A Sunday of Santas and Cycling

I have to confess that yesterday was a bit of a shock to the system! It's become a bit of an annual tradition for us to take part in the Santa Run. The first year it was in Torquay, last year it was in Paignton and this year it was in the centre of Exeter. This year, however, I've done absolutely no running for months (probably not since the last Santa Run!) - so even though it's only a mile, it was a bit of a struggle! I determinedly kept going despite feeling out of puff after just running the length of the high street, then I got stitch coming back up through Southernhay, but as it was only a short stint back through Cathedral Green and on to the finish in the High Street (and because there were lots of people watching and I couldn't stand the embarrassment of stopping to walk!) we kept going!

I don't think the event had quite the same atmosphere as the other two I've taken part in, but it's still a nice fun and festive thing to do. This was the first year we'd picked up our Santa Suits first so we walked into town and back dressed as Santa, which created a bit of interest from passers by! Most people just said Merry Christmas and some kids said 'Hello Father Christmas' which was very sweet. Only one stroppy little madam stopped us and said 'I want a present'!

We had been planning to drive out to the CTC Christmas Lunch - partly because we thought we'd be short of time if we cycled and partly because the weather forecast had been awful! As it turned out though, it was a glorious day and we decided to go for it even though we had no idea of the best cycling route to take. It's amazing how you don't realise how hilly some extremely familiar roads are until you cycle on them! We set off out towards Heavitree and then cut across to Pinhoe to follow the road out to Broadclyst. For the most part it was fine, other than some vehicles driving a bit too close for comfort. The rain held off until we passed the sign into Broadclyst, so we pedalled hard to get into the dry. I'd brought a spare top to change into, but as it was so nice when we left, I didn't bother with spare trousers! As we came to the turning for the Red Lion, we saw the familiar faces of CTC riders coming in the other direction - it had all worked out perfectly!

Lunch was lovely and much needed after the morning's exertions! I started livening up a bit once I'd had my turkey and it was good to catch up with people we've not seen for ages. We recommitted ourselves to getting back into some proper training again in the New Year and Kirby instantly had a 100km ride up his sleeve for us to aim for in March...so that's the new goal!

We headed off quite soon after lunch so that we should get back before it got dark. That was when I decided that the coffee and mince pies might have been a course too far! (Although I don't regret having the mince pie as it was gorgeous - nicer than the previous two I had eaten, which is a good recommendation when one had been from Michael Caines cafe and the other was from Killerton - got to keep up the foodie facts for all my non-cycling friends!). Heading out of Broadclyst and towards Pinhoe the road seemed to have got longer since we arrived - probably because we were going up it rather than down! We had a slight hitch when Ant's chain came off his bike, but I was glad to stop and catch my breath - and Kirby magically appeared from round the corner to offer assistance! We were already on our way again by then though, so we waved goodbye to Kirby and made our way back into Exeter.

I picked a different route back through Whipton and then left at Polsloe Bridge to cut through to Heavitree. Yet another route I hadn't realised was so hilly! It wasn't as bad as it looked though as we got up quite a bit of speed on the downhills and whizzed most of the way back up the other side. Yet again, we were really lucky with the rain which started belting down when we were only a few corners from our front door.

All in all a lovely festive day out! I have been a little sore today, but I think that's mostly from the shock of running rather than getting back on the bike! Every time I cough something inside hurts, but I'm sure it must be good for me!

We're not planning another ride now until Boxing Day - so if I don't blog again before then, I wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Signed on the dotted line....

Well, that's it! I have officially signed up for the London to Paris cycle ride! I have signed my papers and paid my deposit, so there's no turning back now!

Hopefully that will motivate me to get out on the road again and do some proper training. I'm hoping to get a couple of decent rides in before Christmas and then start training again in earnest in the New Year. Kirby had a whole list of rides up his sleeve to suggest, so there's no shortage of opportunities!

For those of you that read about my back trouble it seems to have cleared up completely, so I'm delighted. I don't understand how something so painful can appear and then dispppear again so quickly, but I hope that's the end of it.

Paris here I come.....! Wooohoooo!

Trundle to Topsham

I've not cycled at all since the Coast to Coast trip and I'd been really looking forward to getting back out on my bike again. I was worried my fitness levels would have dropped and that I would struggle to keep up, but hoped we'd soon get back into the swing of things again.

As it happens, a ride with the CTC wasn't to be. I've been struggling with back ache on and off over the last couple of weeks and I was very sore when I woke up this morning. I didn't want to hold up the group and I certainly didn't want to end up miles from home with dreadful back ache and no choice other than to cycle back again.

My initial plan had been to do a trial ride on Saturday to see how I got on, but I was put off by the rain and gales and decided that if people were being advised against going shopping, I probably shouldn't be going out cycling with a bad back!

I was determined to get back on the bike again though. Darker evenings and lots of weekends away have made it difficult to keep up with any training and it was a beautiful morning, so we decided I'd try a short cycle ride to Topsham. I lowered my bike seat to make it easier to mount and dismount, even though that would compromise my cycling position a bit.

We didn't choose the best time to go out as it seemed everyone in Exeter and their dogs had decided to go out for a walk, so I had to get off and walk over the two bridges to the canal path as it was far too busy to cycle. I then had to stop again on the way to the Double Locks as I'd not worn my cycling glasses and I got a little black bug in my eye. Sadly he was looking rather squished as I scooped him out with my finger, so I think it was worse for the bug than it was for me!

We took the ride gently and I'm delighted to say that I felt ok whilst I was cycling, so that's good news. It was great to be on the move again and I'm really pleased I made the effort to go out when I really didn't feel like it. I'm not sure I could have managed much further than Topsham as I was getting sore as we arrived into Topsham. We had a long leisurely break there before heading back, but I was starting to tire and feel uncomfortable again as we got back towards the Quay.

Anyway - enough of the complaining! We had a lovely day - the sun was shining in Topsham, the ducks were waddling along the quayside and we had a lovely pub lunch. They'd forgotten about our order and kept us waiting for ages - and to apologise, they gave us one meal free, so it was a bargain too!

We've also got our new garage since our last ride, so it was very exiting to be able to cycle back and put our bikes in there! Hoorah! We're really busy again over the next couple of weeks, but I hope to be back out with the CTC again soon enjoying tea and cake and catching up with everyone -hopefully socially rather than literally!

Here it is at last...the full Coast to Coast Report!

Thursday Preparations

On Thursday night Ant and I had to pack for the big adventure as we were leaving straight from work on Friday. I fitted my new bike lights, squeezed into my new 3/4 length cycle leggings (bit tight, but they'll have to do!) and we took the bikes out for a last quick ride. We then rode straight to my office at the Academy so that the bikes could be picked up on Friday morning.

Frantic Friday and Finally on our way
Friday morning began with lots of excitement. The other 5 participants were all bringing their bikes into the office so that they could be taken on the trailer up to our starting point at Blue Anchor Bay. The office was full of bikes and we did a quick photo shoot with a couple of members of staff. No one else was in the office that morning, so surrounded by bikes I attempted to settle down to some work and ignore the rain outside. Before long, Nigel and Claire had arrived to pick up the bikes. We carted them outside, took off the front wheels and got them onto the trailer. Happy with a good morning's work, I headed back to the office for a nice cup of tea.

Unfortunately I didn't get to drink this as I had a phonecall to say Nigel needed a car and some jump leads... Putting my coat back on I headed out to the front of College. There was already a car pulled up alongside and some jump leads attached, so I thought the crisis was over, took some photos and was about to head back to the office when I noticed the car pull off and Nigel signalling to say the battery was still dead. Surely no need to worry - with an overflowing car park, someone must be able to help us out. One of the Academy's vehicles was in the car park so I went off to get the keys for that and headed back outside. At first I thought I couldn't get it started because it was an automatic - but it turned out that vehicle had a flat battery too. Oh dear. Back outside, the maintenance guys had found Nigel and had pulled up with their little van. Then we were scuppered again as the minibus needed to get through and the van would have to move...and then it was decided that the minibus would be the best vehicle to use to try and get Nigel going again. The students about to get on the bus patiently huddled out of the rain as the minibus was hooked up. After a couple of minutes...success! Hoorah!! Nigel could get on his way again and was heading to Marsh Barton to complain that his not too old battery had given up the ghost. (It later turned out that the battery was faulty and he was given a new one.)

