A fine balancing act...

Diet seems to be difficult for a lot of people. It's easy for me. Eat. Everything. Right now. Every day. Thinking about it though, there must be something I do differently to others to manage first of all to eat the same quantity every day without being sick, and secondly to not fall asleep at work after eating what I eat.

Well...rest assured...I used all the geek powers at my disposal (including those found on the informationsuperofficenet) to figure out what I was doing and why it works.

First of all lets deal with capacity. Stomachs have a massive capacity. You would be surprised how much they can hold. What limits them is first of all the space available to them, and secondly their suppleness.

I - after a large operation in 2002 - have masses of spare space in my abdomen after losing 1/3 of my intestines. That means when I do eat I can cram a lot more in without feeling like I am about to burst. Ok, I'm at an advantage and I dont suggest you go get 1/3 of your guts removed just so you can eat more. Stretching your stomach can be as simple as just massaging it a bit before eating to make it relax a bit, remember your abdomen is responsible for most of your vertical stability so its always under tension.

So now, I know how to eat loads but if you (or I for that matter) were to eat a 2lb piece of meat, you would soon want to sleep it off for a few hours. My boss is great but I think even he would draw the line at me having a nap at my desk!

So, how do you eat masses during the day without sleeping. Balance what you eat with the energy levels it is going to give you and the energy levels needed to process it. Each meal has to be a mix of sugars, simple carbs, complex carbs and proteins...as well as a little fat and salt to keep your body ticking over.

So...Lets take breakfast as an example...

Start with porridge oats (complex carbs), now add some full fat milk (protein and fats) getting there but add some golden syrup (simple carbs) and a banana (simple carbs) ...some white toast (simple carbs) with butter (fats and salts) and jam (simple carbs and sugar), and there you go. Balanced energy for a few hours.

How does it work? Well the jam and syrup give you instant get up and go energy in the form of the sugar they contain. The banana and to a lesser extent the jam too contain high levels of fructose and some other simple carbs which whilst quickly absorbed are absorbed more slowly than the sugar in the syrup...these two keep you going for around 30-45 mins...now the white bread kicks in keeping the energy levels topped up for a further 30-40 mins by which time the complex carbs of the oats are being released and absorbed into your body for a further hour or so. Thats 2.5 hours of energy.

And now its time to eat again...keeping the same kind of pattern throughout the day, balancing complex carbs with smaller amounts of simple carbs and sugars will stop that lull most of us feel after a meal. Try it... I bet it works!

PS if it doesn't work then I am not to be held accountable. Its your body and probably works differently from mine. They are all different, thats why doctors only ever "practice".

Going cold turkey

For years i've been battling my weight (the opposite of what most people think) - I'm what's termed a hard gainer. I can exericise till I am red in the face and I will gain strength and stamina but never gain mass. It's a real pain in the butt!

Anyway, I've been studying nutrition and trying to figure out what the best source of protein and muscle building nutrients is. Everyone knows eggs are high in protein but they are also high in fats. I don't and have never bothered with a low cholesterol diet. it doesn't matter what I eat I always have low cholesterol. However fat does slow the body down when it is trying to absorb proteins.

Instead, think outside the shell...if eggs are high in protein it stands to reason that poultry is too. And it is, but chicken isn't the best source (although one of the tastier). Turkey - yep all you Christmas fans already knew it - is the daddy! The university of Chichester carried out a study which showed that having 145g of turkey a day increased muscle concentration by 40% and improved cycling performance by about 20%. These gains were made without altering the rest of the diet or the exercise routines.

Doubling the amount of turkey you eat each day would over 6-12 months boost muscle concentration up to 80% more than your current levels.

Thats great but all lean meats lack one thing...FLAVOUR! so don't go for the extra lean turkey steaks go for the normal ones and wash them down with a nice glass of chianti ...and heres why...

The University of Jerusalem found that red wine neutralises toxins from fats in meat when you are digesting it. See I was going somewhere with it.

So next time you are doing your food shopping get yourself a nice fat turkey and some falling down juice. If anyone says anything - tell them its a highly scientifically balanced diet!

New Website

Sorry for not posting recently - I've been working hard at my day job doing some system integration and web site design getting our new website ready for public use! It's taken up most of my time so I haven't really been posting much about diet and exercise etc.

Short Circuit

No, not the type in an electrical problem. I'm talking about circuit training. Most people envisage circuit training as involving a lot of cardio-vascular exercise and not helping those who want to build up mass.

All cicuit training is, is a method of training which reduces the mental impact of repetition and increases the impact on muscle use by varying the muscles being used.

In practice what this means is that you can train longer and harder without being reduced to a quivering mass of jelly or thinking "you know what? I could be in the pub now sinking a few pints of bevvy with a sheilagh or four!"

Heres my typical circuit

• Press ups
• Shoulder press
• Sit ups
• Leg raises
• Squats
• Back Extension
• Bicep Curl
• Deadlift
• Tricep Pushdown
• Lateral Raises
• Single Arm Rows

At the end of the Circuit, start again, do this three times. If you are still standing, then congratulations but you probably want to increase the reps on each circuit step, if you aren't standing, well done; if you passed out you should probably call an ambulance when you wake up.

I'll let you know how things go over the next few weeks. I'll be interspersing the circuit training with Weight lifting twice a week. Every fourth week, I'll train to failure to ensure that I'm not getting too complacent.

Fingers crossed!

Who are you calling a jerk?

Yesterday was the first day I got back on the bike since getting back from Sweden. Cycling back to Irvine from Glasgow. 38 miles. I'd done it in 2.75hrs in one go the last time (two weeks before the trip).

This week it took us just over 3 hours - which still isnt too bad. But it was absolute hell. I'd made the mistake of hurrying whilst washing my water bottles. That meant when I needed liquid most and took a quick swig I couldn't. All I could taste was washing up liquid. Now, If you have ever tried to cycle 40 miles across the countryside with no liquid you will know how stupid that was.

My muscles were starting to seize up pretty badly, my lips were dry, and I could feel them starting to crack.

I made it though.

That wasn't the worst though. At the end of the night I lay in bed trying to sleep and just about managed to drift off when I jumped out of my skin...everyone has this from time to time. You know the dream. You're falling, falling, falling and boom with a jerk you wake up...then you drift off to sleep again. It happened to me 4 times last night. Its pretty un-nerving waking up thinking you're about to crash, even my hands had tightened as if I was pressing the brakes.

So what the heck happened?

Well. At night your bodys cicadian rhythm starts to slow everything down so you can sleep. Hormones are released to induce your body to want to sleep, you yawn your head off, and then nod off. simple?

Well, when you are exhausted your body is affected much more than normal, your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure drop much more rapidly. Your lymbic system panics as it thinks you are about to pop your clogs and sends a massive jolt to every muscle in your body - a kind of a jump start. Your heart rate speeds up, your breathing quickens and your blood pressure spikes temporarily; trouble is, I was so tired that this "one time fix" didn't work. So my brain tried it, again, and again, and again.

The net result is a very bad nights sleep; and very sore muscles the day after.

What have I learned? never ever ever wash your water bottles only 8hrs before you use them. Wash. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. and Rinse again!

And I've decided that cycling alone isnt going to help. This week sees me starting weight training again, and rowing, possibly running although I can't think of anything worse!

Brake! Brake! Brake! Power on!

21st September 2008...a quiet day in the countryside, in the distance you can hear birds tweeting in the autumn sunlight. We are in a conference room, surrounded by racing memorabilia. Up at the front the Chief Steward is telling us the rules for the day. He's being lighthearted about the rules but making sure we understand the severity of breaking them.



We file outside, put on our helmets and get our instructors paired with us. We're about to race round scotlands only touring car circuit. As I get in the car, my instructor sets the rear view mirror so he can see out the back - he explains that I wont be using that mirror and I have to learn to use the door mirrors instead as the formula 3000 car I will be in next doesnt have a windscreen, never mind a mirror attached to it!

We file into the pit lane one by one, lined up at the end of the lane waiting our green light...car number 7 gets off first, then 4...closely followed by 6 and then me...number 5. I bring the revs up to 3000 and wait...wait...as I drop the clutch I can feel the wheels scrabbling for grip but not quite spinning.

