What Have I Done?

[merlinmagic]

You may have seen on the Weight Loss thread that I am trying to lose weight. A very kind soul suggested I do a sponsored ride. It was a great idea and Mrs Merlin agreed.

So sent off my money and form for London To Paris July 2009. Today I got approved!!!

What have I done? Reality is setting in a bit and I now think seriously I have bitten off more than I can chew. I have 6 months to get trained and raise the sponsorship money (£1250 minimum).

I am riding for Kidney Research UK. The reason being that my wife has Stage 3 Kidney Disease (this is not far away from dialysis). The last 3 years have been a rollercoaster of things and the majority of the time I have been unable to help or make it better (I see that as my role in life - husband and dad of 2).

At times it felt like things were out of my control and there was nothing I could do. Last year I wanted to run the London Marathon but unfortunately I found that I really hate/detest/vehemently despise long distance running and the mental barrier was too much.

So the London To Paris is my way of taking back some control. Of doing something positive. I care passionately about this charity so although normally the trip is paid for out of the sponsorship money I am paying for the cost of the travel myself (well a charitable contribution from the compny I own ) so a full £1250+ is going to Kidney Research.

Sorry for boring everyone with the long post but this has been bottled up inside for a while. The ride is also for me and a bit of a personal journey to change some things in my life I am not happy with so I am really looking forward to this.

Here I go, 6 months of training to get ready for London To Paris July 2009.

No beer, no pizza, no fried breakfasts. Just lettuce and bran flakes for me.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I think you may find that ride easier than you expect

 

[longers]

Good luck Merlin, have fun doing the training - not an impossibility .

I think Buggi of this parish has done it a couple of times so she'd be good for advice.

 

[merlinmagic]

I hope so. Although the first day is 95 miles which is a big difference to the 8 miles I do right now.

Self doubt is setting in a bit so I really hope I can do this. Have had a bit of a crap day today so this was just the lift I needed although am still pretty nervous about it.

 

[dan_bo]

DONT PANIC!

only joking. Just keep it steady and don't try and do too much at once and you'll be fine. see If you can hook up with a few experienced riders in your locality- that will give you some valuable experiences.

and make sure you enjoy it. life's too short to go spewing over the handlebars.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I did it when I was 16....

...do you ahve some kind of time limit per day???? If not then there is no problem just take it at your own pace.....even if you average 10mph you can do 90 miles in a day easy enough especially if you arnt carrying a full camping load. I reckon if you get yourself riding every day even just 20 miles a day you'll cruise the Paris run....assuming reasonable weather of course.

 

[merlinmagic]

I did it when I was 16....

...do you ahve some kind of time limit per day???? If not then there is no problem just take it at your own pace.....even if you average 10mph you can do 90 miles in a day easy enough especially if you arnt carrying a full camping load. I reckon if you get yourself riding every day even just 20 miles a day you'll cruise the Paris run....assuming reasonable weather of course.

According to the marketing crap they send you there is no time limit. There are support vehicles to carry your stuff and also in case you get a puncture or something.

The later it gets tonight and the last of the beers in the fridge I drink I am really excited about this. Its a positive step during a period over the last 3 years which has been to be quite honest ****.

Finally Mrs Merlin's kidney (she has only one now after a removal) is holding its own, it functions at 30% but this has been stable for 2 years.

I really feel sorry for her. She only hit her 30th birthday this last November and it is really difficult to try and be a mum as well as cope with all the things she does.

Mrs Merlin is a medical enigma, she also has fibromyalgia, suspected lupus, thyroid issues and blood clotting issues (clots too well). Unfortunately all these other charities aren't on the list but there's always next year.

 

[tyred]

I think what you are doing is brilliant and I wish you all the best with it. Take it at your own pace and you should be okay.

 

[merlinmagic]

Must admit today the reality and gravity of the journey has set in.

Cycled 8 miles this morning (the long way round) as my first day of training for the event.

The first day will be a 95 mile slog. That's 12 times what I did today. Self doubt is really setting in.

I really don't want to let anyone down on this.

 

[Maizie]

The first day will be a 95 mile slog. That's 12 times what I did today. Self doubt is really setting in..