Soaked through and soggy I went over to reception to collect the post and then came back to the office to try and dry out my things before we left for the campsite. Not quite the start to the weekend that I had imagined! After all the excitement, the rest of the day seemed rather dull, but come 4pm it was great to meet up with everyone and get in the car. It was finally time to head off. After an unscheduled stop at McDonalds on the way and a couple of wrong turns (sorry guys!) we arrived at the campsite to find our tipi set up in the bottom corner of the field with a lovely wood burning fire already lit to keep the coldness at bay. It was quite mild at the start of the evening and we all sat outside drinking tea, discussing the events to come and determinedly trying to stay up until 10pm so that we would sleep as well as possible before setting off the next day. We had a bit of light drizzle and the wind got up a bit making it colder, but we braved it outside under the canopy of the food tent, putting on more layers to keep warm. Once I'd made the decision to go to bed, everyone else followed and by the time I'd got back from the toilet block the others were all tucked up in their sleeping bags.

I'd like to say I slept well and woke feeling refreshed and ready for the challenge. I didn't! It took a while to drop off to sleep and I had a very cold nose! Then the rain started lashing down and it was windy and I stayed awake for ages dreading having to do the full event in the pouring rain. Even though I knew the forecast was for rain on Friday night and good weather on Saturday, it's hard to believe that when you're lying in a tent feeling cold and listening to the rain lashing down.

The Big Cycling Day
As forecast, Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful. I thought I'd got up in plenty of time and headed off to have a wash and get changed. By the time I got back everyone else had eaten breakfast and packed up their stuff. Eeek! Luckily our breakfast rations were easy to cook - a bag of beans and sausages that just needed to boil for a few minutes. It was surprisingly delicious! Perhaps eating rations wasn't going to be so bad after all (better than McDonalds in my book!) Everyone gathered together and put on their hi viz vests whilst Nigel gave a safety brief and talked us through the day. Nigel would go ahead to each rest point and Ed would follow behind in case of any problems along the way. Before we set off my stomach was lurching as I didn't know how the day would go or whether I would manage the distance myself and as I'd organised the event I felt an overwhelming responsibility for everyone.

As we set off, my nerves calmed a little and it was good to finally be on the way. I thought back to the day when Ed first popped into the office and said he had an idea for fundraising and I was delighted we'd got the event together. The first section involved some steep downhill lanes and as we cycled along the adrenalin wore off and the lack of sleep from the night before made itself apparent. I didn't feel particularly awake and I knew I just had to keep pedalling as each section would get us nearer to our final destination. We had a bit of stop start section to begin with, stopping first to take off some layers and then again for when everyone got separate at traffic lights going through a village - so when we came to the first stopping point, we decided to cycle on and get a few more miles under our belts.

I knew the first section of the ride would be the hardest as it involved a long uphill section. This turned out to be very tough and had I known just how long it was going to go on for I probably would have stopped cycling a lot sooner! As it was, I kept going and going and going at a very slow pace and then pulled into a layby to take a breather. Jim was waiting there and we stopped to have a snack and some water and to wait for the others. After a while we thought we should probably move on again, as Gareth had already gone ahead to the next stop and we wanted to keep the group together as much as possible. Jim went back to check up on the others as we moved on to catch up with Gareth. Just as we'd started heading on up the hill, Jim came past and asked if we could try and contact Nigel. We had one person struggling with the chain on their bike and suffering from cramp and another person feeling poorly. Not a good start. I tried to contact Nigel, but I had very little signal and then when I did get through, there was only an answer message. I could only hope that Ed would be close behind them and could radio to Nigel if needed. It turned out that the village and our next stopping point was only around a couple of corners, so we pushed on and met up with Gareth there. Not long after arriving, Ed and the others turned up. After a bit of a break, some more snacks and some work on one of the bikes, everyone felt ready to move on again. I was glad to have the group back together and although I hadn't dared to hope that the hilly section was over, we had a fantastically quick, mostly downhill section to the next stopping point.

With spirits bouyed again and only another 10 miles to go to lunch and the halfway point, we re-stocked our water supplies and set off. The sun was now out and getting warmer and our route took us through shady trees and delightful riverside views. Ant almost got taken out by a pheasant who flew out of the hedge, but luckily he avoided this and we carried on without incident. After another 8 miles we all carefully crossed the black cat junction (helpfully signed by a picture of a black cat - although I didn't stop to photograph this) and had a final water stop before completing the last two miles to lunch. There was a sneaky bit of unexpected hill which almost caught me out, especially when a fly landed on my nose and I coudln't get rid of it - but I pushed on and found the others stopping for a breather just round the corner. Just a bit further on we came to the Exeter Inn, our stopping place for lunch.

Following Jim's example and shunning the ration packs to 'make the best use of available resources' we ordered a nice pub lunch. Unfortunately it took a while for the second batch of lunches to come, so we found ourselves having to eat up quickly, but it was a very pleasant stop and good to stretch our legs for a bit. Some people were starting to get very stiff at this point and I was worried that they might find it more difficult to keep going in the afternoon - but being fantastic team that they were, they all kept smiling and hopped back on their bikes again.

The next section of the route took us through Tiverton, which I didn't enjoy much at all. Luckily we all kept together as I wouldn't have had a clue which way to go through the centre. We were soon through all the roundabouts and out on the cycle path on the road out of Tiverton. This was a mixed blessing as the road surface was really rough and despite being flat, it was very uncomfortable to ride on. I had a bit of a hairy moment going through some roadworks that were controlled by traffic lights. Three of us were together behind one car and as the lights changed and we followed through the lane on the other side of the road, a car was about to try and overtake us in much too narrow space. I couldn't believe they had even thought it - but fortunately they backed off and thought better of it.

Before I knew it we were at our next stopping point in Bickleigh - another pub, but no sneaking inside for supplies this time. Just a quick stop in the car park to top up our water and eat some more snacks. There was some hilarity from a coupleo of people who had seen a vibrator in the road, but I'd completely missed that! Now with only 16 miles to go to the campsite I felt like we were nearly there and was confident that we'd all make it.

Although we did all make it, I shouldn't have been so confident about being nearly there - no one had mentioned that there was a lot of uphill in the next 16 miles! We headed out of Bickleigh, familiar territory to us thanks to the CTC rides, and then turned off towards Silverton. This was completley new to me and I had no idea how the route was going to get us from there to Clyst St Mary - I just couldn't map it together in my head. The lane was immediately hilly and I thought I was going to have to get off and walk. Just a bit further, just a bit further I kept saying to myself and I could hear Kirby setting me a target of just getting around the next corner...and indeed, finally round one of the next corners the road flattened out a bit and I could see Jim and Gareth waiting up ahead at a roundabout. Now only 10 miles to go - into Broadclyst, into Clyst Honiton and out to Clyst St Mary.

Joining the main road into Broadclyst we made good progress, although I was baffled by the traffic calming measures. I've no idea how to explain what they were like, other than that they were very juddery to cycle over! The hill up into Broadclyst was a bit of a struggle and I was starting to tire, but determined to keep going now that we were getting so close. Pulling into the car park outside Clyst Vale Sports Hall I reminisced about my school days - my fear of P. E. lessons and my absolute hate of cross country runs. Who would have thought I would have been cycling 50 miles across Devon in a day - and thinking myself that it would be a good idea?!?

From here we cycled along a very familiar route - the route I used to take on the school bus every day back to home in Clyst Honiton. This whizzed by and again I thought back to those journeys and how crazy it would have seemed to think about cycling that route! Despite being downhill I found cycling down the old A30 wasn't much fun and the road surface wasn't great - but it was so fantastic to be cycling through Clyst Honiton. I was desperate to stop off at my mum's for a nice cuppa and to tell her we'd just cycled there from up near Minehead! The others were off though and I coudln't let them get away at this stage. It suddenly dawned on me that the route to Clyst St Mary was the road we used to drive all the time when I was younger, through the lanes where we'd go blackberry and elderflower picking and also a route we sometimes cycled to go the shop in Clyst St Mary. If I could do it when I was 7 I must surely be able to do it now!

