RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

The weather recently has reminded me of when we made the first attempt to ride the Coast 2 Coast, rain and floods – needless to say I’ve not been out on my bike in it!

I’m hoping the prolonged period of rain is nature getting the most out the last few days of the ‘wet’ 2012, a year when rain and floods were the talk of most people.

While April is the current month when we hope to take on the Coast 2 Coast bike ride in 2013, the weather will play a part in our planning and strategy.

It looks like we’ll have a support team who will help make the trip a friends’ holiday as well as a charity bike ride. This should help with transporting equipment and by shortening the length of the ride each day, we hope to complete it whatever the weather.

Training will start after Christmas and before 2013 starts, so we’ll be, or rather I will be, in the best fitness possible for the ride.

I’ll be getting help from the medical profession to ensure my back and hip problems are dealt with by correct exercise, as this is something I know could have a negative effect on the ride.

So here’s to a drier 2013, in particular in April, and a chance to successfully complete the Coast 2 Coast bike ride!

COLD WINTER WEATHER NOT THE BEST TRAINING CONDITIONS

The most frustrating thing about winter weather is the ice that coats the lanes around my house that ensures days out on my bike are restricted, unless I want to risk injury!

Luckily there are a few days that allow cycling, albeit during weekends or the odd day when I’m on holiday.

The daylight is limited to just seven hours a day at the moment, although with dawn, dusk and generally darker days included that can reduce it by an hour or so.

At this moment in time it seems the next attempt to complete the Coast to Coast bike ride is so far away, but now is the time when training is important in order to be right for the ride.

Weights and the odd time on the bike or running is what I’m doing at the moment and will continue to do along with the regular badminton and football, until the weather allows more opportunities for more time on the bike.

My left hip is now looking too good following my X-ray results and it’s having a negative effect on my right knee.  My hip is ‘not what you would see from a normal hip on an X-ray’ was how the doctor told me.

I know this is the case because I’ve lived with it for 30 years since my operations as a young boy. The unanswerable question is how long it will last without long term pain and the potentially inevitable hip replacement.

I’m reluctant to give up my football and badminton so will carry on with these sports and others as long as possible.

The Coast to Coast is now likely to take place over four days to help with my hip problems and I’m hoping the rest I’m going to have in the next couple of months will help make sure I’m ok for the ride.

DARKER NIGHTS DON'T MAKE FOR IDEAL TRAINING CONDITIONS

As we near Christmas and the afternoons take on a distinctly darker tone, I’m reliant on different ways to train and keep fit.

From not using the lift at work to walking or cycling to the shops, it means I can exercise to my limit whatever the weather conditions.

It’s no wonder our Olympic athletes take themselves off to the likes of the Canary Islands, California and Australia at this time of year.

Unfortunately for us mere mortals those destinations as simply pipe dreams, although I know they spend their sporting lifetime training and competing, whereas I only do so the odd evening and weekend.

April is now looking the most likely time we’ll be attempting the Coast 2 Coast again and my training will dictate this.

I’m still awaiting the results of my hip X-rays, but the problems are having an adverse reaction to the knee on my other leg and this is now causing a lot of pain and discomfort. I’m sure part of it is getting older, but hopefully something can be done to help me.

If nothing can be done then I may have to make the trip last over four days rather than the current, and previous, plan of three.

Time will tell but I will complete the Coast 2 Coast bike ride even if my hip, knee and/or weather try to make me fail.

INJURIES AND HEROES

After consultation with my two team members, Pads and Neil, it looks like the re-attempt of the Coast to Coast bike ride will take place in mid to late April next year.

The team could also grow by a third, as it looks like I’ll have both my ‘brother-in-laws’ joining in the fun. Let’s hope none of us need our wetsuits!

Recently a hip, that I had major operations on when I was a young child, has started to give me plenty of pain. I suspect it’s just a combination of old age and the hip wearing out, which has always been on the cards from when I was diagnosed with Perthes disease as a 4/5-year-old.

Whatever the problem, or cause, the long term results aren’t good so I hope we complete this ride before it gets any worse.

The problem isn’t helped by the fact the disease and subsequent operations meant my left leg is slightly shorter and at a different angle than the other one. You would never notice it, but it’s starting to cause my right knee to buckle and thus be painful.

If you’re wondering why I’m saying all this, it’s probably a way of expressing my frustrations at not being able to completely take part in all sports, particularly cycling and getting out on my bike often.