The first corner is close to the entrance but even still we are doing 50mph and have to go hard on the brakes, the car dives on to its front wheel as the weight transfers from the back. I can feel the car trying to pull left as I turn right and down the hill, on the accellerator now. Swing to the left, brake for the corner turn right, power on to pull up the hill and a quick left right throught the chicane. Now a long left hander, working up through the gears, hitting 125 on the curve before quickly getting on the brakes using the gears to help slow down quick....quicker that hairpin is tight and quickly approaching...Whew, slowed enough, full lock to the right, second gear ready and foot down bring on the power nice and smooth, you can feel the turbo kicking in!

Quickly through the gears up to 6th along the start straight. One lap down...two more to do...and thats practice over.

Our instructor then takes us back out in the same car to show us how to improve. Listening to him intently I manage to get my time down even further.

Now...its time for the formula 3000 car. Its a modified one with a 1000cc race bike in it. Thankfully I get the ferrari red one (thats made my day). This time starting the car isnt so easy as turning a key, first you need to ensure the water and oil pumps are on, now, select first gear using the paddles. Clutch down until the gear selector flashes at you..as you press the start button the engine roars into life, the carbon fibre silencer (what little there is of it) doesn't do much to dull the roar of the engine.

Gingerly lifting off the clutch (theres no biting point on it at all) so as not to stall I peel out of the pit lane, the training car was quick but this is quicker. I bring the engine up to 12000rpm before changing to 4th, on the brake ready for the first corner, the car turns in sharply, this time no roll at all. I can feel all the grip transfer to the left tyres as I turn right, on the power again and a smooth transfer to the left, accellerate again and then lift off, turn right and power on. Catching the apex just right to swing me out to the left. Keep the car in 3rd and power on up the hill drifting right, now aim for the kerb on the left dont touch the brake till you are on the apex, the steering goes light - the apex is right on the crest of the hill, its do or die time, foot down accellerate hard and turn right so the car swings on the opposite kerb and maintains the line.

Smooth now, up to fifth, brake again for the right hander before the long left, take a lazy right so you are on the left, now drift across the track. The hairpin approaches at dizzying speed, only 50 metres from its apex i hit the brake and come down the gears, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, turn hard right - cross the arms get full lock, right hand front tyre is almost on the grass, power on...4th, 5th, 6th, watch the crew for my lap time...keep your mind on the track Mauro...you've still got a race to finish! As I turn my head back to the track I can feel the force of the wind trying to move my head this way and that...130mph less than 3 inches off the ground is exhilirating....the sound of the engine fades to the background all there is is the track and the car in front...

Lap by lap my times come down, I pass a few cars, until my confidence is knocked...Coming up the hill to the chicane too quick I almost run into the back of a slower car, I slam on the brakes but because the car is travelling so fast when I hit the crest the wheels lock up...I lose ground because I've gone wide..damn it! Quick, get back to the racing line...2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th don't let the car or track scare you Mauro, you've got to get it done! My times start coming down and down and down..by the end of the day I've taken 17seconds off my laptimes. I'm happy with that. Its time for a well earned drink and the prize giving.

I didn't win anything but I'll have a fantastic memory. I am home now, the smell of oil and fuel is in my clothes and on my hands...I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight without thinking of the race.

The Cycle - Day 2

Well day 2 started with a feeling of hope and eagerness to get on; we'd had a hard day but the sights of the night sky, the good food, and excellent company meant that we rested well and were ready to face anything.

We started with what we thought would be a half hour cycle to the ferry...it took us less than 5 minutes to cover the distance that took us close to twenty/thirty minutes the night before. It was cold as it was so early but the day promised to heat up as there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

The ferry took us back to the mainland about 10:00am and then we started north. Today though we faced a further challenge of having to get 4 ferries between headlands or we would have to cycle over 100miles!

We made excellent progress despite the numerous stops forced by ferries and eventually at lunch time we stopped at a fantastic seafood restaurant at a marina in Fiskebäckskil where we helped ourselves to a copious buffet and then some soup with mussels and assorted fish (I'm not a massive fan of fish, but you really have to sample local foods when you are in foreign countries as you may find something you actually quite like).

After a huge lunch and some sugary drinks we made our way up hill to the ferry which would take us to Lysekil. This would be the last ferry of the day and almost proved to be my downfall. The combination of large lunch followed by a half hour sit down for the ferry ride meant that my legs didn't want to carry on any more.

I'd made up my mind to get in the van at the next stop in Brastad, however before we got there we had to negotiate a stretch of 90kph limit road which meant we had to pedal fast for a while.

Eventually after a long internal monologue about how it wouldn't be quitting if I got in the van we got to Brastad, where I decided against all sanity that I was going to carry on to the next stop. If I still felt bad I'd then get in the van. The next rendezvous with the van never came though as we had changed course and were no longer due to go to the town where we would meet the van. That ensured that I HAD to continue the cycle. I am glad I did, we saw some fantastic scenery; trees 40 metres tall and straight as an arrow growing on the sides of a steep valley, it was breathtaking cycling through it with the sun piercing through the branches and boughs.

We made it to Fjallbacka around 7:30-8:00pm where we had to REALLY quickly load the van with food and drink as the small fishing boat was going to pick us up shortly. A few of the guys did a trolley dash round the local coop for food, drink and snacks and then ran out again...we almost loaded the van on the trot and finally made it to the pier to get our boat.

As the boat was being loaded, the food was on board, the bikes were beginning to be loaded as were the bags we realised something horrible...we'd lost Douglas. Try as we might we couldn't figure out where he was. Eventually we got through to his mobile phone to find out that we'd left him behind at the coop in the rush to get to the van. This would become a running joke through the holiday.

Finally we got Douglas, his bike, and cider loaded on to the small fishing boat. The boat was so small that Douglas and John had to hold on for their lives at the back. We couldn't go too fast as the boat was close to being overloaded so we took a leisurely speed and course to the island. We moored up shortly before 9pm and started unloading the bikes. The good thing about having a small island to yourselves is that you don't have to lock your bikes (there wasn't really anywhere to chain them apart from the trees and rocks).

Bob, thanks to his culinary skills, made another fantastic dinner and then we got stuck in about the beers and crisps. Too soon came the time where we all felt too tired to stay up, so we went to bed comfortable in the knowledge tomorrow would be a rest day.

Our legs were tired, our backsides painful from two days in the saddle but our spirits were high and our mood was elated. Nothing could stop us from completing the cycle.

The Cycle - Day 1

We had spent the night in the Gothenburg Hostel in a similar fashion to sardines. The room 5 of us stayed in was tiny, and very intimate but we were in high spirits specially after a feast the night before in the main street in the city. I make no apologies guys, this is going to be a long one.

We got up early and had to meet reporters and photographers at the local park to feature in the Sfar Nytt, Stena's magazine. When we got to the park it was pretty cold, but we had to strip down to shorts and tshirts (the full road captain gear) for the sponsors photos. We'd all been talking about how daft we would look in it but later in the cycle we would be glad of the gear and our attitudes changed towards it.

We wanted to set off about 9.30am but due to some last minute issues with a wonky wheel on Shauns bike - any time he touched the brake his front wheel shifted drastically to the left, clearly this had to be fixed before we left. With a little ingenuity and a lot of swearing under our breaths we got it working suitably.

Right...ready now...oh wait...Douglas's chain began to rub badly as it was routed incorrectly through the tensioner at the rear mech. Out came the chain splitter to break the chain and rebuild it but the pin fell out so we had to remove two of the links instead, the chain was pretty stiff though when we rebuilt it and you could see that it was still sort of jumping so a quick prise apart with a screwdriver (marked "this is not a pry-bar") we managed to loosen the chain. A dash of oil was added to help lube it up. And there you have a recipe for a working chain.

We set off and made excellent time in the morning, despite the false starts and the wrong turns at the start that saw us having to absolutely hammer it along a 5km stretch of the E6 (a motorway). By the time we finished that sprint we were all ready for a rest, and thankfully found a chocolate biscuit factory which had a shop at it. We bought loads of biscuits to replenish energy reserves and had a short rest where we met with Peter who was driving our van with spares and our gear. We all unloaded the spare clothes here from our backpacks and left them in the van (except for the obviously required waterproof jackets).