I'd forgotten just how far the route was and indeed how hilly! After the first section and a steep hill I thought we were almost there, only to discover there was another steep hill to come. Feeling really tired now and regretting not having a snack at the last stop I was determined I wasn't going to stop and walk any of the route when I'd got this close. Trudging along in my lowest gear and weaving slowly up the hill, struggling for breath and gritting my teeth I finally came to the top. It was a struggle to keep pedalling as the route flattened out, but I wasn't giving up now! Arriving in Clyst St Mary was a real buzz! Woohoo, we've made it! Celebrations in the car park....

...oh, by the way, the camp site is another 1.8miles outside of Clyst St Mary...and yes, we do have to cycle up the main road. Doh! I don't think I've ever cycled up that stretch of road so slowly and turning off into the lane towards the farm I hoped it would be a nice downhill run. Er...no... It was all slightly gently up hill all the way. Surely it must be somewhere near here? Ah yes, finally there was the sign and we turned into the lane! Hoorah! Spotting Nigel and the trailer in a field I pulled up thinking I'd done it, only to find that to get into the field, we had to go all the way down to the bottom of the lane and then all the way back up the other side of the hedge. Well, we've come this far... Cycling up the field was very hard work, but those ahead of me had done it and I wasn't going to be on video pushing my bike through the field! Stepping off the bike I reached for the camera to photograph the others arriving. What a day!

On arrival at camp we all stood around and watched Nigel and Ed putting up the tipi. We all wanted to help, but didn't really know how to help and were just far too tired to do anything useful. Claire showed us all up by getting off her bike and immediately going to help put up the tent...well done Claire!

My highlight of the evening was Teal. Nigel had been to pick up his gorgeous springer who is a very well trained gun dog and is clearly Nigel's girl. It was so good to watch her scampering about and lovely to have some doggy cuddles after such a long day. We also had an entertaining moment when the portaloo was brought up on a tractor and was promptly deposited in the hedge. Sadly I didn't capture it on video, but I did whip my camera out for a quick snap of Nigel helping to put it upright again!

I was feeling much more relaxed having completed the bulk of the challenge and despite my legs hurting every time I attempted to stand up or sit down, I wasn't feeling as bad as I thought I might. Over our ration packs (Chicken Casserole, followed by Chocolate Pudding in Chocolate Sauce for me...yum!) we empathised with each other over our aches and pains and then moved over to sit by the campfire. We weren't such a lively bunch as the night before and we began the countdown to a 9pm bedtime. Despite being a much colder night, I had no trouble getting to sleep and slept soundly throughout the night. Zzzzzzz.....

The Final Push
We'd heard reports that the weather could turn on Sunday, so we were pleased to wake up to a dry morning. With our ration packs mostly devoured, Nigel cooked up a load of sausages and bacon for breakfast, delicious!

Getting back on our bikes again had been a topic of anticipation the night before and we couldn't put it off any longer. As I rode down through the field, every single movement was painful! I was saddle sore and my knees were hurting and I was dreading the 6 miles into Exeter. Luckily as we got out of the field and into the lane, the less bumpy terrain meant a more comfortable ride and the uphill ride we'd had on Saturday meant a nice long stretch of downhill to get us going - I hardly pedalled at all along the whole stretch to the main road. Admittedly I went quite slowly, but it was less painful that way! From Clyst St Mary we had another familiar CTC route back into Exeter. I was dreading the uphill sections on Old Rydon Lane and I struggled up these slowly but determinedly. Having got this far, I coudln't give in now - and I knew we'd have the reward of a downhill ride and a flat road straight to the Academy.

Once we'd hit Topsham Road, I had mixed feelings. We'd almost finished the ride, but we still had 6 miles of canoeing to do before we stop and then be driven back to the Academy again. Going past work and past home on route is a bit depressing! I'd not really given much consideration to the canoeing section of the route - I've only ever canoed as far as Double Locks and back before, hadn't canoed at all since April and hadn't done any training for this bit of the challenge.

At the Academy we had a quick change into our team t-shirts, picked up our collection tins and buckets and headed down to the Quay. The weather was still holding for us, but grey clouds were overhead and we'd heard that rain was due by 1pm. Donning our lifejackets and taking up our paddles, we climbed into the canoes. They had loads of water in the bottom and I'd brought my bar bag with me with my phone and camera in it, so this would be the first test of it's claims to be waterproof!

My lack of experience at canoeing soon showed, as Ant and I lagged behind all the others. Ant tried to reassure me as the other canoes had blokes in them and Claire has done a training course in canoeing - but I just felt exhausted and devastated at being so far back from the others and holding everyone up. You would think I'd be used to this after all my rides with the CTC, but I just wasn't prepared for this at all. On the plus side it was nice to be sitting down and not using my legs!

It seemed to take ages just to get to the Double Locks and having cycled the route on many occasions, I knew the Turf Locks was much further away. Ed helped us to get our boat out of the water, but then I still struggled to help Ant to carry it and I had to call for help as I just didn't have the strength or the energy to move the canoe. We were soon off on the move again, albeit more slowly than the others. Everyone was going more slowly and waiting for us, so it was a bit more sociable along this stretch. Ed also managed to be at a phenomenal amount of points along the route with the video camera, so each time I spotted him I put on a fake grin and tried to look like I was having fun! Ed being a keen watersports chap himself spotted my lack of technique and my droopy tired arms and tried to shout out tips to us for improving our performance. I struggled to grasp the concept of using my body to pull the canoe forward, rather than using the paddle to push the water back, but it did seem to make a bit of difference when I tried. I was completely baffled by Ed saying I should be using my legs too - how could I possibly use my legs when sat in a canoe?!? "And anyway, I used my legs all day yesterday and they are tired too!"

After passing Countess Weir the channel became wider and it seemed to take ages to get through this section. Then we were level with Topsham and although we were obviously getting nearer, I knew the route far too well to think we were almost there! The wind had started to get up creating ripples across the water and making it much harder to push forwards. I would probably have been an awful lot slower if it wasn't for the canoes up ahead, but even so I was having to rest my arms regularly and then dig in again for another burst before stopping again. Ed miraculously appeared along the side of the path again and was shouting more encouragements and pointing out the masts at the Turf Locks. They were still quite a way ahead in the distance, but they were unmistakeably there and a good point to focus on to keep going. Once we got there we could stop and we would have done it!

Pulling into the Turf Locks I felt pleased but exhausted and I dragged myself out of the canoe to congratulate the rest of the team. Everyone had made it! Rather than gather everyone together for a celebratory group photo, which is what I should have done, I let everyone disappear off to get beer! Probably not the best thing to drink after such a physical challenge, but there would be plenty of time to drink water later! I had half a pint of cider, which went down very well! Although the weather had held off up until now, it started to turn as we were sat outside, getting more windy and then starting to drizzle. Not quite the sunny outdoor celebration I had hoped for, but never mind! I never did get that final group photo...

Heading back in the people carrier, Darren was fast asleep and I knew it woudln't be long before I'd be doing the same. After gathering our things together back at the office, we then pushed our bikes back home in the drizzle and I had my much longed for shower. We only had a couple of hours before going out to meet friends for dinner (I wouldn't normally have arranged this, but they were visiting from Oxford and it was our only chance to see them) but I just couldn't keep my eyes open and had a nice nap on the sofa before going out! I was back in bed again by 9pm and still struggled to get up over 10 and a half hours later...yawn...!

Back in the office again on Monday morning and I'm delighted to report that all went well and everyone completed the challenge. Despite being very very tired, I wasn't too achy at all and can only put that down the training we had put in beforehand. The tiredness has been tough to beat though - it has lingered all week! I clearly need to work on my general fitness and endurance levels a bit more yet. Paris here we come......!

Thank You!
Thanks again to everyone who has sponsored us and encouraged us along the way! I don't have a final total for how much we've raised yet, but it's at least £800 which is fantastic!

If you haven't sponsored us yet and would like to, you can still do so:
http://www.justgiving.com/amandadenham1/
All the money raised will go towards equipment for deaf students taking part in the Duke of Edingburgh Award Scheme.

Now where's my hot water bottle....? Must be bedtime now!

(PS It's very late and I'm too tired to go back and proof read this now, so apologies for any mistakes or any bits that don't make sense - it's a rough and ready version of events!)

Coast to Coast - We Did It!!