I attended the first round of the Revolution UK Series at the Manchester Velodrome this weekend and it was an amazing spectacle of sporting prowess.

From the professional riders pushing each other during every race, to the young girls and boys, our future stars, everyone provided superb entertainment for a crowd that continually got involved with proceedings.

One thing stood out and that was when a major crash involving the young lads in the Madison event, resulting in the race being stopped, didn’t deter several battered, bruised and grazed youngsters quickly checked their bikes before rejoining the restart. One lad even had long thick splinter through his upper arm, while another managed to actually win a sprint within the Madison event.

It was also a privilege to meet one of our Olympics heroes, or heroines in this case. Road Race silver medallis Lizzie Armitstead, was working for ITV4 covering the race and was prepared to take time out chatting to fans and having photos taken.

 
Having worked with celebrities and sports stars I rarely ask for a picture, and never an autograph, as I just see it as they’re doing their job, while I’m doing mine, but I felt with Lizzie it was different.

Here is a lady that trains all year round, in all weathers, sometimes alone to then race for glory in a gruelling event. It puts many other sports people, particularly footballers, to shame.

To me sport is about dedication, psychology and determination, so the Olympics showed how the UK has plenty of those, including Lizzie.

Heroes and inspirational people come in many forms to different people, for me it’s those that show those three qualities.

I’m hoping by following those examples it will help me succeed in the Coast to Coast.

BACK IN THE SADDLE THIS AUTUMN

The weather may remind me of the ill-fated adventure to ride the Coast 2 Coast in June, but I still managed to get out on my bike today, as I enjoyed a day off work.

Despite the wind and the odd shower it was good to get out and cover just over ten miles in an hour. I would have gone on longer, but it's been a while so didn't want to push too much.

It's during the upcoming cold and dark winter nights that I'll sit with Neil and Pad to plan the next attempt at doing the Coast 2 Coast.

I figure that we'll do exactly the same as last time and even stay in the same places, just be flexible about the dates depending on the weather.

Reading the reports that future summers will probably be very wet,  leads to me to think April might be the best time to do it again. Then again the old adage about April showers could be a wise thing to take note of.

Although this journey is for Pads, Neil and I, other people are welcome to join us. I'll post details once we confirm dates and book accommodation so feel free to come along for the ride - just bring plenty of warm and waterproof clothing!

It looks like I'll be involved with professional cycling to a degree through work, so over the next few months I'm hoping to get some tips from the professionals about training, in preparation for next year.

Whether they can help me overcome age and the unpredictable weather is a question I daren't answer!

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY!

When I saw the recent weather forecasts that talked about storms and the lowest pressure weather system to hit the UK in September since 1981, I did wonder if I’d subconsciously booked to do the Coast 2 Coast again.

The amount of rain that has deluged northern England reminds me of when Pads, Neil and I tried to ride the Coast 2 Coast in June, only to be subsequently stranded after 40 miles on Kendal due to flooding.

It makes me think that plans to go back and complete the ride should now be firmly put back until spring as the weather will inevitably beat us if we try again this year.

We need to do a lot more training to get ourselves back to the levels we were in June, albeit with me needed a little bit more training then my fellow cyclists.

Ideally I’d like to put together a training regime that covers the winter to make sure we’re ready for when a weather window opens for us to cycle without swimming at the same time.

I suspect swimming will be key as that can help train many muscle groups, without the need to go outside during the dark autumn and winter mornings and evenings.

Being a parent means any training will come second to looking after my daughter, although my partner and I are always sharing responsibilities so we can both do as much sport and exercise as possible.

So let’s look forward to a winter of exercise and positive training for a successful Coast 2 Coast in early 2013, along with helping my daughter participate and learn about as many sports as possible.

CYCLING PHENOMENON

I’ve been speaking to friends and family recently and the consensus has been clear – the Olympics has led to a huge increase of people getting on their bikes!

It’s great to see the sporting prowess of the Olympics cyclists having such a positive effect on people and also boosting the fitness levels of the country.

The huge spike in interest in cycling does make me wonder how packed the Coast 2 Coast trail will be when we take on the challenge again.

There’s still no confirmed date for us to continue where we left off last time, but I suspect it’ll be March or April in 2013.

I’m not giving up hope of doing it before then, but the recent dip in temperature is indicating to me that it might be a little difficult, something I think we had enough of last time out!

The latest weather forecast reminds me of the weekend in June that Neil, Pads and I attempted the Coast 2 Coast, while trying to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Heavy rain, strong winds and weather warnings in place; the only difference is that you expect it in September, not June.