We then proceeded to go over various hills and bridges, all the time thinking "it was meant to be a lot flatter than this, why isn't it flat? I'm going to die if this doesn't end soon". The hills never ended. The bridges thankfully did. We had trained in Scotland using the southern highlands as our routes however, the hills in scotland have downhills as long as the up, whereas in Sweden they seem to go up and up and up and up and then quickly down. So while in Scotland we'd be pedalling only 50% of the time of the hills, in sweden it was more like 80%.

About 1 and a half hours from the end of the days cycling to Freds parents holiday home we encountered a Norwegian on a bike who'se first question was "Are you scottish?" when we replied positively he asked Douglas "Are you Tom?" we pointed at Tom and then the penny dropped. It was Svein, a person Tom and I had contacted months ago for information about cycling Gothenburg to Oslo as he had made a site about it in the past. We'd invited him to join us for part of the cycle.

We cycled on till we met the ferry which would take us to the island we were staying on that night.

The cycle to the house was a killer, it was ALL uphill and seemed to take half an hour on its own. We were glad of the shower at the house, despite all the hot water being used up long before we had all showered. It was still great.

Bob and Fred made a spectacular dinner of pork, sausages, salads and pasta, perfect for refuelling after the days long cycle. We sat up until late. On an island with not a single street light the sky was amazing, I've seen skies like that before in Italy but I was too young to appreciate the sight.

It was a sublimely clear night, we could see everything in the sky, from the ghostly band of stars across the sky of the milky way to the satellites we could see tracking across the velvety blue backdrop. Mercury was visible low on the sky too, brighter than any of the stars around it. We were all so dumbstruck by the spectacle that we switched all the lights off, including mobile phones and just sat quietly watching the sky. Even the crickets seemed to quiet down for a short time. Douglas spotted a shooting star streak across the sky and pointed it out to us. Surely this was a good sign for the cycle!

Bob, ever thoughtful, produced a bottle of single malt from his bags and toasted us all and the cycle. Bob, your words of wisdom, your witt and banter throughout the cycle proved to be entertainment and valuable to us all. Thank you.

Thanks to Freds parents too for letting us stay at their holiday home that night. Hopefully we didn't make too much of a mess.

The wanderers return...

Well...we're back...

Not got much to say just now as I'm still in a daze about the cycle but expect a lot of posts over the next week or so with pictures, descriptions and sotries about our adventure.

In total it looks like we will raise around £8000 for CHAS which is AMAZING - although if we can get that a little higher it would be even better! Thank you all for your fantastic support and generosity - we couldn't have done it without you.

Right, I am off to soak in a tub again and let my poor legs recover properly today. No beer for me!

A quick update

Well it's day three of the cycle - today is a rest day - thankfully. Saturday was excellent, the weather was perfect for cycling - clear sunny skies but with a low temperature. We had a slight mishap on the start line when Douglas found that his chain was rubbing so we had to do some emergency surgery and remove two links so we could re-route the chain through the correct mechs. Once we got that fixed we found that Shaun's bike had a brake issue...Any time he applied the front brake the front wheel would skew dangerously to the left, clearly something was wrong but we were on a schedule and patched it as best we could.

Over the next few hours we had a few wrong turns, which took the first days mileage up to around 62 miles.

We eventually got to Lyr - and stayed at a friends holiday home, it was fantastic. We sat out till late, drinking low alcohol lager and eating barbecued pork, sausages, and pasta with salad. Once all was eaten, and dessert was finished, Bob produced a fantastic bottle of single malt whisky to toast everyone for taking part. I think with Bobs creative words and the scenery as well as possibly the best and clearest night sky I have ever seen made everyone sit back and contemplate just what we were doing.

The second day was hell on earth for me - I think the other guys were suffering too. I was amazed at how tired my legs were and nothing I was doing was helping. 20 miles in I felt like throwing in the towel - my legs were burning, my knees were in pain on every downstroke. I thought I was going to give up at fiskebaksil, I decided to press on to Brastad - I made it there 4 minutes after the rest of the guys - apart from Bob who I have to thank for keeping pace with me. At Brastad the short rest helped me regain some strength however a few short miles in and my legs were starting to burn again worse than ever. I could feel my knees want to buckle when I pressed down on the pedal and had to fight hard to stabilise them never mind pedal.

I've stopped suffering from the Crohns flare up which hit me last week and caused me to have to stop on the cycle but I am still feeling its effect. My bowels are still very active so I am being forced to eat less and drink less thank I should so that I can continue cycling without stomach pain and the requirement to run to the bathroom like you do the day after a bad prawn curry!

We were meant to meet at a small town 10 miles from Brastad but decided to change the route to go to Hamburgursund. I really felt like my legs were about to stop functioning. Strangely there was no lactic acid buildup, just no energy left in the lower thighs. I made a decision to not use my gears as I had been and instead to stand in the pedals and power up the hills. The tops of my thighs had hardly been used and were comparatively rested so that helped me power up the hills and actually catch up to the rest of the guys.

I don't know how the guys kept going but I am amazed at their pace and stamina. It's testament to the preparation we have done.

We arrived at our meeting point with the van on time where we gave him money and a shopping list and provided him with directions to the ferry to Fjallbacka.

We spent the day resting at Fjallbacka Valo where the weather couldn't have been better. Tomorrow will be a true test, another 120km (70miles) and the weather forecast says its going to be wet. It will be a tough test, but I am sure we will manage it.

Excited? not me....

Hahahahaha, yeah right! I've been up since 4am thinking about tomorrow.

Well I wish it could be Christmas, every day
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play
Oh, I wish it could be Christmas, every day
Let the bells ring out for Christmas

Imagine that song - but with Sweden where christmas is...

Thats how I feel just now. Everything is prepared. All that we have to do is get to the airport and from then on in theres no turning back.

See you in a week - I'll have loads of pictures, maybe some movies and definitely some stories!

2 days to go...

Tonight is the penultimate night. Whats being done? I'm preparing the maps - each cyclist will receive maps for each day broken down into 15 mile sections. This means we will all be able to get to where we need to be and should we be separated - reduce the chances of getting lost.

Today we had some excellent news in the form of replies to emails about the cycle. First of all Rock Radio mentioned the cycle on the lunchtime show - unfortunately I didn't hear this but am hoping its helped raise a bit of awareness of the site!

Then around 4pm I spoke with a reporter from The Metro - a free paper on public transport in the UK asking for a little more information about the cycle, Jack and Melanie and why we were doing the cycle. I explained we were - most of us anyway - desk bound for work so the cycle itself was not an easy task!

I am hoping - as is the reporter - that the story will be in tomorrows edition of The Metro!

On that note, I'm off to make sure I've got enough t-shirts, socks and toothpaste for the week...at least these days I don't have to worry too much about shampoo!

Remember, whilst we are away, I'll still be posting here with updates, I may not be able to get you pictures until I get back but you'll be able to read about the thrills, spills, monotony, rain, shine...whatever happens you'll know about it! Well...as far as cycling is concerned anyway!

Team Shirts

Well today the first of the team shirts were picked up. I have to admit, TeeShirt Nation in Glasgow did a spectacular job of the shirts. I think it will look fantastic when we all turn up wearing the same shirts and continue to wear sponsored shirts throughout the cycle.

So what are the shirts like? Simple white t-shirts...The CHAS Logo of course, the Nations flags and the sponsors name, and finally on the back... a massive number 08 with the words "Got. To Oslo".



Finally seeing them has brought it home, we're going in 4 days... I - like the rest of the guys - have done my fair share of travelling. I've stayed in some amazing hotels. Yet I don't think anything will compare with the feeling we will get on the day we roll in to Oslo, no matter the weather, no matter how tired we are.

Oslo..watch out...we're on our way and nothing is going to stop us!

The resounding sound of...

Failure! Yep, Failure.

Today was going to be a 75 mile cycle in total. In the end it was a roughly 30 mile cycle of sheer hell and determination not to be beaten by Crohns.

I've had a massive flare up of Crohns Disease this week, resulting in passing blood on Friday and Saturday. I knew I was going to be weak today but didn't figure on being this weak.

10 miles into the cycle - most of it steadily up-hill - I was barely controlling my breathing. I had already had to stop twice and was feeling the pressure.