For all my avid blog readers waiting to find out how we got on, I just thought I'd put up a quick message to say we did it! 54 miles cycling on the Saturday and then 6 miles cycling followed by 6 miles of canoeing on the Sunday.

We were really lucky with the weather and I was delighted that the whole team completed the challenge and in really good time too - well done guys! I'll put up a full report when I've got photos from the others and when I'm a little less tired!

Practising as Promised!

We didn't go out cycling at all at the weekend. We had thought we might do a short ride on Sunday afternoon, but some friends invited us to join them in the pub for a gig...so we went and drank cider instead! Dan is a fab singer songwriter and I've not seen him ages, so didn't want to miss it! He's just moved to Exeter, so do check him out if you get chance - www.sonofagun.com

So, enough of me talking about what I did while I wasn't cycling! I did go out last week and practice some basic bike skills as promised. We went to a big empty car park and cycled round and round in circles! It was pretty cold and I felt a bit silly and was quite keen to go back home again after 10 minutes - but Ant patiently persisted with me and finally got me hopping on my bike without having to sit on the saddle first. I've still not quite perfected this skill, but it's definitely an improvement on the Sidmouth ride!

I had a go at stopping more sensibly too. This I found much harder and still haven't quite grasped properly - I'm still very much of the school of needing to put my feet on the ground to stop! I kind of got better at standing off the saddle, slowing down and then hopping off the pedals, but it usually resulted in dramatic breaking, hurting my wrist and jumping off the pedals quickly whilst trying not to bash into my handlebars! Not very elegant, nor very practical really - but I did improve a bit and hopefully with lots more practice I'll get better.

The other thing I need to do better is cycle more comfortably with one hand - so I can do important things like signalling and drinking water. I'm ok with signalling if I'm going along the flat and there's nothing scary around (like traffic - which there tends to be when you need to signal!) As for drinking from my water bottle, I think I'm a long way off that trick! I can reach my water bottle and could even get it of the cage - but then I'd be stuck, wouldn't be able to get it back in again, or use my hand to steady the bike again. Not sure how I'm ever going to get the confidence to try such a long manoeuvre all in one go - but guess I just need to keep practising.

I've been trying to kit myself out for this weekend too, but that's not been as easy as I thought either. As it's been such gorgeous weather whilst we've been training I've been cycling in my shorts quite comfortably - but it's definitely got much colder this week, so I thought some longer trousers might be a good idea. Unfortunately having whizzed to three different shops in town yesterday, none of them had any. Then we drove up to Halfords to see if they had any and no luck there either and Wiggle was out of stock in my sizes (unless I wanted to pay over £100 for what are no doubt a very nice, but still very expensive pair!). In the end I settled for some 3/4 lengths - they don't claim to be water resistant or particularly warm, but hopefully they'll be better than just my shorts. I've got some bike lights on the way too, so as long as they turn up I think I'm just about there....phew!

Now only four days until we set off. I'm not looking forward to camping in such cold wet weather (lots of rain forecast for Friday night!) - but it does look like it will clear up and stay dry for our ride on Saturday and actually be sunny for the finish on Sunday, so fingers crossed that bit of the forecast will be right!

Another new record - 48miles!!

Sunday was our last big push for a long distance training ride before the Coast to Coast event and we did it - a record 48 miles!! It wasn't all plain sailing, but I'm delighted we managed it, even though I was completely exhausted afterwards!

We set off with Kirby and I thought it might be another small group as no-one else joined us at the Quay to cycle out to Topsham - but Pauline caught up with us on the way and there was a good crowd in Topsham. From Topsham we cycled out past Dart's Farm, turned right onto the main road and then left to follow some lanes and I really couldn't tell you where we went from there!

Before we knew it, Roy had stopped everyone to say we were making good progress and suggested a detour to Lympstone before coffee. I was persuaded that this was a good idea and to begin with it was fine as it was mostly downhill, hoorah! The easy riding ended there though and I knew there would be a big hill back up to the garden centre. At the bottom of the hill Ant's chain came off, so I stopped to wait for him - which proved to be a big mistake. Ant was back up and going again in no time, but I got completely stuck! My saddle was higher this week than previously and I just couldn't get back on and get going up the hill. After several failed attempts, Kirby came back to rescue me and gave me a push to help me start off again. The hill was as bad as I'd expected and I was huffing and puffing my way up as the others were casually chatting away behind me. I really didn't think I'd make it to the top, but when I looked up and saw Roy directing people at the junction I dug in and eventually made it to the top. Just when I thought I'd done it, I heard the words 'just up there to the coffee stop' - did someone say up? Luckily it wasn't far at all and I could already see the entrance to the garden centre, thank goodness!

After my gleeful experiences of being full of beans at the last couple of coffee stops, I was back to my old tired self this week! I found a table in the shade and wolfed down my bread pudding (very very delicious!) and three cups of tea...after which I felt slightly sick! From the garden centre we set off up the hill again. Turning right and then coming to pull up at a junction on a hill I failed to get my feet down on the ground and crashed into Kirby who had pulled up alongside me, knocking him off his bike as well. This was a real low point for me, I felt tired and frustrated and most of all very silly. I pushed my bike across the road and then got back on again to join the rest of the group who were waiting just up ahead. Desperately trying to hold back the tears (but failing and being very grateful for my cycling glasses!) I pushed on and knew I just had to keep going. Luckily the next stretch of road was ok and I pottered along as Kirby started telling tales of other new cyclists who had caused crashes (I won't mention any names!) which made me feel slightly better!

The final stint into Sidmouth did involve a very large hill - which I'd heard several people say was a really tough one...oh dear! Getting into a low gear I tried to go slowly but surely as everyone else disappeared up in front of me (as always whenever we get to a hill!) Kirby was encouraging me to keep going, but even though I was weaving up the hill, I just ground to a halt and stepped (not fell!) off my bike. Just as I did so I looked up ahead and saw Pauline had just done the same - and just in front of her Anthoney was off his bike too. They'd both got further up than me, but at least I wasn't the only one who'd been beaten by the hill! Walking up the last bit of the hill to join the others, we took a short break to take in the views and we were now about to experience the complete opposite - a very steep downhill into Sidmouth. We stopped part way down to photograph the view, which was glorious - and then went on to join the others for lunch in Connaught Gardens. Our first lunch stop with the CTC and already well on our way to breaking our record, all we had to do now was make it back home! We had a lovely picnic lunch in the sunshine while a brass band set up on the stage in the park. Sadly it was time for us to leave just as they were starting to play...but we needed to keep pushing on with the miles.

Feeling better rested and well fed I was feeling quite bouyant as we rode down into Sidmouth and along the sea front. There were lots of people out enjoying the sunshine - it could almost have been mid summer, although if it was summer time it would have been raining! On the other side of town we came to the ford which was very clearly labelled 'Unsuitable for Cyclists' - I took that advice and went around the ford while the others plunged straight through it! I later found out Ant almost slipped and had to work hard to keep it together and come out the other side, so I'm glad I didn't try - with the kind of day I was having, I'm sure I would have come off my bike. As it was, I may have escaped one danger zone, but carelessly approached the entrance to the park as I was rushing to catch up with the group and crashed into the wall! Another completely unnecesary incident which added to my frustration - especially as I then struggled to get back on my high saddle again!

Fortunately that was the last major incident of the day for me! Heading out of Sidmouth we joined an off-road track. It was a rather steep downhill section at the start, so I walked down to a flatter section before attempting to get on my bike. Having just put road tyres on my bike, I wasn't too impressed! It was a very lumpy bumpy ride and I didn't enjoy that section at all, but fortunatley it didn't go on for too long and I was just glad to make it out the other side in one piece! After that the road seemed like a dream to ride on and my spirits lifted again. Roy suggested we carry on for afternoon tea at Escot and I was happy to go along. I had no idea where we were, how to get to Escot or how much longer this would make our journey - but who can turn down a nice cup of tea? Actually, I didn't have tea in the end - I opted for a nice cool glass of sparkling elderflower and a tub of toffee ice cream! It was very pleasant sitting out in the shade of the courtyard - apart from one moment when I thought a peacock was going to peck at me! The kids didn't have any such worries and started chasing after the peacock - not something I would recommend, but it least it took the peacock's attention away from me!