Due to holidays, weddings and birthdays I haven’t had much chance to get out on my bike, but I’m hoping that will change this weekend.

With almost ten days holiday still due I’ll make use of a couple of those days to take some long, leisurely trips around the Cheshire countryside.

I’ll endeavour to take some images and include them in future blog posts, fingers crossed I pick days with decent weather!

 

WHY DOES SUMMER COME NOW?

This is the sort of weather we need for the Coast to Coast bike ride! Lovely days with only light winds, followed by cool nights to ensure we want to cycle and warm up.

It has made me think that perhaps the best time to restart the ride would be March or April, when the weather doesn’t get too hot, but provides enough light in the morning and evening to reach each destination.

I think the plan will be to book a weekend close to the time when the weather forecast is good and it’ll mean we avoid the same situation as earlier this year.

To be honest I think we’d have been very lucky to pick the weekend to carry out the ride, raising money for Cancer Research UK, which gave us the weather we wanted.

I’d have been happy with rain showers, not flash floods, cold wind and being trapped for a night by flooding.

My bike has had a rest, while I’ve been running and playing football again, so my fitness levels only increase before the next time we attempt the ride.

Watching the cyclist, and all athletes, competing in the Paralympics makes me even more determined to complete the ride next time.

They deserve so much credit for what they achieve and the way they are all acting as inspiration to all of us.

It’s all about sacrificing things to achieve long term goals.

My sporting long term goal is to ride the Coast 2 Coast and I’ll be making sure that every effort is made to do it and show that the money donated by everyone so kindly, is done because of the way Pads, Neil and I have stretched our bodies to do so.

 

 

 

CYCLING PLAN NOW WEATHER DEPENDENT

I’m still looking at when to complete the Coast 2 Coast bike ride, but through a series of holidays, a stag do, sporting commitments and birthdays, it’s proving difficult to find the time when I can schedule it.

October now seems the most likely month, though whether the weather ‘lets’ us do it is another thing!

I’m not going to risk doing it when we’ve got chance of hitting poor weather conditions; we’ve all had enough of that on the original ride. Perhaps it may not happen again until spring when at least we can predict the weather a little more – well hopefully.

I’ve only been out on my bike a couple of times since the abandoned ride, mainly due to family commitments, but over the bank holiday weekend I hope for a break in the stormy weather to stretch my legs.

If the ride is postponed until spring, it does give me the chance to try and negate the age difference between Pads, Neil and myself. I feel like I’ve got to be even fitter than those two to make up for the higher number of years I’ve been on this planet!

The only concern is my hip that I had two operations on when I was very young. It’s at a slightly different angle due to the nature of the disease that affected it and it has caused problems recently that I hope are only temporary.

If it does cause problems I’ll simply alter the length of each day of cycling to ensure we all make it to the end!

I’ve recently been given a children’s bike seat, courtesy of one of Sarah’s kind work friends, so will be testing that out with Poppy soon. I do wonder what she’ll make of it, but she won’t be joining us on the Coast 2 Coast.

Finally the Olympics has showcased that cycling is an excellent form of exercise for anyone and it is now such a popular sport I expect to see more and more people taking to their cycles on and off the road. It can only be a good thing for the health of our nation and the children we bring up.

WHEN WILL I SEE KESWICK AGAIN

I'm still no closer to finalising a date to complete the Coast 2 Coast bike ride, but the most likely date is now early October. If the weather doesn't allow us, I'll reschedule for March/April 2013, when it is completed.

Not completing it is still both annoying and frustrating, especially as people had donated so generously, but it was beyond the control of humans to even finish the first day.

The other things is I'd planned it in to coincide with a week away in Cornwall, which was supposed to be recuperation time, but turned out to be another washout!

My summer is booked up with a number of key birthdays and this year, a wedding, stag do and a holiday abroad.

Neil and Pads, my fellow riders, are also block-booked with events and I may end up doing it on my own. Not the most exciting of thoughts, but at least I won't feel I'm slowing anyone up by going at my pace.

I've only been out on the bike once since the failed ride, due to events and the weather, but hopefully this weekend will be different.

The most exciting news I have is I'll soon have a child seat for the bike, so my two-year-old daughter can come with me on rides. Obviously they'll be gentle ones and not too fast!And before you ask, no I won't be taking her on the Coast 2 Coast!

Next time I'll bring you updates on how many rides I've had and if my planned new training regime is working!