Eventually we got to Lochwinnoch - where I stopped and refuelled on a can of coke. Possibly the best drink I have ever had. That helped me keep up and even set the pace for a few miles but soon my muscles were empty. I was spent and there was still another 10 miles to go.

Having to stop every now and then enabled my legs to become recharged. The slow twitch muscles in my legs had absolutely nothing to give so I had to alternate between bouts of sprinting and freewheeling.

Soon we neared Largs and the up-hill sections gave way to an altogether too short (but extremely steep) down-hill section. It was bliss being able to freewheel for more than a few hundred metres. Although my brakes had to be carefully applied as I was actually getting down the hill much faster than the cars in front of me.

Strangely though, theres absolutely no lactic acid build up in my muscles. I think for that to happen your muscles have to burn glycogen in bigger quantities than was present in my legs today.

I know 30 miles or there abouts is still an achievement (specially when you consider the only food I had between saturday at 11am and sunday at 11am was a fried breakfast) but I can't help feeling like I've let the team down, more importantly I feel like I am beat.

I'll have a hard time to get over this before the cycle next week - I absolutely have to complete a cycle again before Thursday and do it faster and better than before to help get over it. I have been beaten once, not again!

Roll to me...

"...it wont stop raining, Its the right time to roll to me..." - Del Amitri

Well they had it right, I cycled to and from work yesterday in possibly the worst weather I have encountered on my bike. I had entirely the wrong gear on, and to make matters worse was totally unprepared for it in the morning by missing breakfast.

You would think after all this training I wouldn't do anything that stupid. I did. Momentary lapse in cognitive abilities. It happens to us all sometimes.

Anyway, as the day progressed the weather got steadily worse until at night the rain was coming down in torrents. I knew I was going to get sweaty cycling home so a water proof jacket would only stop me being able to cool down and cause me to fatigue even quicker. So...there's me dressed in a cotton shirt, double thickness cotton three quarter length cargo shorts and my trainers.

Within a mile I was soaked to the bone, within two miles my clothes were water logged and had gained about 4kg in weight, that in itself isn't too bad, but wet clothes cling to you (specially when you have hairy legs like mine) and reduce mobility. Within 5 miles every down-stroke on the pedals issued forth a tidal wave of biblical proportions from the water trapped in my shoes and socks.

What made matters worse is the roads were busy, I had to cycle close to the kerb, and we all know that's where water collects, so not only was I being soaked from the rain above and the cars to the side, but also from the water being thrown up by my off-road tyres. Mud Guards would have been no use...I was leaving a wake in those puddles!

So what did I learn from that? well...carry spare gear in a SEALED plastic bag so it remains dry, and to cycle faster, much much faster.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho its off to work we go...

With a shovel and spade, and a hand grenade, Hi Ho Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

Actually it's more like a bike and a lunch and a change of clothes but that doesn't rhyme! Tomorrow sees me cycling 12.6 miles to the office, and then another 12.6 miles home. And if that wasn't enough we've got some evening cycles planned too!

This is the last full week of training before we leave for Sweden, final destination Oslo, Norway. I have to admit I am pretty psyched up! Each day I wake up more tired than the last from cycling, however, after Friday and Saturday I know my fitness levels are nearing their peak (well for cycling anyway).

I think the 55 miles in a day requirement for Sweden won't be exactly easy but it will be manageable by all of us. Regardless though, I am going to ensure that I complete every last mile; I've never been one to give in without a fight.

So...This week schedule is as follows:

07:00:- Leave for work
07:37:- narrowly avoid getting squashed by truck
08:00:- Arrive at work
08:30-17:30:- work (wooo - the more I work the less I cycle)
17:30:- Leave for home
18:30:- Arrive home
18:45:- eat dinner
19:15:- out on bike again!
21:00:- die of heart attack
22:00:- get better for tomorrow

In amongst all that I've got to ensure that I eat properly, specially given that we are leaving next Friday. Unlike the rest of the guys, I don't have much body mass to store energy so I need to ensure that between cycles I eat plenty and replenish what I've just used up...

Thankfully I have the appetite of a hungry thing thats not eaten for a month so eating shouldn't be a problem!

Finally...I am amazed (in a good way) at the amount of money we have raised so far and the amount of money people have said they will donate. Everyones generosity is outstanding and we can't thank enough for the help you have given us or for the difference the donations will make to the children at CHAS.

Thank you!

The loneliest number...

Well...its 27. The number of gears ONE mountain bike has. Tonight I cycled to my home town from glasgow. Last year it took us over 6 hours (4.5 cycling time). Tonight it took 2hrs and 40mins with no rest stops.

On the way I passed many groups of people. Lazy people on horses. Some joggers. Jakeys with their buckfast. Even other people on bikes. But they were all in groups of two or more.

Why is that? Distraction from the pain. Distraction from the monotony of the same scenery. In the end I gave up and listened to my mp3 player and broke a few laws in doing so. Helpfully jamiroquai and fat boy slim were on there so their up tempo music helped contribute to my pace. The other bonus is that the music does help keep a steady cadence whilst cycling. Maybe I will use that next week whilst cycling to work.

And for you guys keeping score on my spelling. Sorry, I've just posted this from my phone and don't have a spell check on it. Well not a good one anyway.

TGIF!

YAY its Friday! End of the week...Oh no! that means cycling! ARGH! This weekend is specially difficult as I've got to attend a wedding reception which means I cant be out too late on Saturday to get to the reception in time and I will be up too late to get up early on Sunday.

The solution: simple, cycle on Friday night and then again on Saturday morning. How far though? 40 miles each way. Well....38 each way.

I'm going to cycle down to my friends on friday night, watch a DVD and eat loads of high energy food, then on saturday cycle home. My legs will be in agony. The roads will be busy on friday night. It will be getting dark. And looking out the window just now...most likely pouring with rain. It will be a tough test of mental and physical endurance. As I will be cycling on roads I will be unable to use an MP3 player to keep my mind occupied as it will stop me hearing vehicles behind me.

38 miles on your own is a long way to be alone. 3.5 hours. Your mind occupied by nothing but the lactic acid burning in your muscles. Occupied by the pain in your foot. Occupied by the hunger you feel. 38 miles of battling thoughts of wanting to give in.

So what makes me go on when I know I am hurting, hungry and about to pass the limit of my endurance? Memories of the video of Jack Macpherson on youtube. He didn't have a choice. I do have a choice, but I am not going to let myself, my friends or him down.

A word from our sponsors...

This week saw the sponsorship go sky high with a flurry of activity in the past few days. We've since confirmed a few corporate sponsors which I would like to thank personally and on behalf of the team with a few words here. Yeah it's blatant advertising but you know what? They were nice enough to give us donations and equipment so the least I can do is drop a few names:

1. Northern Marine Management (http://www.nmm-stena.com/): Thank you for your donation, shirts and help with getting the van sorted. It has helped ease both Tom and my nerves massively knowing that this has been sorted, Thanks also goes to Bob Hossack for ensuring this was done.
2. Brantas (http://www.brantas.co.uk/): Thank you for your donation, and for your help with buying spares and extra shirts for the guys! With my luck with punctures and attempts at breaking the world record for self propelled flight we'll need those spares!
3. Iceland (http://www.iceland.co.uk/): No, not the country. Thanks, and whilst we wont be able to shop in iceland, we will expect loads of superstrong bags as part of our deal to store the plentiful supplies we will be taking.
4. Concordia Maritime (http://www.concordia-maritime.se/) Thank you for supplying safety equipment and clothing as well as (I believe) a donation to the charity. It will help cut down on the amount of gear we need to transport from Scotland.

Now, I know I have not yet included Stena Bulk (http://www.stenabulk.com/) in this list yet, but thats because I am not aware of the full details of their sponsorship and don't want to say anything thats not true.

Pictures from the weekend...

"hmm, lovely murky weather."

"...and that guys...is where I am going to go head first into a hedge..."

"eeek, we've got to cycle in that!"

"wait for me!"

"no, I am not getting in there - it's not a hedge"

"ah...peaceful country side"
"The secret nuclear bunker."

"what can I say...I didnt move fast enough to get out the way!"
"three knackered guys"
"see down there...at the water? thats where were going that is..."

"Quick - look casual!"