8 miles is 8.4% of 95 miles. If you commute 8 miles in this morning, and 8 miles home tonight, you'll have done 16 miles - 16.8% of that first day, which is months away! So that's almost a fifth of the day done there...really not that much further to go

(This method works for me - this morning I did my first commute in three weeks, and one mile down the road [outside my mum's house] all I could think was 'what the hell am I doing?' Then I realised if I turned round and went home I'd not only be disappointed with myself, I'd've done 20% of my journey [i.e. a mile out and a mile home = 2 miles; commute = 10 miles each way]. And if I'd done one mile, 10% of my journey, well, it's silly not to carry on and do the rest. And by the time I was 2 miles from home, well, turning round then isn't an option because that would be nearly half of my journey done in my wussing out, and besides, by mile 2 I was really really enjoying it!)


Back when I used to go to a gym, this used to help me through the boredom on the treadmill, bike, etc too - with the added bonus that by the time I'd calculated the percentage time that I'd completed on the current machine, it was a minute or so further on (if you don't cheat and use round numbers, e.g. I'm 2 minutes in to a 10 minute treadmill run!)

 

[merlinmagic]

Thanks Maizie. I like the way you are thinking. I think what really was disconcerting this morning was that normally I go up the hill on Alfreton Road in Nottingham no problem. However on the long way round I end up on Derby Road which meets at the same point in the end but a much longer and steeper gradient.

I ended up in a low gear cycling to the traffic lights i.e. aim for this set when I get there aim for the next ones.

In the end I made it but really put me back a bit on the confidence side (haven't been cycling for that long).

Just think I have out-psyched myself today. I will definitely cycle the long way each day though. I really want to boost my fitness for July.

 

[asterix]

I reckon if you do 8 enthusiastic miles a day plus longer rides at the weekend, you won't have any trouble on the day (except with slower riders getting in the way)

 

[Cranky]

Must admit today the reality and gravity of the journey has set in.

Cycled 8 miles this morning (the long way round) as my first day of training for the event.

The first day will be a 95 mile slog. That's 12 times what I did today. Self doubt is really setting in.

I really don't want to let anyone down on this.

Plenty of good advice here, merlinmagic. Believe me, you have plenty of time to get up to scratch. I wouldn't over-analyse it if I were you, just start gradually building up the miles. A friend of mine is a medic on the London-Paris. From what he tells me you won't be in the lowest category of rider!

 

[Over The Hill]

Firstly - great post and great target.

I started cycling only two years ago and could just about manage 7 miles on my first run (I am 48 and was unfit). My big aim (but I only had about two months) was the London-Brighton run which is 54 miles and i cycled all the way. Last year i did a 100 miler and the next target is London Paris which a group of us are doing in the spring.

So you are doing what I am doing but just in six months not two years!

Get a reasonable road bike if you dont have one now and just keep on getting out there. It is worst now with the crud weather and dark evenings but it will turn soon and you should be able to get out there more.

Keep a log of your rides, how long they are and how you felt at the end and you will be surprised how it improves.

Get kit for keeping out the wet and keeping in the warm and you should be OK. I did a 62 mile ride that took most of last sunday and did not get cold. so gear is important - expensive gear is not.

Also - if you are losing weight, remember as you lose weight you will probably then find cycling easier to do and easier on the saddle. If you can get in 3 hours a week (3x1 hour) that is 1500 calories burnt. That is a fair start for the first few weeks. Then go further as you feel able. Before long you will be on 25 mile runs.

Dont forget if you are new to exercise then you may build up heavy muscle so the overall weight may not drop as much as the fat is burnt. I think I lost about two stone of fat but put on about half a stone of muscle. so go by how your trousers fit as well as the scales.

Good luck and keep us all posted!

 

[merlinmagic]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I feel a lot better about my challenge.

Fortunately I have been cycling since September just a 4 mile commute but am a bit fitter than I was a few months back.

I have a list of stuff I need to get so over the next few months be buying up a whole ton of cycling stuff.

On the bike front I will be riding my Specialized Sirrus Comp with road tyres. I think that should be adequate for the run.

The more I post and think about it I am really looking forward to it. If it wasn't daunting it wouldn't be a challenge and I wouldn't feel like I have achieved anything.

Will let everyone know how I get on over the next few weeks/months.