Despite going to Escot several times when I was younger, I still had no real concept of how far it was back home or how on earth to cycle there. As always, we were in good hands though and came back through Aylesbeare and Woodbury. I was feeling much happier now that we were on the home straight, but my energy levels did start to flag again and I knew I'd be glad to get back. Old Rydon Lane was a welcome sight - almost home - but also uphill! I'd only cycled it once before in the other direction - when it was a welcome downhill stretch after cycling up a hill! Although it's not particularly nasty, I was starting to feel really tired, my shoulders and back were starting to ache and I couldn't wait to get off my bike and not have to get back on again! I was delighted to get to the top as I knew it was all down hill and flat familiar territory from here to home. Hoorah!

Arriving back at the quay, Kirby gave us the final verdict - a record 48 miles! Congratulations to Roy for so perfectly fulfilling my wish to do more than 35 miles but less 50!! Thanks also to the rest of the riders on Sunday who so patiently kept stopping and waiting for us to catch up. Hopefully we'll be able to keep up one day!

On Sunday night I ached in all sorts of places and didn't feel up to doing anything! Monday wasn't as bad as I expected. My legs didn't really hurt, although they did feel very heavy. I was fine when I was standing up and fine when I was sitting down - it was just the transition between the two that was tricky! More than anything I was just really tired and I was ready for bed by 9:30pm!

So - that's it now. No more big rides until the Coast to Coast event - eek! Quite how I'm going to cope with camping after riding over 50 miles I really don't know! I needed all my home comforts on Sunday evening! More details about the event are available on my justgiving page - and if you'd like to sponsor us you can donate online- all the money will be going towards equipment for deaf students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme: http://www.justgiving.com/amandadenham1/

We will do a couple of shorter rides before the event - and I need to go out and find a quiet place to practice some basic skills - like being able to get on my bike!

Mechanical Mayhem!

I've finally given in to everyone telling me that even if I'm not going to get a new bike just yet, I really should get some road tyres for my bike! Ant took his in to get it serviced this week, so I asked him to take one of my wheels in with him and to ask for some tyres that would be suitable.

As requested, he came back with two lovely new tyres for it that are all nice and smooth and completely different to my old ones. We'd been offered the tyres on trial to check they were ok, so before even going to put dinner on (unheard of for me - food is always my first priority!) I sat down in the living room with the bike manual, my bike wheels...and of course some patient help and guidance from Ant, as quite frankly, I didn't have a clue what I was doing!

The old ones came off quite easily and I found putting the new tyres on relatively easy. There might actually be some hope that one day I'll be able to change it all by myself - although if I tried unsupervised and without more practice, there is a very high likelihood that I would forget to do something quite important!

So - new tyres on, pumped up and ready to go, I took the bike out for a very short test drive in our road. It was pretty dark by this stage, so I didn't want to venture too far as I don't have any lights fitted yet. It was pretty hard to make out any difference on a very small flat bit of road. Ant's bike was still being serviced and was due back the next day, so we resolved to take both of our bikes for a longer test run on Friday evening and see what difference the changes had made.

Unfortunately the test ride didn't go quite to plan. Ant was delighted with his bike - his chain no longer squeaks for every pedal rotation and with his tyres newly inflated to the right pressure, he was on a roll. I started off ok, but then developed a noise of my own and stopping to check it out, we realised my brake pads had started rubbing against the rim. We attempted to adust this and I got back on again, but shortly after it started again. After stopping for the third time - and now getting concerned as it was starting to get dark - we decided to cut our ride short and head home again.

Having read up on brakes in the bike book, we attempted to adjust them and solve the problem this afternoon, but didn't have much luck! I've now come in to look at online forums and I may have found the solution. Shame Ant has locked our bikes together and to the banisters and seems to have gone out with the key....will have to wait until he gets back before we have another go at sorting it out. Ah well, for now I'll just put my feet up and enjoy a nice cup of tea!

Go West....!

Today was our first cycle out to the West of Exeter, which we soon learned is known as the hillier side of town! (There seems to be a recurring theme in this blog....!)

Feeling very tired after a busy week I was a bit apprehensive about facing a ride today, but I knew I would probably be ok once I got out there and as the Coast to Coast event is looming ever nearer, I also knew I needed to get in as much cycling as I possibly can.

We set off with Kirby and then met up with Mark down on the quayside. Mark is a colleague of Anthoney's who has heard us raving on about the CTC so much that he's decided to join us and see for himself what it's all about. (Mark - I can only apologise that you joined us this week - it really isn't normally so uphill all at once. Please come again!)

The four of us met up with the others in Ide and then the ride immediately began with a hill. A hill which went up and up and then up some more! Mark and Ant were off ahead of me and I was struggling to find any rhythm or momentum and gradually ground to a halt, despite Kirby being there to egg me on. Determined not to give up so early on, I was straight back on the pedals again and found renewed energy to carry me up to the top and to keep going.

This was just the beginning of the upness. We went through lovely little lanes but they were all upwards and never seemed to stop. I don't know that I can say much else about this section of the ride without just mentioning that it kept going up! I did need a few stops to catch my breath, but I was pleased I cycled it all and didn't end up pushing the bike, as no doubt I would have done if I'd tried to tackle this just a couple of weeks before.

Finally we joined the road and crossed over the river Teign to follow the valley into Dunsford. This was a great stretch of road and it was a relief not to be going up all the time. Obviously, this was too good to be true and there was another hill up to the coffee stop but this time I knew there would be cake at the top!

The coffee stop was truly lovely. We sat out in the garden which was a gorgeous little suntrap, with wonderful views and of course, there was delicious cake! I opted for a sticky toffee cake and a pot of tea - just what I needed! We discussed our route back with Kirby and decided we would cycle on with the group a bit further until Chagford and then turn off back towards Tedburn and take the old A30 route home. I'm starting to enjoy the coffee stops for the chit chat as well as the cakes now! We're meeting more people and recognising people from previous weeks, so it's nice to catch up - in fact, we were all told off (again!) for stopping too long, so we were gently encouraged to get back on the bikes again for the next stint.

We set off down the road for a bit (yes, I said DOWN!) - but that wasn't to be for long. We'd missed the turning we needed and went back to take our route up another hill. Oh yay, lucky us! This lane was quite overgrown and had grass growing in the middle. I tried to stick to the tracks on either side of this, but this meant coming a little too close for comfort to nettles and brambles. This section was the one I struggled with the most. I always find it hard to get going again after a break and despite trying to grit my teeth and get on with it, I got a bit stuck in a rut (literally!) and had to get off my bike. I tried to get going again, but once more struggled and didn't have the luxury in such a narrow space of being able to cycle across the road before attempting to go up it! Just a bit further up though I found a smoother bit of track and managed to get going again. Fortunately this hill didn't go on for as long as the ones this morning and we were back out onto a main road again...although, the main road started going up again too.

Another big hill climb, another little stop for a rest, but then back on the bike again and no getting off and pushing. We reached the top and were rewarded with a lovely stretch of flat road with glorious views out across fields drenched in sunshine. This is the kind of cycling I enjoy! At Cheriton Bishop we said our goodbyes to Kirby and the gang who were heading on for more adventures, whilst we were turning back towards home. We stopped for lunch at a cafe and sat outside to enjoy the sunshine. This must have been the most I've eaten on a ride and I'm sure I felt much better for it - although I think the black and white cat who briefly joined us for a while was disappointed to discover there were no leftovers!

From the cafe we cycled into Tedburn, past Pathfinder Village and back to Exeter via the old A30. This was a very pleasant route - not much traffic and most importantly, not many hills! Hoorah! We were back in no time and said our goodbyes to Mark as we retraced our steps back through Ide and home again.

I haven't worked out the final mileage yet and I know we didn't go anywhere near as far as last week, but we certainly did a lot of uphill training, which I hope will stand us in good stead for our Coast to Coast challenge (only 3 weeks to go....eeek!)

My muscles are feeling surprisingly ok, but my legs are feeling rather battered after mishandling my bike on a couple of occasions. My left calf had a run in with my pedals just after lunch and then when we'd stopped to let the Double Locks ferry come through the bridge over the canal I thought I'd safely put my bike up against a post, but it then fell on my knee, leaving a lovely bruise on my other leg! So, although I seem to be doing ok whilst I'm sitting on my bike, I need to learn to be a bit more careful when I get off! Ah well I might at least get some sympathy at work tomorrow!