Training To Failure

This week sees the beginning of a hard training week. Training almost to the point where muscles have nothing left to give. Refuelling with high protein and carbohydrate drinks and food. Whats the point of that?

Well...each time your muscles reach the point of failure - the point at which they can physically exert no more energy (not the point when you think you are too tired) - your body has to repair that muscle but as it knows its been overworked it develops new muscle fibres in the hope that those new fibres will allow you to perform better, faster and more efficiently.

So whats that mean in terms of training? Cycling a minimum of 20 miles a night. Lifting weights at home (free weights such as dumbbells and barbells with no end caps).

A few friends have commented in the past about my lifting weights at home without a spotter - specially as I quite often lift more than I weigh. My retort to that is I always lift those heavy weights with no end caps. The weights stay on the bar purely through their own resistance and my lifting form. IF I should fail at any point the weights would slip off the bar on one end and leave me able to get out without any serious injury!

But all that training is no use if you are not eating right. I've posted numerous times on what my diet consists of so I wont do it again but remember: You need enough carbs to fuel your exercise, and enough protein to be able to rebuild those damaged muscle fibres!

Lucky to be in Scotland

I've got to admit, I really am lucky to live in Scotland. This weekend we cycled from Dunoon to Rothesay. As we neared the ferry terminal in Gourock the rain started. It looked to be a miserable day. We bought "hop-scotch" tickets. A way of travelling inter-island without having to buy multiple tickets. We were committed. We now had to cycle to Rothesay.

On the ferry across to Dunoon however things got clearer, the wind subsided somewhat and we felt much better about the cycle. Tom and I knew we had some killer hills coming up and I think this made it harder for us to go on. Certainly did for me anyway.

We got to the hills and even Tom was struggling up there. I however am pretty happy with myself having only got off the bike once this weekend. Once the 1:8 incline was done, we took a short rest and cycled on to Colintravie where we arrived just in time for the ferry, however it was time for lunch so we decided to stop and have a bite to eat at the Colintravie hotel. It served possibly the best food in the world with a cheerful German Barmaid to talk to...

Enough of that...we got on the ferry to Bute and stormed the next 10 or so miles to Rothesay, we got there about an hour ahead of what we had planned so we decided to go for some ice creams at Zavaroni's and sat in the drizzle waiting for the ferry.

When we arrived in Weemyss bay we found that we would have to wait for over 45 minutes for the train to Glasgow so we decided to cycle to Inverkip instead of sitting doing nothing. The short cycle proved to be a lot harder than I thought but I managed it - including the cliff-like hill to get to Inverkip train station - whoever thought that one up needs their head examined.

I'll post pictures of the weekend as soon as I get them from Douglas, our resident photographing cyclist.

3 weeks... 21 days...504 hours...

Somehow, Somewhere, when I wasn't looking the past two months have sneaked up on me.

Gothenburg seems within reach and every day I wake up thinking about the cycle. How can I get more training in? Am I eating the right food? Am I going to be able to do it? Is the weather going to beat us? Have we prepared everything we need?

No one can tell what is going to happen on the cycle. We've planned, re-planned and are going to plan again. But that's all that we can do until we are there.

The important thing is to keep momentum going and not to stall anything.

So Sunday training continues as normal. Tomorrow - unless the sky is falling in, we will be doing about 56 miles. I'm also going to take a load of spare shirts, and a few suits to work to change into and cycle into and home from work each day. I drove the route last week and have to admit it is pretty flat so I should be able to do it within a reasonable time. I'd say it will take around an hour each way, maybe a bit less if I step up the speed and eat properly. What this means is that I will complete 24 miles a day. I'll step up the weight lifting to ensure that my upper body strength is built up accordingly.

I REALLY need to study the route to work though as there are two sections which would normally go on the Motorway which is illegal to cycle along. So wish me luck and hope I don't get a criminal record!

Time heals all wounds

Time does heal all wounds - well most of them...if they aren't fatal... or cause a limb to drop off... or get infected with gangrene...ok so it heals some wounds and doesn't do anything for others...

But what do you do when you dont have time to let the wounds heal? we have just over three weeks now before the cycle and we need to ramp up the training so that we can have a few days carb loading before hand with absolutely no exercise at all.

I'm sure you have read about my interest at studying foliage up close by now. Three days later I'm good to go despite the cuts still healing. How did I do it? (note this is not a miracle cure).

Well...there were three issues to address:
1. Cuts
2. Tissue Damage
3. Ligament Damage

There is nothing in the world that I am aware of that will cause a cut to heal any quicker than naturally so I let this go on its own.

Tissue Damage was a big problem, the muscles in my right thigh were hit badly by my bike and those branches did a fairly good job of opening up my thigh. Once the cuts had sealed I used a combination of contrast baths to stimulate blood flow and chemical heating (Deep Heat - a menthol and eucalyptus oitment - watch out for open cuts though) to maintain the inner temperature of the muscle to ensure that it was able to heal. The result is, very little discoloration of the skin where I would have expected a large black/purple bruise.

Ligament damage to my left ankle was also an issue, it got twisted up in the bike and bush. The ankle is still swollen but strong enough to allow me to run up the four flights of stairs this morning without pain. This time, by keeping the ligament cool I was able to reduce the swelling, and allow the ankle to move more freely. Keeping it mobile was the key to ensuring good blood flow and faster healing.

I'll find out tonight how the healing has gone as I'm going to do around 20 miles on the bike. Next week and the week after I'll be cycling to/from work each day to ensure that I have enough training done for the cycle on the 22nd!

So, the next time you decide to take a plunge into your nearest hedge, make sure that afterward you treat your wounds with the respect they need.

Up, Up and Away!

Well...Up, up and up some more until your legs are fit for bursting then up some more into the clouds. As promised here are some pictures of the scenes we saw yesterday (the more astute amongst you will note there is a complete lack of mauro lying in a shrubbery photography).

Got my head in the clouds!

Today was meant to be a nice short but steep hill climb to the top of a local high spot. As we began the ascent of the 400metre hill we knew it was going to be tough going. The hill was a steep incline that ensured that even cars could barely get up it.

As we neared the top we were looking down on cloud cover, it was quite eerie being able to see down on to clouds. At the same time the views were stunning (I'll post some pictures when I feel less pained).

It was a long 8 miles on an off road track and grass section. Pedalling on grass and rocky terrain is a lot harder than you think but we made good time and managed to complete the section in just under an hour.

We then continued on the same sort of track for another 5 miles to Weemys Bay, 4 miles in the descents began and the track gave way to paved road. However the road was potholed and overgrown. We were making good time, Tom, John, Sean and Douglas were doing about 33mph and I was catching them when it happened. I had set my suspension to super soft for the top of the hill and hadn't switched back - big mistake. As I dodged a pothole on a right hand bend by going over some grass I didn't see the other pot hole in amongst the over grown verge.

I had the bike leaned over and was doing around 33-35mph when I had to snatch the brakes. That was another mistake. I was catapulted clean across a 1.5lane wide road and into the hedge. The bike followed me in and entangled itself in me. I lay there for what seemed like 10 minutes trying to get myself out before Bob arrived. Bob called the rest of the guys and told them we had a man down.

I managed to climb out eventually. Checked my bike over (thanks Giant for making my bike unbreakable)...checked myself over and found that doing an A-Team airswim through a hedge is not good for you (as you can see from the pictures - this is the only one that isn't subject to censorship). My entire torso, both legs and arms are covered in small scratches. My right leg seems to have taken the worst of it and ended up with a two inch gash on the knee and a 5 inch cut on the thigh itself. You gotta admit though, those muscles look uber tough. And yes I am part Hobbit.


There was another 16 miles to go though so I got back on and unfortunately had to take my time averaging a measly 8mph instead of the usual 12mph. Still at least I did it.

Exhausted

Mental fatigue affects us all at some point. It can actually be more debilitating than physical exhaustion which is easily fixed by a good meal and rest. Mental exhaustion leads to problems like sleep loss, low concentration, irritability, lethargy and so on. You specially dont make sense any more.

What causes it? Well, stress/anxiety/lack of sleep...being always on.

I've found that it takes me a long time to wind down from work - specially when you work longer hours to catch up or are taking calls at home. To combat these issues I've decided to dedicate only 2 hours a night at most to catching up with work; after that its a physical change to a different environment and clothes to help mentally switch off.