BACK IN THE SADDLE

After nearly two weeks of not riding my bike, mainly because I wanted to avoid using it to get wet again, I finally found a dry spell to go for a ride.

That was last weekend and it was good to get an hour under my belt, before the rain started again.

It's not that I don't like riding in the rain, doing 40+ miles in six hours of riding proved that, I just want to try and enjoy it a little bit more.

Cycling is great for all age groups and physical abilities, sometimes people accept riding in all weathers, sometimes you prefer not to get wet, or even perhaps cold; the final reason is not much of one as after a short amount of riding you soon warm up.

Plans to restart the C2C are yet to be confirmed, but if the promise of more warm weather continues a date may soon be set.

I watched the documentary on Victoria Pendleton this week and was amazed at how much she needs support, emotionally, physically and mentally to continue riding at the top of the world.

Sometimes on these documentaries they are scripted and edited in a PR exercise, but I didn't think this was the case as her emotion when on track and in the bowl of velodromes was pure instinct.

I think she is a great role model for future sports people of all disciplines and shows how you don't have to be a billionaire footballer to gain respect from the public.

I hope she closes her magnificent career with a finish that she deserves - a gold medal at the Olympics.

Determination and perseverance are two qualities we all could do with copying from Vicky, and if we do, the world can open up before us.

The same goes for Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and the other Team Sky riders, currently dominating the Tour de France.

The sacrifices and shear will power these people have is an example we could all do with following, including these so called 'professional' footballers.

I'm currently typing with one hand due to an injection into my elbow to help cure a long standing injury. I hope to be back to two hands next week, though will still be nowhere near the qualities shown by our cycling heroes.

Good luck to them all in London.

IS THE RAIN FOLLOWING ME?

I’m beginning to think I’m a jinx to any holidays this year as the only time off work I’ve had, has seen rain, rain and more rain.

After the washout that caused our Coast to Coast bike ride being abandoned, I spent a week away with the family in Cornwall, and I’m sure you can guess by now what the weather was like...

Yes it was almost constant rain, although nothing like the two days of torrential rain from Cumbria, so no floods, but not much outdoor fun.

I’ve been trying to plan the best time to restart the Coast to Coast and hope to find time before October this year to do it. Time is very limited as this summer has nearly every weekend with some family activity, including birthdays for me daughter and nephew, brother, sister-in-law and a Golden Wedding anniversary party weekend.

I’m tempted to just take two days off after a weekend and go for it, as long as the weather is clear.

If this is the case I hope Neil and Pads will still join me, as they both are a key to the team that originally took on the ride.

I suspect we’ll plan it again for a specific date so everyone can prepare properly, so stay tuned for confirmation and news of other rides we’ll be doing, purely for exercise and fun.

A WASHOUT

The weekend started and ended on a very wet note as we were forced to end the Coast to Coast ride for safety reasons.

While it is very disappointing, given the extreme weather and dangerous conditions we encountered during the first day, it was better to stop rather than be another statistic for Cumbria’s emergency services.

The battle isn’t over though, as we’ll be completing the ride in the near future, hopefully later this summer. This is now unfinished business.

As we headed up there on Thursday the rain was heavy and incessant, leading to flooding issues on the motorways and main roads through Cumbria to our overnight stop near Whitehaven.

The weather forecast wasn’t brilliant but we couldn’t anticipate the conditions that occurred overnight and the following 48 hours.

Final preparations were made in the evening as we listened to the rain battering the accommodation we were in, all of us keeping fingers, toes and everything else crossed that it would stop, or at least reduce in its intensity.

It didn’t and the next day we ate breakfast while listening to flood alerts on the radio in the B&B dining area. The forecast predicted the rain continuing and getting heavier as the day progressed, with winds increasing later in the day and on the Saturday.

We packed our bags, then our bikes before riding off through a huge puddle towards the start point at Whitehaven harbour, four miles away.

The three of us were soaking within minutes, but in case we weren’t, just over a mile into our journey a road had turned into a river which was overflowing from the fields. It was about 200 yards long and up to 18 inches deep in places, which meant even the inside of our eyelids got a splashing!

I would have taken some pictures, but knew stopping would not only drown my phone, but also have a negative effect on our progress.

We got the harbour, managed to get the obligatory image, and cycled off behind a team of about 12 fellow C2C cyclists.

As you can see from the image we look like we’ve just ridden out of the harbour water!