PS - I almost forgot! We should be getting a garage!! This is very exciting as we'll be able to store our bikes somewhere sensible and store more bike paraphenalia. Hoorah!! Wiggle here we come...

New Record - 34 Miles!!

What a difference from last week's ride! We had a glorious day today and I almost enjoyed every minute of it!After last week, I was a bit nervous about doing a long distance again today and thought my poor legs might still not have recovered enough. Instead we had a fantastic day of riding and definitely the highlight of my bike rides so far.

As for our first ride with the CTC we set off to cycle from Cowley to Bickleigh. We met up with Debbie on the way and it was great to see her again. Then we were joined by Michael at Cowley and as it was just the four of us we managed to persuade Kirby to take the flatter route to Bickleigh - hoorah! This was the same route we'd taken last time so everyone was keen to compare our performance!

Luckily we were much stronger this time and it felt like we'd got to Stoke Canon in no time. I remember huffing and puffing up at least one hill last time, but today it felt like no trouble at all. We were soon off down the back lanes which were more familiar this time and then we headed back on to the main road. I remember having serious trouble with the hills last time, so I got in to low gear and prepared for the worst. The second hill was a bit tough and I did have to dig in to get there - but I didn't come to a halt or need a push from Kirby this time! Very soon we were at the coffee stop and for the first time at a coffee stop I actually felt ok! I was relaxed and happy to sit down and have a chat without feeling red in the face and all puffed out.

Some other CTC members met us at the coffee stop, so there was much chatting as we enjoyed our coffee and cakes. Anthoney had met Debbie for the first time, so he got to quiz her about what the London to Paris ride was like. Mostly positive - although she wasn't afraid of telling us the not so good side of the story too! I'm not going to dwell on that though!

Feeling very positive and pleased with myself, I happily set off out of Bickleigh not realising quite what Kirby had in store for us. Kirby had suggested taking a different route back to Exeter as the main road had been very busy heading into Bickleigh. That seemed like a good idea at the time. To be fair he had warned us there was a big hill that we'd probably have to walk up, but I don't think I've ever come across such a big hill - not even in the South Hams last week! I started off quite well, but soon started to struggle and stopped just short of the target Kirby had set si that was rather disappointing, but that will be something to aim for next time! (Did I just say next time?!? - what am I thinking?!) I did start cycling again after a quick break, but soon Anthoney, Debbie and I were all pushing our bikes up the hill as Kirby demonstrated how it should be done! Even walking up, the hill seemed to go on forever and it got even steeper towards the top - how on earth Kirby stayed on his bike I'll never know!

Stopping at the top to drink some more water we admired the view down over the fields and back across to Bickleigh. It was simply gorgeous and it was such a beautiful day, if a little hot for cycling up long hills! It didn't take us long to get back down the hill again and this time instead of my legs aching, it was my arms aching from pulling so hard on the breaks for such a long time! The road was gravelly in the middle so I tried to stick to the edge avoiding being poked by the hedge, which I amazing seemed to do quite successfully, although it was rather scary at the time!

After that the roads were a bit kinder to us, with just a few little hills here and there which I coped with quite well for me, even if I was somewhat slower than the others! After slowly passing some horses we made good progress and after an excellent fast downhill stretch of road I was amazed to discover we were back at Cowley. I had a bit of a struggle to get going from here as we'd stopped at the junction after we'd been speeding down the hill and along a flat stretch of road. I was in my hardest possible gear when I'd stopped and then had to try and get going again up a hill, which I just couldn't manage! Kirby and Debbie had disappeared around the corner and despite trying to move the gears down while I was off the bike I just couldn't manage. Starting to feel tired by now, I just felt frustrated at not being able to get going - but Kirby magically reappeared and came to rescue me, expertly spinning the pedals round and getting the gears down quickly.

Off we set again and took a back route into Exwick. I'd never been on that road before, but I started to recognise where we were and was delighted that we were almost home already - and Anthoney realised where we were when he saw the Village Inn. No surprise that he recognised the pub rather than the road signs as I had!

As we got back to the Quay I was beginning to wind down again and was feeling pleased that I really felt ok, despite being tired on the last section. However, Kirby had other plans for us. As we'd only done 25 miles and we need to be doing 50 next month, he thought we should carry on to Exminster with Debbie, then cut across to the canal in the direction of Turf Locks and cycle back from there. With extra water supplies courtesy of Kirby, I agreed knowing that at least most of the route would be pretty flat.

It was a surprisingly good run (other than the dogs that kept running out in front of me!) and as I was back on the flat I wasn't struggling at all. There were a couple of hills going up into and through Exminster, but they weren't too bad, just as Debbie had promised (I'm more inclined to believe Debbie's opinion more than Kirby's on this matter!) We waved goodbye to Debbie as we went our separate ways and headed off towards the canal path. This again was a fairly easy stretch and we stopped by the canal to take a break and have some snacks in the sunshine before heading home.

On the way back, Kirby spotted that the swing bridge was open and a big boat was coming through. We cycled up fast to try and join the crowds and watch. Sadly by the time I'd caught up and got the camera out the boat had already passed through, but I did photograph the bridge. Kirby suggested we cycled on up to the road to try and get across before everyone else as quite a crowd had built up and no-one could get through the barriers. Unfortunately in my haste to get the camera away again, I dropped my bike on my leg which was rather painful and meant we didn't quite get through the crowds as planned! Getting back across the road and onto the cycle path again was quite tricky as there were loads of people trying to go across the bridge in both directions - it was certainly an experience! The path was then busy all the way back as people were all bunched up, but I was quite happy to pootle along on familiar (and flat!) territory until we got back.

Kirby gave us his verdict on the mileage and declared we'd done 34 miles - our longest ride yet! I didn't even feel like I was particularly hurting anywhere or that I couldn't possibly carry on. That was definitely a real boost after last week! Surprisingly my legs still feel ok and I'm not even suffering from being saddle sore, so we must be making progress!

Perhaps there is a slight chance that our coast to coast ride might be manageable after all...I hope those aren't famous last words....!

Attempt at an Audax

Yesterday was our first attempt at an audax event. To say that we successfully completed half of the audax would be stretching the truth a little. We registered at the start of the race and followed the route of the event, but we were a long way behind the others and didn't collect any stamps on the way. My completely blank card will be going in my journal in the hope that one day I will look back and smile!

We arrived on time as planned, but by the time we'd put our bikes together (we have to take the wheels off to fit them in the car) and got to the registration point it was only 10 minutes to the start of the race. We let other latecomers go ahead of us as we knew we wouldn't be seriously participating at the same level as them. The organisers told us that the first loop would be less hilly and easier to complete.Kirby had told us the second loop was more interesting. I can only assume that by 'interesting' he meant more hilly and challenging! We opted to go with the organisers advice and do the first half of the route - but that meant setting off with directions only and no map. In place of Kirby's map with a cafe though, we did have a hand drawn map of where to find a pub!

After a bit more tinkering with the bikes we finally set off 15 minutes after the others. We weren't at all prepared for the event and didn't even have any way to display the route instructions so we had to keep stopping to work out where to go next. The first hill up out of South Brent was steep and seemed to go on forever. Ant's chain came off his bike, so we stopped for Ant to fix it. We walked quite a bit of that first hill and I was ready to turn round and go home, but Ant was determined we weren't going to pay £7 to cycle round the corner and halfway up a hill!

From there we had a relatively easy ride for a while and stopping to check directions every now and then we made our way through Ivybridge and over the A38 looking for the next signpost towards Yealmpton. I pulled over on a grass verge just after the bridge while we consulted the signposts. None seemed to be pointing towards Yealmpton. We took the opportunity to get the camera out and take some pictures while we contemplated what to do next. It was then that I realised we were standing behind a huge array of road signs and asked Ant to go and check what they said....and Yealmpton was clearly signposted! Feeling slightly silly but relieved, we carried on our way. Just down that road I spotted a sign to Smithaleigh. We'd been told at the start that the control point wasn't in Yealmpton as on our sheets but in Smithaleigh - unfortunately that was half a mile back in the direction we had just come. We weren't sure where on earth in Smithaleigh it would be so we decided to push on and follow the directions we had on our sheets.

