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.
Day 1
Wednesday – 100 miles Hagley to Hereford
Thursday – 67 miles Hereford to Hagley
Friday – 71 miles Hagley to Banbury
Saturday – 69 miles Banbury to Hagley
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!!
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