The first few miles we’re a combination of negotiating muddy grassy areas, side streets and purpose built paths which were often flooded.

The further we climbed the less flooding there was, but what didn’t stop was the heavy rain, now seeping into our inner core through the various layers and waterproof clothes we wore.

We were carrying all our gear, clothes, tents, sleeping bags etc, whereas everyone around us was simply riding their bikes with a small rucksack and/or drink.

It was to our credit that we often overtook these people, who in total numbered around 30 as the miles clocked up and mountains came into view.

We stopped occasionally, for a minute or less, while we contemplated the swollen rivers, drank some fluids and cleaned our glasses.

The roads became increasingly flooded as streams spilled across them, often using the road as a new way of going towards the sea.

As we approached the Whinlatter Pass, the biggest climb of the day, the small road we were to climb had turned into a river, sweeping objects from the nearby fields with it.

By this point many people had resorted to pushing their bikes at least some of the way up this mile long track, where as we and the rest cycled some of it.

At the top people stopped for a rest, while we carried on, further uphill towards the summit.

After negotiating the forest track and final short climb, we had reached the Whinlatter cafe and rest area, at which point all the cyclists around us quickly disappeared into waiting vehicles to complete their journey.

I’m pleased to say we continued, despite the added weight of water and all our gear, this time downwards on a forest track that had become increasingly unstable to due excess water making it extremely slippy.

At one point I almost went off track due to a river flowing down the track that was constantly moving small stones and also my bike with it.

I avoided a sharp drop by a combination of braking and slight steering, which brought me back in line with where I wanted to go.

Further down this increasingly fast track, streams became cascades as they burst their banks onto the surrounding forest and the track. The rain hadn’t stopped so the levels of water were only going upwards.

During the latter stages of this descent we rounded one corner at almost 20mph to be confronted by two trees which had been felled because of the weather.

The downhill, muddy, rocky and wet ground made for a heart-stopping few seconds as we all tried to stop in time.

With wet brakes acting as a hindrance we all stopped within inches of the first tree and took a few deep breaths before trying to figure out how to get passed the barrier.

Eventually after making out way over one tree and under the other, in a scene reminiscent from The Krypton Factor assault course, we made our way onwards again.

The ride on the wet roads towards Keswick was a lonely one, as by now we seemed to be the only C2C riders left from those that had started in the morning.

We arrived at a cafe in the centre of town, drenched, chilly and, for me in particular, shivering through cold. Below is the map route we took courtesy of the iPhone app, Endomondo.

The rain continued to fall heavily as we quickly ordered food and then more as hunger took over. Further cyclists emerged, most of whom had arrived via a minibus or trailer, almost all of whom had decided that the second part of the trip to Penrith for the overnight stop was not an option in the conditions.

The stories from fellow businesses came through the cafe owner, as she told us of a hotel that had a flooded cellar and another place that was ‘prepared for the worst’.

In total the rainfall in the 24 hours since we set off had reached almost 100mm and was the monthly average in just one day. Locals told us it was the worst weather of the year, which is pretty bad considering they included the winter months.

I phoned the campsite we were due to stay in to cancel and was told many others had done the same and indeed the camping area wouldn’t have been safe to sleep in, considering it was damp at best and under water in most places.

As we began to warm up, it became apparent that rooms in Keswick were becoming rare, due to people being stuck in the town. The mission now was to find a room or rooms we could stay in.

A quick visit to the tourist information centre led us to the only room that was left in the town that could accommodate the three of us – we booked it straight away.

By now all of us were shivering and knew the right decision had been reached. Upon reaching the B&B, we were greeted by a lovely lady who showed us where to store our bikes and hang our soaking clothes, some of which wouldn’t be dry for days!

We spent the following two hours, showering, drying and organising what we could be dressed in. For Neil it was the shoes he’d been wearing all day, while Pads and I had flip flops to walk the river-laden streets to get dinner.

We all had t-shirts and track suit bottoms, so not exactly ready for more rain, but at least we had a dry place to stay, not the flooded campsite that would have been our home for the night – had we got there!

The town centre of Keswick was busy, mainly of people trying to dry off after walking the 100 yards from accommodation to have something to eat.

A few drinks later and after we had some grub, we made our way back to the B&B for a good night of sleep, which was only interrupted by some snoring, clattering noises and of course, the heavy rain pounding everywhere it could.

The following morning we confirmed that the trip was to be abandoned, due to time lost and the mountains surrounding the town being cover in cloud. Plus it was still raining.

