Wahhey – 300 Miles ‘Not the London to Paris’ bike ride

Exhausted but very very happy🎉🎉

Yesterday I completed my goal of cycling 300 miles within the UK, in aid of Myeloma UK. Just 12 months after my second stem cell transplant.

When I first signed up for the London to Paris in January, even I thought I was mental (although would never have admitted that to anyone!!). Not being a cyclist, the fact I had to start by just getting a bike for me was a massive step. When it arrived I didn’t even know where the gears were – it was 25 years since I’d last ridden a bike at uni and to say they’re different now is a total understatement!!

I have been so lucky though, with friends helping me to purchase the bike, strangers offering to pay my fees for entering the ride and the local bike club (Stourbug Cycling Group) teaching me how to ride, supporting me with many practice rides, and coming to my rescue when a couple of months ago the main ride was cancelled.

They put a route together for me, rekkied it, and most importantly came with me from Wednesday to Saturday.

Wednesday – 100 miles Hagley to Hereford

Thursday – 67 miles Hereford to Hagley

Friday – 71 miles Hagley to Banbury

Saturday – 69 miles Banbury to Hagley

Day 4 Banbury to Hagley – 300 miles completed!!

We did it!!! And at a faster pace than I ever thought I could do for that distance.

I am so pleased to have made so many friends through doing this ride. When I started I never thought of joining a club but realised I had to learn to ride as a group. And I’ve never looked back. And it doesn’t end now as I will keep up my riding and training (perhaps a bit less over the winter!!) so that I can do the official ‘London to Paris’ in September 2022, health permitting. I’m still super keen to do that as I know that will be a wholly different experience that will be amazing.

It will also be different as I’ll have to train whilst having a full-time job! I’ve accepted a Community Fundraiser role which begins at the start of October. So life becomes a different sort of busy!

If anyone would still like to sponsor me, please take a look at my JustGiving page here. I’m at 80% of my target so am over the moon with that!!

About Deb Gascoyne

I am wife of one, mother of two (& a dog!) and a person in my own right😊. I have used my diagnosis of myeloma to allow me to focus on what I CAN achieve and not what I can't. My blog is a way of me spilling out....it is for me more than you I'm afraid. But if it helps you along the way, that is an absolute bonus for me :-) Diagnosed in 2009 with smouldering myeloma, I started treatment in 2010 and had a SCT in 2011. I’ve was on maintenance until November 2018 but my figures went up so officially relapsed. I have been on dara since 2019 and had my second transplant in September 2020. Still on dara and keeping fingers crossed.

View all posts by Deb Gascoyne →