After a few hard days training and team building in the Lake District, our next team ride was arranged to start at Stirling University. Before we could embark on our cycle however, we had our official photo shoot of the team. They seemed to think photos of us in Lycra would help raise (sympathy & therefore) more money! The thought of being ‘famous’ was enough to encourage Stuart Henderson away from his solo-cycling & to join a team ride for the 1st time.
Some of us are naturals in front of the lens, being surrounded with bluebells, sun and the stunning Stirling countryside (Pat and Aileen), and some of us, not so (the rest of us). You’ll all see the results of the shoot soon we’re sure.
Photo-shoot complete it was time to hit the rolling roads of Stirlingshire, and Perth and Kinross, for a 45mile run covering 2,073ft of climb, and after the mechanical mis-haps of Penrith we were hopeful of no incident…………………no such luck!
After picking Joe up from the middle of the road, we took a few minutes to gather ourselves & thank our lucky stars that Joe’s accident was no worse. Over the recent rides, we’ve become a very close team, all looking out for each other as we ride in a tight group. It’s a great feeling, but we’re also learning (sometimes the hard way) how risky this can be. It did really hit home the ‘challenge’ that lies ahead, not only the distance, and climb but the interaction between us and traffic, and each other on the roads.
Incident overcome the route really was a pleasure to be on, rolling hills, and cracking views, topped off with the great feeling of a downhill, wind assisted run to the finish, let hope for plenty of them to come!
Next team run…….yikes it’s the actual bike4forty ride!!!!!
Well, we’re just back from Training Camp, otherwise known as Center Parcs in the Lake District – great cycling conditions and some spectacular scenery.
It sounds nice but this was no holiday. It was more a tale of blood, sweat and tears; huff, puff and burn; the ‘Twin Peaks Experience’; and a few ‘mechanicals’ thrown in for good measure……!
The majority of the team was there and were joined by Donnie and Kevin from our event organising company, Sport Ecosse, giving them their first opportunity to gauge our readiness and ability to ride as a team. Safe to say, we all have a much better feel for what we have got ourselves into……!
The weekend of training saw the team negotiate a total of 150 miles and 10,000 feet - equivalent to one fifth and one third of the bike4forty distance and climb stats respectively with Day 2 presenting the greatest challenge by some way. Especially planned by our kind-hearted Sport Ecosse coaches, it involved a thigh-burning and energy-sapping 5,300 feet of altitude gain including the now-christened ‘twin peaks’ of Shap and Kirkstone Pass. Great preparation for the main event and a real eye-opener for all……
We are all training hard and ‘aiming big’ and we are very grateful to everyone who gets behind the team, donates and helps to give us the motivation that will get us through what will be - for some at least! - the physical ordeal of a lifetime……!
We hope to not just achieve, but smash, our Forty Thousand Pounds fundraising target in aid of The Archie Foundation, Beaton Cancer Charity & Christie Cancer Charity.
A special mention must go to our event sponsors without whom bike4forty would not be possible – Encon, Burness Paull, Morton Fraser, NHBC, Extended Mind, WA Fairhurst, Future Factory, SMEG UK and Eclipse Planning Services.
Your support is greatly appreciated. Please visit the Virgin Money Giving page
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/StewartMilnebike4forty to watch our fundraising total grow.
Many thanks,
The bike4forty Team
Great couple of days spent in the Lake District training for the bike4forty challenge ahead. Cycling from Penrith to Kendal over the Shap climb, down to Windermere then back up over the Kirkstone pass and back to Penrith was definitely a day to remember. Only 37 days to go!