Suzie & Keiran, Sarathi Balasundram, Chris & John Clark, Clare Saunders, Mark Foden, Rachel Berry, James Timmons, Deborah Bridges, Geoff & his Colleagues, Tom Wood, Davona Joslin, Graham Marsh and Lucy Phillps. There are also countless others that have added their support on one of sponsorship forms circulating currently. Thank you, each and every one.

I would like to add my personal thanks too Max and Jennny Bruckshaw from Bruckshaw Associates, who through their company and associated charity have pledged £500 to support our bike ride. Thanks guys.

On behalf of the whole team, THANK YOU ALL for your support and encouraging messages. The money you are raising will really help make a difference for so many.

We will be continuing our fundraising efforts over the next 9 weeks, so please do pass on the message to friends and family. With your help and support we will reach our target.

Ian & the whole JOGLE 2011 team

Ever closer

As Ian has already said, the ride is feeling closer and closer. Unlike Ian, I'm not increasing my distance at each ride (60 miles wow!), but instead just making sure that I'm getting time on the bike alongside general fitness. It will be interesting to see which one of us feels better after a couple of days into the actual ride (I think 'interesting' is the word, but I might be using other 'un-publishable' words by then).

Similar to Ian, I managed to do a another ride today. I even managed to unzip my top layer during a particularly sunny bit for the first time this year. I hope we have similar weather for the actual ride.

This adds to the 18 miles I managed to do in January (very cold!) and the 91 miles I did in February (not so cold). I also managed to keep up my rowing and did over 81 miles during January and February combined.

Today was also helped by the addition of a new saddlebag (no more having to carry a backpack) and my new assos bib shorts. I'll post a full list of kit and pictures of my bike closer to the ride.

A nice day for a ride...

The thing with riding most weekends is that you really notice the season as it changes. Today was the first day this year that there was not a chill in the air while cycling. You could say Spring was most definitely in the air!

It makes for a real pleasant ride, the sun was shining with little lambs in the fields jumping around. Although it also means the number of insects in the air is increasing. Dressing in day glow yellow makes you a massive target! I have managed to swallow a couple of small flies today and had a head on collision with what felt like a small sparrow but was really some fly type thing, but it hurt all the same :)

Had a good ride today, passing the 60 mile mark for the first time, and it even included the killer hill at Broadway again. I am aiming to be out again tomorrow morning to get the consecutive days thing going to see how my body copes. (fingers crossed)

The following "widget" should show the details of todays ride from the Map My Ride website its the first time I have tried cross posting so lets see how it goes.

Thanks for reading.
Ian

Ten Weeks to go.....

Ten weeks today we will be in the van hurtling our way up the country.

Thats only 72 days until we depart John O'Groats and to put that in perspective, Christmas day was 76 days ago!!!!

Like Martin I have been frantically ordering the various items of kit required. My Hybrid Road bike is beginning to look more like a fully fledged touring machine every day. The most recent addition a pair of shiny mudguards. Apparently they are important because when riding in a group you will not be popular if you shower those following you every time the road gets wet! Other additions include a handle bar bag, lights, waterproof phone mount, dual water bottle holders and clip in peals. My bike is even sporting my name and the union jack just like the Tour D'France riders. This is purely so when I am feeling tired I know which bike is mine!

I will try and post an updated picture after the ride this weekend.

Fund raising continues and we have passed the £1000 mark which is fantastic, in fact that could pay for a specialist break for a bereaved family, allowing them to spend time together and with other bereaved families. Talking to people who understand, in a sensitive, supportive environment, can provide real comfort. So thank you to everyone, family, friends, colleagues and well wishers for digging deep in the current economic climate to help support us and CLIC Sargent. The whole team really appreciate it.

Huw training hard in Italy last week!

Reality Dawns

Having returned in on piece from a great ski trip, I'm really focussing on 22 May now. Telephoning remote ( to me anyway) Scottish locations to book accommodation has made it all seem very real.

Back into the training now, and feeling good about my single day riding performance, I realise I need to start a few consequetive day longer rides. This still feels daunting, but very exciting.

Kit And Stuff

Trev has put together a great list, which resulted in me making another on line order - spare tubes, tyres, brake pads, lube, bar bag..... the list goes on! My once lightweight road bike is changing in appearance :(.

Fundraising

Nearly £1000 now! Fantastic, but please keep it coming !