I volunteered to get the car, which involved a three hour trip, two buses and a pick up from the lovely couple who ran the B&B we stayed at on the previous evening. They told me they had expected a call from us not long after we left to start the ride, as friends and neighbours had found problems simply doing day to day things.

Some of the flooding can be seen below in what used to be small river!

During those three hours the rain actually stopped, but once back in Keswick and with the bikes loaded up, it started again and with the winds becoming increasingly stronger, it was time to head home and relative safety.

It took over three hours to get home, after we encountered flooding on the main road from Keswick to the M6 and further rain until we reached south of Preston.

We all trooped off in our own directions upon getting to our starting point, weary, disappointed, but mainly glad we hadn’t become a statistic for the mountain rescue team or the news.

The C2C will be completed, something we all agreed is now unfinished business, but hopefully in better weather.

Once a confirmed date is set I’ll be back blogging regularly, until then I’ll try to update this page weekly.

If anyone is considering doing the C2C I’d be happy to advise on a few things, plus we could even join another trip to finish what we planned over 18 months ago and started last week.

ON OUR WAY

So the day has finally arrived when we'll be setting off to Whitehaven for the Coast to Coast bike ride, all in aid of Cancer Research UK.

The weather forecast is for stormy conditions, so wind and rain will accompany us through the three days of cycling.

Neil, Pads and I are heading up to our overnight stop in Frizington this afternoon, so this morning is currently last minute packing and gathering anything else we might need.

On behalf of the three of us (Neil and I above) I'm very grateful to everyone for all the donations so far. It's been very humbling to know people are prepared to put money aside to a cause that is close to all our hearts and also to many others too.

There's still time to donate by clicking here DONATIONS

I will not be able to update this blog during the ride, but will be updating my twitter account (@richthemaster) during the three days.

There will also be lots of images, but not too many as I've got a feeling the grey, wet mountain image is only palatable a few times a day!

As well as everyone who has donated, I'd also like to thank Pads and Neil for joining me in this adventure and of course Sarah and Poppy for allowing me to go. I will miss my girls lots, but hope to see them on Sunday night or Monday morning.

So onwards and (literally) upwards from now on, as the battle against weather and mountains commences.

WEATHER FORECAST

The simple answer to the weather forecast would be unsettled, but that doesn't paint a great picture for anyone doing outdoor activity this summer.

This includes Pads, Neil and me for our C2C bike ride, which starts on  Friday morning; EEEKK.

It's looking increasingly like we'll be faced with cold, wet and windy conditions during the adventure from Whitehaven through Keswick, Penrith, Allenheads, Consett to Tynemouth, something I didn't plan for when arranging it for in the middle of June!

Training has been similar to the weather, not exactly full on for the trip, but it's harder to ride alone than in a group and I'm sure we'll all push ourselves along during the three days.

Yesterday I sorted out some of the finer details of camping equipment, with today a buying day at Decathlon for everything we've not got.

It still leaves Thursday for anything unexpected as we've got the morning to pack everything.

The ride has a dual purpose, it's a challenge I've wanted to do for a long time and I hope the combined effort of Pads, Neil and me will raise the target of £1,000 for Cancer Research UK, in memory of my dad and many others who have suffered from cancer.

If you would like to donate, please do so here - DONATE

If you wish to send us any messages simply got on twitter (Neil - @GoodwinNeil) (Me - @richthemaster) or go to the Facebook page we've set up http://on.fb.me/Mj2FxM

All these links will have updates of our adventure so stayed tuned.

ALL BOOKED UP

The hotels and campsites have been booked, the route to and from the start and end of the ride sorted, so there's just a few other loose ends to tie up before Neil, Pads and I head for Whitehaven.

The weather is our main concern as this weekend another storm prepares to hit the UK.

One other choice for me is to either take a rucksack or panniers, the latter will need alterations to my bike which could be more trouble than it's worth.

I'll make the decision on Saturday when I make the final visit to the Decathlon store in Warrington that has supplied much of my gear so far.

Tonight I've been going over the Sea to Sea route and making sure the plan and overnight stops will give us everything we need - food, water and a pace to wash.

Neil has a few other problems to worry about as his derailleur has derailed, so I left him tonight looking at ways to fix it.

Pads has different worries as he recovers from two stag weekends in two weeks; I hope he has nothing planned this weekend, apart from a a long bike ride and plenty of sleep!

Having spoken to the people who own/run the places we're staying, it's good to know that they all seem very used to cyclists, indeed one place has only cyclists staying when we're there.