From there we had a relatively good stretch to Newton Ferrers, stopping briefly for water and our first jelly babies! Arriving in Newton Ferrers and pulling over to check the directions we realised we shouldn't have gone all the way into Newton Ferrers. Retracing our route we were pleased to discover the turning wasn't that far back at all and we sped down the hill into Bridgend. This was very welcome as it marked the halfway point of our route and our lunch stop. The map drawn for us at the start of the event made no sense to me when it was handed over, but standing in Bridgend on the curved bit of road it made perfect sense. We took the hill up to the right (getting off our bikes and pushing towards the top) and then followed the road back down into Noss Mayo to find the Swan Inn. By now the sun was shining and I finally had to admit that my lovely new waterproof wasn't really necessary! We sat outside and enjoyed baguettes and nice cold drinks before setting off on our way again.

This was the turning point for me. A nice ride turned into a very difficult ride from here on in. After stopping for lunch my legs didn't want to get going again. We had to tackle a great big hill up out of Bridgend. We had been warned about this one, but that wasn't enough to prepare us for it! We stopped to walk for a while and then seeing the hill get a bit less steep decided to get back on the bikes and give it another go. Finally reaching the top we stopped to enjoy the views across the coast. My legs were really hurting by now and I was hoping for a long downhill all the way back to the finish!

We had a bit of a reprieve on a relatively flat stretch of road and we seemed to be making good progress until we started to doubt our understanding of the instructions. The directions said to go through a cross and then take a turning for Exeter at a cross. Having been a long way without any signs for Exeter and having already passed some cross roads, we couldn't decide whether to carry on or go back. Finally seeing signs for Yealmpton we decided to push on regardless as we knew we could get back from there if necessary. Fortunately we had been right and I was delighted to come across a busy junction with a signpost to Exeter!

Initially we had a glorious downhill section on this road, but turning off to keep following the signs to Exeter, the surface got rougher and exhaustion set in. Even on downhill sections of the road I seemed to be pedalling as best I could but getting nowhere. The sun was hot and I'd brought far too many layers of clothes with me which I now had to tie round my waist. We stopped off in a gateway by the main road to rest a bit and refuel. It didn't get any easier after that though. The road seemed to be going on forever and every time I got to the slightest hill I had to get off and walk. It started to feel like we'd never make it back. Finally the long awaited sign for our turning off back to South Brent, only 2 and a half miles away...but that still seemed a long way off. Straight away we were faced with another hill, so I was back to pushing my bike very slowly up to the top.

After that things improved a little. There didn't seem to be as many hills and we were finally nearly there! We stayed on our bikes down through a little lane and even up a hill, before rejoining a road we recognised from earlier in the day. We were nearly back - but not as close as I'd remembered! Feeling completely defeated I had to get off the bike and push again up the final hill in South Brent to the rounadabout, but then determinedly got back on again for the final flat stint down the road and back to the old school house. What a relief!

There were still just a few people milling around at the end, but given that they'd gone twice as far as us and taken less time, it was all rather humbling. Somehow we got the bikes back into the car and headed home again. I couldn't keep my eyes open and kept dosing off and was very grateful to get home and have a nice warm shower and a sit down. My legs continued to ache all evening and I can still very much feel them today - not painful as such, but I definitely know I've overdone it a bit!

So now my thoughts are turning to the Coast to Coast event which is only a month away. I'm very concerned that I'm just not ready for cycling over 50 miles in a day. Yesterday we did just over 30 miles. It took us 6 hours to complete and I really had nothing left in me by the end. I guess it was inevitable that the enormity of the challenge we've taken on would catch up with me at some point and it most definitely has. The next four weeks are going to be tough.

On the plus side, now that I've got my nice new his vis all singing all dancing waterproof, we're clearly not going to get a drop of rain!

Island Adventure and a Technical Hitch

It's been a while since I last posted and since I did any serious cycling. That's not because I haven't been trying, but I've not been having much luck!

We had a bit of time off cycling partly due to our holiday. We went to the west of Ireland, which was beautiful. We did go on one cycle ride and although it didn't get off to a great start, the time we spent cycling was brilliant and definitely a highlight of the trip.

It was the first day of our holiday and we'd decided to take a boat trip out to one of the Arran Islands. It was pouring with rain when we left our accommodation in Galway and was still pouring with rain when we boarded the ferry. After a short but choppy ride we arrived on the island and much to our surprise the weather cleared up a bit. We spent a bit of time trying to find a pub that had been recommended for lunch, but we couldn't spot it as we wandered around the harbour and eager to get on with a bike ride, we opted for a quick take away burger and chips.

Next stop the bike hire place. They had an interesting way with dealing with customers - they took our money and a deposit and then waved generally in the direction of a yard full of bikes and left us to sort ourselves out! Trying to avoid particularly rusty looking bikes, we finally settled on two that didn't seem too bad and then had to go and ask if there were cycle helmets. We were directed to a huge bin full of them, which sadly didn't have a cover on it, so they were all soaking wet and that made putting them on rather unpleasant!

At last we were off...we pedalled along by the harbour and followed what we thought was a route towards an old ruin that is one of the least visited sites on the island. Just as we'd left the safety of the harbour area the rain bucketed down again. Before we could stop and get our waterproofs out we were already soaked through...and a couple of cows and a calf eyed us suspiciously as we stopped by their field to sort ourselves out. Consulting our map we discovered we'd already taken a wrong turn, so we headed back to try and pick up the right track. Unfortunately out of the two options available, we managed to pick the wrong one. This became obvious as we cycled up a very steep hill that became very rocky and then seemed to turn into a river at the top!! Despite being determined to make something of the trip, we decided to abandon the less visited areas of the island and stick to the main routes!

Heading back to the harbour to pick up the main road across the island, the rain eased off again and as we turned the corner and went up the hill we stumbled across the pub we had been looking for earlier in the day - hey ho! It didn't take long for me to direct us off our planned route again - I'd seen a sign for the seal colony and determinedly set off again. On first arriving at the look out point I thought we were out of luck, but on closer inspection we noticed that the rocks appeared to be moving and there were several seals out there. Not so fortunately, just as I got the camera out and started snapping them a mini van full of tourists pulled up which somewhat spoiled the tranquility of the spot , so we quickly moved on.

We didn't think we had time to make it right across to the other side of the island so we started to make our way back. The landscape and views were beautiful with so many small walled in fields, many with sheep or horses in them and we passed several gardens, some with goats, chickens or dogs keeping watch. We battled with the gears on the hire bikes as we climbed a long hill - they didn't seem to budge until several rotations after we'd attempted to change gear and at one point Ant's chain came off. Luckily that was quickly fixed and we were soon on our way again. Reaching the top of a hill we stopped to contemplate a road sign suggesting that cars were in danger of falling off the road. As we didn't have much choice we decided the only thing we could do was to continue cautiously....as it turned out we had a glorious downhill ride all the way back to the harbour. It was such a quick route back that we ended up getting back half an hour earlier than we'd planned!

It didn't matter though - I was quite glad to be rid of my bike! Much as I'd enjoyed the ride, without my cycle shorts and the relatively comfy saddle on my own bike, I was suffering despite only having done around seven miles - and I felt it for the following few days too! Never mind - by now the sun was shining in the harbour, so we had a final wander round and marvelled at the fact that it seemed like a completely different place to the grey and damp one we'd arrived at earlier in the day.

After our holiday, we decided to take ourselves out for a gentle ride on the bank holiday Monday but sadly I didn't even make it to the end of the road. I soon discovered I couldn't change gear. We consulted our bike maintenance manual but still weren't able to fix the problem. It was looking doubtful that I'd get it fixed for the weekend as my local bike shop couldn't fit it in and I had no way of getting it to another place during working hours. Luckily I was rescued by a lovely chap called Andy who runs a mobile bike repair service...thank you Andy!

So - fingers crossed, I'm all set for another ride tomorrow. The intention is to do half of a 100km Audax in South Devon. Ant is very keen on this and really excited by the idea. Personally I'm a bit scared about taking part in a big event like this and having to find our own way! That and the fact that's it's going to be hilly and I've not done a proper ride for a few weeks...

