Posts Tagged ‘charity cycle challenge’

I Was Not Ready For This

Posted: July 8, 2013 in charity, COPD, Cycling, Travel
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So, the ride down from Hungerford went pretty well having set off only a few minutes after 12:00, my first obstacle was Combe Gibett, when once again my bike realised the term Push Bike. But, after that, it was so much the better as so much of the next fez miles were either down hill or flat.

Being an uneventful, albeit slow ride, we opted to stop at Cheriton for a drink and lunch, but as always,  they had stopped doing food so we had a quick drink and set forth for the Ferry Port. This ti,e, to cut out as many busy roads as possible we opted for the back roads over Ports Down Hill via Pigeon House Lane: by now, i was too hot and bothered and caved in a little bit too quickly and climbed off to push ny bike up the hill. On reflection, it wasn’t that steep and I could probably have nade it, but hey ho, fro, here on in, it was all down hill, pqst the hospital, past the scene of the cat incident, and round the back roads to the Ferry Port.

This when the truth hit us, we had been pooked on as 7 passengers with 6 bicycles all in one camper van. Well, we did it, we placed three bikes on the outside rack then zip tied the others to then so that we had all 6 bikes hanginf oof the back. In all, these 6 bikes were probably worth in excess of 10 grand, but what the heck: We had to get on. We had a few strange looks but we got away with it 🙂

That’s about all I can say about Day 1. So what was I not ready for? The next dqy’s temperature hitting 105° F. More in next Updqte.

Go Podge, Go

www.justgiving.com/kevin-stirzaker

Just 15 Days To Go – Cycling For a Better Future

Posted: June 23, 2013 in COPD, Cycling, training, Travel
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Blimey, time seems to accelerate as you close in the target. In this case, the 550 miles I challenged myself to cycle from Hungerford to Ligueil and back to prove that ‘The Old Codger’ can and to prove that COPD need not stop me from doing what I like to do, while also helping others.

At my last checkup with the nurse my obstructive lung lung effectiveness was 48% while my restrictive lung effectiveness was 49%. Now looking at these figures, this suggests to me that i’m effectively operating on one lung, which isn’t that good. My understanding is also that while my restrictive effectiveness can be improved by losing a bit of weight (too much fat restricting the movement of the diaphragm is bad) the obstructive part will NOT improve. If that’s the case then, ooh err, I’m in for some bad times ahead.

A hint at the possible bad times ahead came to the fore last Sunday when I was out on my 74 mile epic. As I ‘pumped those pedals’ onwards and upwards my breathing would get harder, as for everybody else. In my case however I was breathing in vast amounts of air (well, I thought it was vast amounts anyway) but I seemed to breathing back out the same. It felt as though while I was breathing I wasn’t getting the oxygen: that, was scary. Obviously I was getting oxygen otherwise I would be here and you wouldn’t be reading these words 🙂

I have a checkup tomorrow followed by a lung function check the Thursday before I depart and I will be interested to see what the figures are. In the meantime, the next 15 days are all I have to prepare myself for the big challenge which will hopefully help others. Others such as those less mobile than myself and would welcome the opportunity to enjoy the nicer things in life just like those more mobile. In this case, it is enjoying some tranquil relax time on canal boats: Canal boats that have been specifically designed to accommodate wheel chair users, such as those operated by Bruce Trust Barges who rely on charitable donations to keep the boats operating and even acquiring new boats. Others that I hope to help are those still at risk of contracting Polio.

Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease, and for as little as US$0.60, a child can be protected against the virus for life. If we don’t finish the fight right now, more than 10 million children under the age of five could be paralyzed by polio in the next 40 years.

The above was taken from the End Polio Now web site. The site shows that we are so close to eliminating this disease. But my fear is that because we’re so close, there’s the danger that we may ‘take the foot off the pedal’ and relax. We must make sure we avoid this, we must keep going to totally eliminate Polio once and for all.  But this takes funds. This is why I’m riding my bike: To prove I can and to help others, so who will help me?

If you want to help me to help others then why not support me, and encourage me via my just giving page at www.justgiving.com/kevin-stirzaker.

Now, I’m off for breakfast and to plan today’s training ride not sure how far yet but it will be less that 74 miles I do know that much 🙂

Go Podge, Go

Mostly Today

Posted: June 16, 2013 in Cycling, training
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I’ll be riding my bike around Wiltshire for 117km just for the hell of it. Actually, it’s not just for the hell of it at all. It’s part of my training plan, which I’m making up as I go along, to prepare for the WheelsForRotary 500+ mile Cycle Challenge. So, Porridge consumed. Coffee drunk. Creatine taken. Paracetamol taken. Codeine taken. Ibuprofen taken. Heart tablet taken. All set for the 117 km The Great Western Sportive cycle ride. Hope they’ve got cake and bickies 🙂

Go Podge, Go

All sponsorship welcome at  @  www.justgiving.com/kevin-stirzaker

The Pressure is On

Posted: June 1, 2013 in COPD, Cycling, training, Travel
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So, today is the 1st June. With the WheelsForRotary scheduled for July, the pressure is really on for me to be ready for the event. The question is: Will I be ready?