I'm sure the end of the ride will bring relief to saddle soreness, but in many ways it'll be disappointing to finish, although not if the weather is bad!

All of it is made worthwhile by the donations for the chosen charity, Cancer Research UK, which are coming in. So far £170 has been donated of the £1,000 total, which I'm very grateful for.

If you wish to donate, please go to http://bit.ly/Lqk04S

WEATHER WARNING

A combination of the dreadful weather and work has meant training has been lacking in recent days, but this weekend has seen Sarah rowing half of Saturday and all day Sunday, so I've been in charge of Poppy.

It's frustrating, but there's not much I can do about it, apart from enjoy the time with my daughter.

Sunday would have been the perfect day for a long ride, so I hope next weekend can offer similar weather conditions.

I also hope the weather is ok for the ride itself, otherwise it could make the cycle even harder.

On the fundraising front it's already proving to be positive with 5% of the target for Cancer Researhc UK raised already. Here's the place to donate http://bit.ly/JEM18c

The target is for a team effort so it's about the team, not just me, so credit for the total raised must also go to me fellow riders - Neil and Pads.

My bike is almost ready, thanks to Twelve 50 Bikes in Frodsham, and final preparations including the last bits of equipment will be done by next weekend.

Although I'm looking forward to it, I know it'll be a tough experience, particularly on my backside! Not sure how I can combat that bit though!

So this week I'm hoping the evening weather will be kinder and allow some medium length rides to boost my fitness, then the weekend will allow time for a 30+ mile one.

More updates later this week.

PUNCTURE DERAILS LONGEST RIDE

The weather on Tuesday allowed me to start a planned 25 mile ride and I was on course to do this in under three hours when disaster struck.

At about 19 miles I felt the bike wheel sliding about and eventually stopped to see a tyre that was gradually losing air.

I decided to pump up the tyre and try to get home, but only managed about half a mile until it required pumping up again.

Three miles later and I called Sarah to pick me up as I was still three miles from home and I could potentially damage the tyre and wheel if I carried on.

Ironically I reached a new top speed while being transported home!

So my bike is out of action until Friday, but the weather and work mean I wouldn't be able to do a ride before then anyway.

Neil also add an incident over the bank holiday when his derailleur snapped, almost causing an accident.

Luckily he's ok and hopefully soon will our bikes will be ready to ride again soon.

WEATHER HAMPERING TRAINING

When I scheduled this C2C bike ride in June I imagined the weather would be quite pleasant and training would be long rides in summer sun, with the odd cool wind refreshing my heated body. WRONG.

The weather is currently akin to November, which is making training particularly difficult. I don't like ride a bike in the wind and rain.

Yesterday was not much better, but at least I was able to get out and put in an 18 miler at an average speed of 9.86mph. I don't expect this to be my average speed during the ride, but if it's about 7mph I'll be happy.

I'm counting today as a 'rest' day, even though there will be no rest days when doing the ride; hard to have rest day when it's only taking three days!

So tomorrow the weather is supposed to improve and I've planned a 25 mile ride, which is roughly half the daily distance we need to travel on days one and three.

Day two will be less distance but is mainly uphill, therefore an average speed of 5mph will be fine by me.

I tend to struggle for the first few miles, but after that I'm quite happy to ride with an extra 'turbo kick' available if required.

The next two weekend will be filled with 25-30 mile rides on either or both days, with evening midweek rides when I'm home in time. I suspect Friday might be the only day this week I can do that.

So with 18 days to go I'm now honing the list of items I need, which will be gathered this week.

I know my team mates are training hard with Pads pushing further that me this weekend and Neil continuing to run up muddy hills for fun!

Should be good fun as well as making sure I keep up my fitness campaign. Just hope people can help us reach the fundraising total. To donate click here bit.ly/JEM18c

BEAUTIFUL CONDITIONS FOR TRAINING

This weekend I've enjoyed two long training rides, following a good midweek one with Neil.

The weather has been perfect, even if it was quite hot riding in the middle of the day. It's good practice as I expect the conditions to be similar for the actual ride next month - at least I hope it is!

Of the many benefits of riding my bike in the countryside, my main one is the chance to view the various wildlife, many of which are in full breeding mode.

Make no mistake, the ride will be tough but I'm looking forward to it, particularly if the donations reach my target of £1,000.

I suspect I'll be giving a bit of fitness, as well as about 15 years, up to my team members Neil and Pads, but I'm sure they'll be happy to go at my pace.