Hopefully maintaining a set routine will help too. The other thing that I need to control is my attention levels. These can be helped with nutritional supplements such as vitamin B-complexes.

Increasing blood oxygen levels also helps aid concentration and reduce mental fatigue as well as physical fatigue. All this cycling is surely helping me to do that!?!

I'm going to start a slight diet modification next week in the hope it will help and will keep you posted.

Travelling without moving

Today I travelled from Gothenburg to Norway. It took me 7minutes. All in the comfort of my chair.

No I wasn't in a supersonic jet. I was following our route on the maps that were delivered. Unfortunately the maps don't show much in the way of the topography of the land. Nor do they make it easy to understand the scope of the journey ahead of us.

I always prefer to map a route out on paper instead of the pc. For a start you get a sense of accomplishment, also its a bit of a challenge finding the best route, and lastly...computer algorithms aren't always the best.

We will be taking a laptop with us to update the blog each day during the cycle, however its just not practical to cycle with a laptop on your handlebars. You'd get arrested in about 4 and 3/4 minutes.

So I'm going to try to mount a map on my bike somehow so we can see where we are going each day. The very worst case is tape it to my leg (a la home-made top gun fighters), wonder how that will go down in the land of the giant good looking blond people? a wee short skinny dark haired (well I used to be) scotalian with a map taped to his leg...I'll be arrested by the police for making their country untidy!

Ah well, I'll just have to add any embarrassing memories like being ejected from Disney World, Orlando.

Mr Average

Today was a great day for cycling. The wind that had been threatening to blow me away over the weekend had subsided to a barely noticeable breeze. The cloud cover had parted to allow some sun to shine.

I set off pretty early this morning, about 9.20am. I set off for my old office first and made really good progress. By 10am I'd covered the 10 miles there. After a short break, I set off for the next 10 miles. Again I'd managed to cover the next 10 miles in just over 40 minutes.

That meant my average speed had risen from 12mph to 15mph. It doesn't sound like much but believe me, when you are on a mountain bike with off road tyres that are slightly soft you do notice that the pedalling ain't as easy as you wish it was.

The amount of cycling I am doing I'd have thought that my general fitness would be much better than it is. However, last night after just 17 press-ups I was out of breath. Bench-pressing? forget about it! I was able to only do a few reps of the normal weights (30Kg) before my arms were trembling. I knew I had been feeling a little bunged up from a cold for a while but hadn't thought it would affect me as much as it did. Today proved otherwise. 5 miles in I had real problems breathing, but I managed to press on regardless. I just hope having to breathe as heavily as I did that I didn't make the cold any worse. Oh well! Lets wait and see. In the mean time, the heating is on and I'm enjoying a nice cold Nastro Azzurro.

Hardening our resolve..

This week I saw Jacks' life story on the front page of the Daily Record. Jack (the reason we are raising money for CHAS) affected us all in different ways. You can read the story here at the Daily Record site (the link and video are not for the faint of heart). Reading his story and watching that video on you tube brought it home just how important it is to complete the cycle.

I'm not as eloquent as Melanie so I'm not even going to attempt to describe Jack's effect on people.

No we are not going to change anything but Jack and his memory deserve something special.

And so it begins...

Last night was a really productive one. We managed to get a route almost sorted. Booked 4 of the 7 nights accomodation. And designed the tshirts - mostly.

The Tshirts are being very kindly paid for by the company Tom works for (Northern Marine Management Ltd.). I used to work for them too and have to admit that if it wasn't for working with them after university I would never have got where I am today, nor would we be doing this cycle for charity.

The Shirts (printed by http://www.streetshirts.co.uk/) are going to look like this - and no I am not showing you the front as its a surprise (and we dont have the high res images yet for them anyway).

We'll be staying in hostels most of the time; it's something I've never done but am looking forward to it. Specially since I emailed some last night about 10pm (UK) and got responses from them before I went to bed - despite them being hours in front of us! Now thats what I call service!

The Upshot of this is that so much stress has been relieved that I actually woke myself up from a dream because I was laughing so loud in it.

Honestly, despite knowing that we are going to be in pain most of the time we are cycling and that its a long long cycle, I am really looking forward to the trip. It's going to be an amazing journey of self discovery and time to figure out my real priorities in life.

Generally speaking...(weak stomach advisory)

Ok, I hate talking about this but it always comes up so I may as well get it over and done with. I suffer from Crohns Disease. I've had one major operation in which I had to have most of my colon; the terminal ileum and various sections of my small bowel removed.

Whats all that mean? Well, Crohns is an auto immune disorder where your body effectively rejects parts of your Gastric System. It affects everyone differently. Some people just from the colon down, others from the teeth down. How does it affect you? Well, you've all had those dodgy prawn salads before? or that bad curry? how about that bad pint?

I live with Nausea every day. I live with the other associated effects - The Scoots, Deli-belly, The runs, the green apple splatters. Whatever you wanna call them. Every day. Imagine yourself back when you had food poisoning. Imagine it for a week. Now...Imagine it for the rest of your life.

I also live with the problems caused by having so little bowel. I eat like a carnivorous horse! Yep, I strap a bag to my face and munch away on horse sandwiches all day. And if you believe that, I'm actually a world famous scientist only pretending to be into cycling. I eat to try and cope with the poor absorption I have which puts me at a disadvantage when training as my body struggles on most days to absorb what I need to get by, never mind to actually cope with the massive energy expenditure on long cycles. So how do I do it?

By balancing liquid intake with the right minerals, electrolytes and amino acids I am able to reduce the amount of liquid I put into myself. Which makes it easier for my body to absorb the nutrients as they aren't being flushed out.

In terms of food, I use a low residue diet but take it to extremes. I eat no or little insoluble fibre (soluble fibre like bananas and pears are actually a good thing for me) and massive amounts of what most people would call bad foods. Highly refined white flours, processed meats, american orange plastic squares of cheese (I know its a travesty) and chocolate. I know it sounds unhealthy but I don't fry any foods. I don't use oil (apart from Olive Oil) in my cooking and I dont eat cream or butter.

All in - on a rest day I eat around 4000 calories. On a training day I eat around 5000 to 6000 calories. Thats probably enough to keep most people going for 3 days. So where do I put it? Well I've always had a fast metabolism and this exercise makes me burn calories just sitting still.
If I have so many issues just getting myself to maintain my weight why am I still cycling? Cycling and any other long term endurance sport reduces your immune system. Thats exactly what my doctors need my body to do, so really it's just a complementary therapy to my medication. Although the more cycling I do the more efficient the leg muscles get at burning energy and mean I need to offset less and less energy. For example four weeks ago I used to need 2 sandwiches, 4 mars bars and 2 litres of still lucozade to do 20 miles. Yesterday I cycled 58 miles on 2 mars bars and 1.5 litres of water.

Oh and you get to meet loads of people while you are out cycling that you would never meet if you were at home drinking beer.

I bow before you, King of the mountains!

This week saw us cycling a shorter route but much tougher than last week. Last weeks 72 miles was mentally demanding due to the never ending canal next to us. Always present, hardly ever more than 10ft from us. This Sunday was a more physically demanding cycle.


Tom and I always start with a brisk cycle to the train station where we set off to our ultimate destination. This week it was Weemys Bay to get the ferry to Rothesay. From there we headed south along the coast and up some punishingly long hills. The gradients weren't too bad but they did seem to go on forever. We made good time and got back to Rothesay before we knew it and then started on the long and arduous journey north to Colintravie where we could get a ferry back to the mainland. Once we crossed the water it was a long long long climb up hill to Achenbreck where we had our first downhill section. The roads were a lot smoother than we had experienced earlier in the day so speeds started climbing. Unfortunately after a short 1 minute downhill we got stuck into the long uphill sections.


Crossing the spine of the headland we arrived near a hydroelectric power station that makes electricity by using the power of falling water to turn the turbines. Now, that should give you an indication of how steep and long those hills were. We finally crested the hills about 4pm and could see that there was some killer downhill sections coming up. Tom, I salute you, you truly are king of the mountains.