I really hope so. I really want to prove to those doctors that COPD or no COPD, I can still ride a bike.

Last week was 52 miles: 52 tough miles but I did it. This week, tomorrow, it will be 58’ish miles – I may plan the routes but until I actually ride them, I never know the final distance. Navigational errors (going the wrong way) can cause the overall distance to increase or decrease although experience tends to suggest that an increase is more likely than a decrease.

So, I will be at the Hungerford Library Car Park at 10:00 for a 10:15 depart if anybody wants to tag along. The route can be found here:

Question is, do I ride the Colnago or the De Rosa?

Go Podge, Go.

Of Course I Made It!

Posted: May 27, 2013 in Cycling, training, Travel
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How could anybody doubt that His Podgeness would not make the ride. He did but not without a couple of false starts as the trilogy of mishaps of the previous Sunday continued into a new Trilogy.

Having spent Saturday sprucing up his beloved Colnago and clearing all excess weight (Swiss Army Knife, scissors, the off multi tool, etc.), all was ready for the Sunday Training Ride. This was to be the biggest ride sol far with a massive from 40 to 50+ miles and so with some trepidation, His Podgeness along with Master Nicholas set off for the Library Car Park. As the rode in they espied Mike Howie (must get a better name for Mr Howie) whose initial greeting was hav you got an allan key? I’ve left mine at home and my saddle is at the wrong height. Master Nicholas was immediately despatched to source said tool to return with much haste. During this time Charles arrived and set up his 23 year old and looking all its age Peugeot mountain bike by which time Mr Howie was all set to go.

Just before the off however, His Podgeness did look down upon the Peugeot Mountain Bike and did decree that perhaps the steed was not really up to the job and suggested that perhaps a road bike, loaned from his own stable, would be more appropriate.

At the allotted time, the ‘famous’ four set off. “Arn’t we going the wrong way?” asked Mr Howie. “Don’t think so” said His Podgeness. Just then, there was a bang and the sound of escaping air emanating from one certain Colnago. With home being only half a mile away, they all set off to ‘Podge’s Towers’ to change the tube and set off again but then a brainwave was had. Why don’t we just change the back wheel altogether (just in case the wheel is at fault). Withe brainwave recognised, the wheel from the De Rosa was inserted into the Colnago and off they set: this time in the direction that Mr Howie believed to be the correct way.  But, the Colnago was slipping its gears and was unrideable and so after half a mile they returned to Podge’s Towers  to reinsert the back wheel back into the Tango and so, on the third attempt, they set off in the original direction which was as it happened the right direction.

After this series of false starts, all went well and although the Tango did occasionally clunk it’s gears, it was adequate for the day. The original intention was to head off through Little Bedwyn and then across to Kintbury, Newbury and then south to Whitchurch. Having lost 45 minutes through false starts though it was decided to just go for a ride and see where the roads went. Well, apart from looping around Newbury via Highclere, the ride went as planned. It was just after Highclere that the back wheel of Master Nicholas Colnago (yes, another Colnago) started to develop a horrid rattle although, while off putting didn’t ‘seem to affect’ the performance. And so, the four continued to a crossroads where Mr Howie said “here my friends, we turn right back on to the original route”. “Oh bother” said His Podgeness, “this takes up Watership”, “Yep” said My Howie, “but then, you did put it in the route Podge”. “Drat” said His Podgeness. And off they set, down then up, and up, and up and up until Hid Podgeness once again revised the ‘Push Bike’. Once at the top however, it was down hill virtually al the way to Whitchurch through some of the most amazing countryside. Then it was time to turn north and head for home towards the dreaded Faccombe Hill. This was where Mr Howie’s gears started to clunk and click whenever he needed to find just one more lower gear (his Podgeness had run out of gears well before 🙂 ). It was then that we realised and recognised the irony. On this ride were three state of the art bicycles made of the latest carbon fibre with the snazziest wheels and best indexed gears on the market and the only bike that was ‘sound as a pound’ was the 23 year old  Peugeot Mountain Bike.

Ando so, with pride just a little dented and newly found respect for the elder of the bike world, they all made their way to Downgate Club Hut for their well earned , now traditional, end of ride drink during which all carbon bikes were hidden, in shame, beneath the only bike that held out though the whole ride. But at least they all made the 52 miles.

Next week, who know but all did agree that the 16th would be the Great Western Sportive to which all would attend. Yeah.

Go Podge, Go

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