It's good to have at least one major challenge a year, although there might be more than this one to tackle as the months role on.

The feeling when you complete a major physical event is something that strives me on. I can only imagine how people feel when they win world titles, as a team or individual, except for those where money means more than triumph, despite the denials.

As a mountain biker I'm ruling out the Lands End to John o' Groats ride, but I have great admiration for people who have tackled it. A few old friends of mine took that challenge a few years ago for charity and it provided me with some of the inspiration to do the C2C bike ride.

Road bikes are not really my thing, I prefer the rugged feel of going off road and the tests that provides, rather than the mainly flat tarmac surfaces.

So this weekend I've travelled about 26 miles over two days, at an average speed of about 9.5 mph, which is about 2mph above what I expect to be our average time during the challenge.

So this week as the temperatures fall to about average, I know training will be difficult. That means the later part of this week and four day weekend will mean about 100 miles in the saddle.

BRING IT ON.

SERVICING BIKE AND WARDROBE

My bike has gone in for a service to prepare it for the ride next month and will receive a few extra parts to help with long distance cycling.

I'll get my bike back, fully prepared, in less than a week, which is much less time than the person riding it will require to be ready and 'serviced' for the journey.

I'd like to thank Twelve50Bikes for servicing my bike and advising me on various items on my bike.

The countdown to the start date is well underway and one team member is preparing by riding 100 miles this weekend along the South Downs.

Hats of to Neil for doing this ride, but unfortunately he'll have to lower his standards when he teams up with me. Can't say for certain if Pads will hold anyone's standards up.

I must recommend a new shop I've found, courtesy of Pads, which, having visited today, is a brilliant place to get all sorts of fitness and hobbyist items.

Decathlon has a store near me, but if you can get there you won't be disappointed.

The fitness regime is still on, even without my bike, so the running, badminton and football are taking up the slack.

RIDING THE YORKSHIRE WAY

The bank holiday weekend delivered some great conditions for training, particularly on the bike.

Enjoyed a 20+ mile trek up and down the hills and flatter sections north of Leeds with a member of the team, Sarah's brother Pads.

A very tough incline was followed by an enjoyable and thoroughly great workout to help us get ready for the C2C next month.

The only downside was a slow puncture after 15 miles, which required four stops to pump up the tyre to enable us to ride the full distance. A lesson learnt, which is better than finding out during the actual ride.

Further training will take place this week, despite me being away for the end of the week, which will help build up core fitness.

Although we only covered about 40 per cent of the daily target, it was achieved in less than three hours, which hopefully shows the daily distances we've set ourselves are realistic.

There's even more hard work to go, but I'm looking forward to it.

As usual if you can donate to Cancer Research UK here http://bit.ly/LGWl4H

FITNESS & TEAM UPDATE

So the fitness regime hasn't got off to the best of starts for the C2C, as I missed training on Wednesday.

At least I managed badminton tonight with Jonny, who has sadly pulled out of riding in the event due to moving house and spending money on that.

He'll still be supporting the team of me, Neil and Pads so hopefully it'll push us all to keep up the fitness and be ready for the ride.

The finer logistics of the ride are still to be confirmed but at least I have the overnight destinations sorted.

This weekend I'm planning at least two rides and one run, as the bank holiday allows extra time to build up fitness.

Don't forget any donations will be welcome, just go to www.justgiving.co.uk/mydadgrahamknowles

THE BEGINNING

This year it's time to challenge myself again and hopefully raise money for a charity close to my heart, Cancer Research UK.

Two years after the nine month fundraising stint following the FA Cup from start to finish, this time the challenge will be a little more physical.

On June 22nd I will be joined by Sarah's brother, Pads, and our neighbours Jonny and Neil, to ride the C2C from Whitehaven to Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

We hope to complete the 140 or so miles in three days, camping for the two nights either side of a night in our start point, Whitehaven, and finish in Newcastle.

If you wish to donate please got to www.justgiving.com/mydadgrahamknowles

The training regime has started today and will include a variety of exercises with football, running, badminton and of course cycling taking up regular weekly action.

The plan for me is as follows:

Monday - football
Tuesday - 15 miles on bike
Wednesday - 5k running
Thursday - badminton
Friday - rest
Weekend - 25 miles on bike (going up by 5 miles per week)

I'll be updating this blog regularly with how the regime is going and update the money raised.

Finally here's the motley crew in the team.