I sat back on my saddle, leaned my head as low as it would go and cycled as fast as I could to begin the descent. Sweeping round the bends with the bike leaned over on the camber of the road felt amazing. It's possibly one of the fastest downhills I've ever done, however we had one major mishap on the way home. Bobs tyre literally blew itself apart at the seams. I guess the heat build up from those downhills meant it couldn't cope with the increased internal pressure any more and let go.


A short 15 minutes later we were on our way - bike repaired and legs rested somewhat. We made it to Dunoon just in time for the Ferry at 5.30 and then on to Gourock for some fish and chips. After a gruelling uphill struggle like most of the day, those fish and chips - drenched in vinegar and sparkling with salt - was probably the best meal we could have had.

"Does this make me look fat?"

Now, normally I am not one to talk about clothes and fashion. I just don't understand it. I wear what I am comfortable in. That's my rule of thumb. Am I comfortable? It will do!

But sometimes comfort isn't the be all and end all; sometimes you need to wear clothes that fit the purpose. Up until last week I had been wearing heavy cotton cargo shorts for training. Yeah the length of them kept me from getting cold but they soaked up a lot of water and added extra weight when I really don't need that!

I invested in several new pairs of shorts - not those anatomically uncompromising cycling ones but rather some surf shorts. The reason behind that is that the length will provide me some insulation against the weather but also they are designed to be light, to not hold water and to allow full range of movement and so leave me unencumbered enough to continue cycling.

Up top...well I always carry a waterproof training jacket thats breathable - to stop me overheating when I am cycling. I normally cycle in a football top/underarmount which is half lycra again to help keep me warm but also allow sweat to get out.

In total all my gear weighs less than 500grams which is extremely useful when you have to carry everything you need.

AND...lastly regardless of the weather I always wear full mountain bike gloves. They provide protection as well as making the handlebars a bit more comfortable on those long long long long long long cycles. They also have the added advantage of kevlar / carbon fibre knuckle protection so when I am careening down hills through bushes my hands wont get scratched and possibly loosened from the handlebars.

Rest your heart...

If you are anything like me and do a bit of reading about training you will see that there are three heart rates which figure heavily in most literature.

• Resting Heart Rate
• Training Heart Rate
• Maximum Heart Rate

Your resting heart rate is the base rate for your heart to pump blood around your body, the lower the rate, the more efficient your heart is at getting blood where it needs to be.

Maximum Heart Rate isn't what you think; it does not stand for the rate just below that which would make your heart explode. Instead it means the maximum rate during exertion. To measure it normally takes a lot of equipment but can be emulated by doing something like cycling for 10-15 minutes and increase the pace every minute for five minutes, at the end of it, sprint as fast as you can. Now measure your heart rate for a FULL 60 seconds, no cheating though because your heart will be slowing down gradually over these 15 seconds (unless you are having a heart attack in which case its probably going to resemble a 5-4 beat in a Jazz ensemble - I don't even know if that's possible or not but it gets the point across).

The Training Heart Rate is the most important for me, the resting heart rate will come down through training on its own, my maximum should stay level or fall too. The training heart rate is the rate at which your body is most able to provide oxygen to the muscles. Get the rate too high and your body is taking in more oxygen than it needs, get the rate too low and your body will turn all that aerobic exercise into anaerobic and start to tire out your muscles a lot faster. Getting the rate to between 50% and 85% of your maximum heart rate (see there was a reason for torturing you) will ensure you are able to work the muscles without unecessarily depriving them of the oxygen they need.

I am amazed at how little exercise it took to drop my heart rate from 80BPM to 60BPM at rest. I could imagine it being a lot lower if I trained more consistently. Maybe I should start taking a note of it.

In-pain in the membrane

Deltoid Ligament to be exact, located in the inner side of the ankle just in front of the joint where the Tibia and Fibia join.

Last night I knew I had exerted myself beyond what I was able to do but stubbornness, drive and determination ensured I managed to complete the cycle. I spent a few minutes in a cold bath before refilling it with HOT water and easing the muscle pain through massage (well pummelling them with the heel of my hand). Trouble is I neglected my ankles and now I am paying for it.

The problem all started because of my pedalling technique. It works for me 95% of the time but when I get tired I find that I start to toe in which forces my foot to bend slightly inward; to counteract that my leg stiffens up the ankle and it's this that has caused the swelling and pain.

The other contributing factor is not wearing the right socks. I don't like to feel confined when cycling so tend to wear very short socks or shoe liners, which means ankles get no support however flimsy.

So tonight it's a regime of contrast bathing my foot, and then applying a little pressure and keeping it mobile. That should help enough blood circulate to the soft tissues to help them heal.

Failing that there's always the good old Ibuprofen tablets to help reduce the inflammation and paracetamol to reduce the pain!

I'm on the road to nowhere...

72 miles. Rain. Mud. Pain.


That sums up today. We started at 9.30am with a brisk 3 mile cycle to the train station to get the 10.30 train to Edinburgh. We got there wayyyyyy early so decided to buy some snacks and pump up the tyres on our bikes to prepare them for the cycle.


We got on the train at 10.30am and almost got chucked off by the BIGGEST train conductor in the world! In the end though we managed to stay on as long as one of us moved to another carriage as we were blocking the exits. Thats where our problems started. The guys decided to get off at Haymarket instead of Waverley street and as my phone was in my bag I didn't know. I got off the train and had to peg it back to Haymarket. A few laws were broken and a few taxi drivers were suitably annoyed.


The cycle was straight-forward enough, nice and flat along the canal from Edinburgh on the east coast to Glasgow in the west. We made good time, mainly due to my overzealous, grande cappucino fuelled first stint and saw some amazing scenery on the way.

Due to the usual rain from the east coast though the path was really muddy and slowed us down quite a bit. Eventually though we made it to the Falkirk Wheel where we drew several looks of disgust from a number of tourists...no offence dudes but GET OFF THE SLOW BOAT AND EXERCISE A LITTLE! Anyway, after being suitably recharged we set off again. 40 miles in to the cycle I hit a wall. I think due to the food not having been digested, and the caffeine slump kicking in I was suffering. Tom and John managed to keep a 12mph pace though so I soldiered on. Bob, is to be commended, he set his own pace, and with far less training than any of us managed to never lag more than 3 minutes behind us.

Anyway...slowly...inch by inch...minute by minute we racked up the miles. Getting dirtier by the minute. As we neared Kirkintilloch we noticed someone had been having fun with the signs. Distances varied wildly. We started off with signs saying 22miles, then down to 7 miles, then up to 30 miles, finally back down to 14 miles. We never deviated from the endless canal though so we couldn't have taken a wrong turn.

We arrived at Glasgow Central Station - where we were to leave Bob for his train home and cycle a further 3 miles to my house - 6 hours after we had left Edinburgh. Legs burning and trembling from constant use- but not yet exhausted.

We cycled on for the last three miles where we had to begin the job of cleaning the bikes. Unfortunately to make the task easier we didn't hang about to take pictures of the bikes before they were washed so you will have to use your imagination with the aid of the pictures below.

Good Things come to those who wait..

This weekend sees us do our longest cycle yet...72 miles. Twenty two miles more than we have ever done in one day. The route will take us from Edinburgh Waverley Street station to Falkirk (past the Falkirk Wheel) to Glasgow. Thats 66 miles. Tom and I will also do an extra three miles each way to Glasgow, once in the morning to get the train to Edinburgh and then from Glasgow Centre to our respective flats at night after the 66 miles. And the thing is I am looking forward to it.

I feel like the guy from the guinness advert. Waiting. Poised to spring into action and get that 72 miles under my wheels and start to see the miles go by.

Tick. Follows Tock. Tick. Follows Tock...

Here's why I am getting excited about it. This week we burst through the £500 barrier for donations already. A company I used to work for and that Tom still does work for has kindly said they will provide shirts and give us a donation too. And to top it all off, a site I signed up for ages ago http://www.athletefocus.com/ has been talking to me to get a blog set up there to help motivate others and may also provide us with some sponsorship. All in all, much more positive than I thought things were going to be.

I've recently given myself a much more streamlined haircut (read as: shaved it all off with a number 1 clipper) and gained enough weight to tip the scales at 62kg last thing at night. I haven't ever done that since I became sick with Crohns Disease (a story for another time) apart from a long time ago during a period of heavy medication from my doctors. Ever since then I've been struggling to get my weight up to 59kg, never mind 62kg.