On the plus side, I invested in a new waterproof coat today - hoorah! (I can't quite believe how excited I was about buying a bright yellow high vis waterproof coat - but it was genuinely really exciting!) Also the lovely Kirby has kindly printed off a map for us, so there's some hope of finding our way, and even better - he's marked on a cafe stop, yay!

Right now though, I must get off to bed and get some rest before tomorrow morning....night night!

Sunday 9th August - second ride with the CTC

On Sunday we did our second ride with the CTC. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we met up with Kirby at 9:30 and cycled to Clyst. St Mary to meet the others. This week was a joint ride with Torbay, so there was a much bigger group than last week and it was great to meet some more cycling fanatics!

From Clyst St. Mary we cycled through lots of lanes that I never even knew were there. It was lovely to cycle with a big group while it lasted...as soon as we got to the first hill, I was soon overtaken and left struggling at the back! It was a bit disheartening, but I was determined to grit my teeth and keep going. I distinctly remember someone (mentioning no names!!) telling me last week that the route to Exmouth was fairly flat so I would be ok. Believing that was a mistake - it seemed to me to be uphill all the way! Just as Kirby was congratulating me for cycling up my longest hill yet, I found myself facing another hill at the top of which Kirby exclaimed: 'Well done, that's your steepest hill yet...' Hmmm, yes, quite a flat route....not!!

Despite the hills, I battled on and was encouraged by promises that the garden centre where we were stopping for coffee was a favourite due to its vast range of wonderful cakes. At least this time they were telling the truth! On arrival at the centre, extremely red faced and puffed out, I was delighted to feast my eyes on all the cakes and instantly picked out a chocolate fudge slice...it was worth the effort after all!

Over a pot of tea we discussed cycling gear, cycling routes, interest in mountain biking (that was Anthoney not me, I'll be doing something else that week!) and potential routes home. The rest of the group were cycling on to Budleigh, so we decided to follow them into Exmouth - which included the new stretch of cycle path between Lympstone and Exmouth - and to leave them there and get the ferry to Starcross. This was the easy option, as it meant we didn't have to climb back up the hill we'd just come down at very high speed! Saying goodbye to the others, we cycled to the end of the seafront (and took some pictures to prove we went all the way to the end and didn't cheat!) and then headed back up to catch the ferry.

Getting on to the ferry was straightforward and the sea breeze was a welcome break from the heat of the day. Getting off the other end wasn't quite so straight forward as it involved lugging the bikes up the steps from the ferry and then over the railway bridge at Starcross Station. Anthoney was a star and came to rescue me when I got stuck half way up the first flight of stairs! From then on though, we knew we had a familiar and flat route back home.

We stopped at Powderham to take pictures of the deer who were all lying out in the sun and then slowly made our way to the Turf Locks. The track between Powderham and the Turf locks is very narrow and as it was such a beautiful day it was very busy with both walkers and cyclists, making it very tricky to get anywhere. I walked the first section, then stopped to take a break and admire the beautiful estuary view. Spotting a gap in the 'traffic' I jumped back on the bike again and carried on to Turf. We had a quick pit stop at Turf before hitting the final leg home. This was relatively uneventful, other than stopping to photograph one little gosling who was cheeping away. Earlier in the day we had seen four or five of them by the side of the path, so I hope they were somewhere nearby.

As usual, I was glad of a shower when we got back, but I didn't feel too sore afterwards. Overall we'd done 28.9 miles, so a little less than last time. In comparison, it was more difficult on the way due to the hills, but we did have a very leisurely and ride home. Ah well, it's all good practice and I'm already looking forward to the next ride - although we can't make the weekend rides for a while now, so we must try and do some shorter mid week rides in between though, otherwise I'll be back to square one again by September!

PS - in the evening we wandered down to the Quay to catch the last of the sunshine from the day and I couldn't resist putting on a photo of the baby moorhen we spotted. It's not got anything to do with the cycling, it's just cute!

Newsflash!!

My 'Pedal to Paris' justgiving page is now up and online, so you can start sponsoring me!!

Visit: www.justgiving.com/amandaspedaltoparis

On another note, I started looking at cycling equipment today and was completely confused and overwhelmed by it all - it's clearly going to take me a while to work out what I actually need and what will be worth investing in!

Sunday 2nd August - First ride with the CTC
Today was our first ride with the CTC. We met up with Kirby near home and cycled to the start point at Cowley Bridge. From there we cycled to Stoke Canon, then through some lovely quiet country roads before joining the main road again and in to Bickleigh.

The pace was somewhat faster than we are used to and I really struggled with the hills! Kirby kindly kindly gave me a push to help me get going again when I came to a complete stop up the final hill on the way to Bickleigh - thank you! It was great to ride with a group and to be able to chat as we cycled along and we had chance to chat to a few more people at the coffee stop. Everyone was very welcoming and offered lots of advice on bike tyres, good kit and the best place to get your bike serviced...all very helpful.

Despite feeling refreshed after a sit down, a nice cool drink and a delicious piece of lemon cake, we decided to head back home while the others ventured further, so we said our goodbyes and started making our way back. We took a slight detour, but a quick stop to look at the map Kirby had given us soon got us back on track.

Just after spotting a sign warning us of ducks crossing the road, we did indeed see ducks on the road! Sadly they had waddled back to the farmyard by the time I got my camera out, but it was lovely to see them. I must find a way to keep my camera more handy whilst we're cycling.

Heading back into Exeter, we stopped at the Imperial for a well earned lunch. My legs were surprisingly wobby and I was worried I would struggle on the final leg back home. After some food I felt much better again though and made it home without any trouble. Although I was still feeling very sore, my spirits soared when Anthoney reported that we'd done 32 miles - that's 10 miles further than our longest ride to date! I think it will still be a while before we're ready to join the full CTC rides, but that was a great start and I'm looking forward to the next adventure next week! What a great way to spend a Sunday morning!

A Year From Now...

Hello and Welcome!
So, this is my first post on my 'Pedal to Paris' blog. Exactly one year from today I will be starting a London to Paris cycle ride to raise money for Exeter Deaf Academy - hoorah! For those of you who know Anthoney, he'll be taking part too, as will other colleagues at the Academy and anyone else we can persuade to join in! I must also say a huge thank you to the Cyclists Touring Club in Exeter who have already been enormously supportive and who will be helping us as we start to do some proper training.

The Ambition:
Cycle from London to Paris in 4 days. That's 300 miles in 4 days. 80-90 miles a day for the first 3 days and a final 57 miles to the finish on the final day. Just a bit of a challenge then!

The Reality:
Up until now I've made a bit of an effort to get out on my bike and a couple of attempts at doing longer distances. The first of these was a ride on the Tarka Trail which involved a lot of not very steep but seemingly never ending hills. It was a very hot day and with drink stops and a lunch stop it took a long while to complete the 22 miles we had set out to do and made achieving 90 miles in one day seem impossible!

The second was a ride to Dawlish Warren on Sunday. This was much flatter and despite the rain and getting covered in mud, I actually quite enjoyed it! Again, this ride was around 22 miles. This took 2.5 hours in cycling time, plus some rest stops. Not a bad place to start I guess, but still a long way to go...!

The First Big Challenge:
My first major challenge will be a Coast to Coast event in October. This will start at Warren Farm on the North Somerset Coast and we will cycle just over 50 miles to Clyst St Mary. After a night under canvas (in October - I must be mad!!) we'll cycle into Exeter and then swap our bikes for canoes and paddle to the Turf Locks. This is also a fundraising event for Exeter Deaf Academy, with the funds raised going towards tents and other equipment for students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme. If you'd like to sponsor me for this first bit of madness, you can do so on my justgiving page: www.justgiving.com/amandadenham1/ Thank You!

The main fundraising page for the London to Paris ride will be up soon and we'll be planning some events and welcoming other fundraising ideas, so do watch this space! I made the mistake of leaving my camera behind on Sunday, so I can't post pictures of the cow that blocked our path, or of us eating our sandwiches sheltering outside a shop in rainy Dawlish Warren...but I shall be taking my camera on future rides, so I will post up evidence of all our hard work together with points of interest along the way.

Hope to do the next ride on Sunday...so I'll keep you posted. Be sure to rap my knuckles if I start making excuses...!