And that is where my philosophy in life comes in, EVERYTHING, no matter how hard it seems to deal with it at the time, has a positive aspect to it. Jack inspired Tom to decide to raise money for the charity that looked after him, but I reckon its made all the guys taking part better friends and made us learn a lot about ourselves. So yeah cycling for 5 hours is a real pain in the arse. Yeah, I am in pain the next day. But by doing this every week I learn more about my limits, what I can cope with and what I am willing to go through to ensure that we dont let anyone down in Sweden. At the same time I get fitter, a bit heavier and I get to see parts of Scotland I had only ever dreamed of...so whats a day of pain compared to all that?

hey, lets go for a coffee sometime!

Well...it goes against all previous thought. Coffee is actually good for you when you are training.

Yeah you heard me. GOOD. FOR. YOU.

Coffee is a stimulant which can have positive effects on your mental ability when you are having one of those days at the office. BUT its also good for those hours AFTER exercise. See I bet you thought I was going to suggest taking it during or before exercise for a boost.

Taking a cup of coffee (and it has to be the one with caffeine) with dinner will help your body recover the carbs into your muscles Glycogen stores much more quickly. I read today that if you take coffee with food it will make your body metabolise the carbohydrates much more quickly than if you just ate normally. In fact, up to 66% more glycogen will be present in muscles if you have coffee with your meals.

So how does that help? Glycogen is used throughout the body for different things. When it is stored in muscles it is used entirely by that muscle alone, so there is no waste of energy being passed round your body. Its basically the fuel tank for your body. If your car had 66% more fuel would you be able to go faster and for longer in it? Your muscles work exactly the same.

I'm not saying everyone should drink coffee with food, but if you are suffering from muscle fatigue as opposed to tiredness it may help. If you also team it with simple carbs (white refined flour products instead of wholewheat/wholemeal) you should see a big improvement.

If you are in town, lets go have cakes and coffee! Honestly its all for training!

Pain Pain go away come back another day

Normally the day after exercise and pushing yourself to your limits and beyond your body will be in pain. Not because you are a big jessie...you may be but normally its just your body repairing itself and for it to do its job properly in building that new muscle it wants to stop you using them.

That means causing you pain.

But there are ways to counteract muscle pain. And it starts when you finish your exercise regime. Chilling the muscles quickly stimulates them into cooling much more quickly. It halts the production of Lactic acid and as you warm up again stimulates circulation and removal of lactic acid.

Contrast Showers (those of you with families will know this as someone flushing the toilet whilst you have a hot shower) stimulate your circulation almost as well as an Ice Bath would.

Yeah, you read it right, an ICE BATH! although I don't have a freezer big enough to make that much ice but living in Scotland means water is always pretty cold and just filling a bath with it can be enough specially on hot tired muscles.

Now, no matter what you do after the exercise, its absolutely vital that you do not just sit on your bum and do nothing the next day, even if its just a brisk 4 mile walk, you HAVE to move. Get the blood flowing. Your limbs will feel tired but they will not feel as painful. I promise!

And if they do hurt...well then I guess you really are a big jessie!

Why does it always rain on me?

Well today was a true test of our dedication to our training. Tom and I set off at 9am to get the 9.30 train from Glasgow Central to Loch Lomond.

Problem 1 hit us shortly after. Glasgow Central was shut...we had to peg it to the next station about two miles away in Partick. ARGH.

We managed to get the train at 9.32am without any issues. As we pulled into Balloch though the rain started.

Problem 2 hit us then. I was wearing heavy cotton 3/4 length combat shorts as usual, they soaked in the rain and clung on to me like a squid hangs on to the side of the aquarium in a greek restaurant when you order it for your dinner!

Anyway we pushed on, Colin set a fast pace for us. Normally we average about 12 miles per hour instead this time we were averaging 18miles per hour. Now on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres and unlocked suspension with sodden shorts thats an achievement to be proud of.

The first 30 or so miles went in pretty fast through some spectacular scenery, Colin was on a road bike though so soon left us behind. Bob and I couldn't remember what way we were to go so we followed the road signs.

Problem number 3. Have you ever been on a road that tells you to use low gears in cars to go down the hills and has an escape lane? well this one had three of them! To be going down those hills though you need to first go up them. That means 1:6 inclines and crawler lanes 1-2 miles long at a time. We were shattered.

We eventually made it, legs quivering with tiredness, to the Tulley Inn for the usual Koppaberg and train home.

I'm really glad we did manage to get that distance over those hills done today. Nothing we are going to do in Sweden should be as tortuous as that so a BIG mental hurdle has been overcome.

New Design

Ok, I don't like following the crowd so I am not going to stick with the google site for the blog any more. Instead I am going to redesign the site to look like this...

The design is far from finished but heres the jist of it. The Polaroid will hold a random image, the camera film a link to the gallery, the diary is the blog and the map is a list of routes we're cycling and anything we encountered as well as times, distances and pictures (linked to the gallery).

Let me know what you think!

Life in the Pedestrian Lane

The places I've been working people zoom by on bikes all day. I hate them. Showing off that they are on their bike while I am being a pedestrian and being forced to walk everywhere.

The past few days I've been doing two workouts a day, one in the morning and one at night. The morning workout is great but only when you've had enough to eat beforehand. Exercising in the morning with your stomach trying to turn itself inside out is not good.

So what do I do to exercise? I start of with a few stretches (I say stretches but its barely even straightening my legs as the tendons have shortened so dramatically over the past few years) to make sure I am not going to make anything go twang..

Next it's working on range of movement; now be patient because I can only describe the exercise as I've long since forgotten the names.

Chest extension, stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and on the balls of your feet and arms out straight from your sides so you resemble a stick man then try two small backward stretches and the third one push hard as if you are trying to touch the hands together - all the time keeping your arms straight. Do three sets of 10. You'll notice each time you do it you can get your arms a bit further back.

Arm rotations. Start with your arms out straight again and rotate them in small circles to ensure that your shoulders are freeing up OK, once they are, increase the diameter of the circles. Your aim is to ensure that you can rotate your arms fully without having to lower the arc. Do this for a minute or two until you feel the rotation getting easier.

Hip flexes. Stand with your hands on your hips (sorta like the Green Giant - don't be tempted to say Ho Ho Ho though cos its not clever) and slowly rotate your hips in a wide circle. Keep your feet in one place. This should help your lower back un-stiffen and if like me helps relieve arthritic pain in the lower back. You don't need to do too many of these, 2 sets of 10 in each direction should help.

Back extensions. Its a bit of a misnomer as you are actually contracting your back but hey...who am I to argue? lie on the floor on your face arms out straight (if it helps you can have the superman soundtrack playing). slowly raise your arms, head and shoulders, as much of your chest as you can and your legs off the ground as if you were parachuting. Hold it for a count of five (a friend should be able to rock you on your stomach if you are doing it right). I normally do only 10 of these as it can feel like I'm about to split in half if I do any more.

Finally. I'm ready to do some actual exercise.

Press ups. I do two sets of 20 of two types, one with the arms tight by my side. This works your triceps and not much else. Then spread the arms a bit wider and you will start to feel the burn in the chest and shoulders more. You HAVE to do both types unless you want to end up looking very strange indeed.

Crunches. I don't like the old fashioned crunches (sit ups) instead I do two which work harder and better but involve a smaller range of motion. Short crunches. Sit with your back about 30 degrees from the floor, and slowly raise your body so that it is now 60 degrees from the floor, hold it and then release down to 30 degrees again. Keep your back straight. Its a lot harder than you think and will work your stomach a lot more.

Next keeping your body about 30 degrees, lift your feet off the ground slightly, now, when you raise your body bring your legs up to meet your body (watch out you don't break your nose on your own knees here). I normally do 3 sets of 20 of each crunch.

finally for those masochists amongst you, you can try the leg raises, these are especially hard on your own as you wont have any leverage in the arms. Lie with your back on the floor, arms along the floor and over your head, slowly raise your legs (keep them straight) up to about 45 degrees and then coming back down stop so your feet are about 4 inches off the ground. That's 1 rep. Do 20. If you can still do more do another set. If you can do another set after that you aren't doing them right.