Category Archive: charity

1. Re-Launch of Point North & Pedal – Get your FREE Kindle copy now!

   January 2, 2016 7:43 pm Leave a Comment

   Download FREE from 3/1/16 – 00:15

   I’ve learned a lot about self-publication since launching Point North & Pedal in 2013, a book about my experience of riding nearly 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Sales have been OK but I thought I would apply some of this new-found knowledge to re-launching the book. I’ve read a lot of blogs and listened to countless videos about the best way to promote a book, hopefully some of it has rubbed off!

   

   So, what’s it all about and what’s the point?

   I rode the UK End to End in 12 days, a solo effort on a heavy mountain bike but it had a clear purpose, raise lots of money for the Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group. I was a fairly new to riding a bike at the time but made sure I practiced everything I would need to ride an average of 80 miles a day for nearly two weeks. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I can’t recommend it enough.

   

   The book is an amusing look at the physical and mental side of taking on such a ride. It’s supposed to be funny but also inspirational, something I hope comes across to the reader. I have been honest about how I felt, especially regarding the severe homesickness, something I have never suffered from in the past. I have also resurrected the word ‘wassock’, a very satisfying term when applied to people who wind me up.

   I originally wrote up my notes purely as a personal project, as I got into the detail, it became steadily more fascinating. I had always planned to write something when I got back so I maintained a meticulous journal during the ride. It was a positive way to spend the evenings once all the ‘housekeeping’ had been sorted out. I had a lot of thinking time, usually in a freezing tent and isolated from the rest of my life.

   

   The book also developed into a ‘top tips’ guide for those looking to research the ride, I made plenty of mistakes so I hope prospective LEJOGers will find some useful information. Check out the About section of this web site for further tips and kit reviews etc.

   The end result should have something for everyone, it’s not just for cyclists or those interested in touring on a bike, it’s a story too.

   I have received some nice reviews on Amazon, I think this one sums them all up well:

   ‘A truly amazing book for cyclists and non-cyclist (like myself!) everywhere. This book tells the story of one man, one bike and a 1000 miles for charity. The planning, the physical and emotional endurance and pressure of cycling one end of the country to the other without a support vehicle all for the selfless goal of giving some financial support and help to this wonderful charity. The funny bits made me laugh out loud and the sad bits made me remember those that have gone before. A truly remarkable read written by a man and his family who are an inspiration to us all. Please, please buy this book you will not regret your purchase.’

   All the above sounds very self-indulgent but there was a point to the exercise, I sell the book to profit the Cri Du Chat Syndrome Support Group. They are a great (small) charity that supports families of those with CDC Syndrome, they also fund research into this rare chromosomal disorder. I have a personal connection with the charity so raising money for them seemed a natural thing to do. To date, the figure stands at over £7,600 but I can and must do better!

   So, moving into 2016, I am offering the book for FREE for a limited period of 5 days only! A little counter intuitive but I hope to improve future sales as a result; more people see what I have done and talk about it to their friends etc.

   Please help me to make this a success, there are several things you can do:

   

   • If you have a Kindle, please DOWNLOAD the book – after all, it’s FREE!

    

   • If you don’t have a Kindle, you can down load reading apps for most devices.

    

   • Share this post with your friends on Social Media

    

   • Like my Facebook Page (there is also a ‘Like’ button in this blog, under the Twitter feed on the right).

    

   • If you read/have read the book, write a review on Amazon, this really helps to drive sales.

    

   • If you don’t have a Kindle, buy a paperback copy (they make great presents too!).

    

   You may own a copy already, if that’s the case, thank you for helping to raise a little more cash for the charity. It all adds up and makes a difference. More information about the charity can be found here.

   Here’s to a great 2016, whatever you are doing.

2. Interview with Richard Nokes as he plans a solo JOGLE….

   November 24, 2015 7:42 pm Leave a Comment

   I’m always keen to connect with others who have ridden LEJOG/JOGLE to get their perspective on the trip both before they set off and after. If nothing else, it puts more information out into the ether which some may find helpful when planning their own LEJOG/JOGLE.

    Richard ordered a copy of Point North & Pedal to help with preparation for his trip in June 2016; he was particularly interested in my LEJOG because he was undertaking a solo effort too. Our routes appear to be very different in that Richard is aiming to stay away from the main roads as much as possible. In a way I envy him that as there is nothing much better than rolling hills and solitude without the traffic. Another time perhaps!

    He kindly agreed to field some questions for my blog which I hope will be useful to others, please read on and enjoy!

   

    How did your interest in bikes begin and what kind of cyclist would you class yourself as now?
   
   As a kid growing up in the 70s, everybody played outside and just about everybody had a bike, it was the given mode of transport and our entertainment all rolled into one. That was a few moons ago now but the thrill of riding and the adventure it offered has never left me. In recent years, although I’ve not owned a bike, I hire them out on occasional weekends with my two teenage sons, so I’d certainly never classify myself as being anything other than an occasional leisure cyclist, well, that is until now!
   
   What bike will you be riding and why did you decide upon it for the trip? (be as technical as you like and talk about kit you will have with you!)
   
    I was in a position to shell out on a new bike and so it made sense to look at a dedicated tourer for the purpose. After a bit of shopping around I settled for a steel framed Dawes Galaxy. It was a slight leap of faith as I couldn’t find anywhere local to actually view one, let alone test one out. This seems common place as cycle shops simply don’t shift that many and so fill their floorspace with stock that sells more quickly such as conventional road bikes and racers.

    http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Dawes-Galaxy-Cromo-2015-Touring-Bike_76858.htm

   So what of my Galaxy? since it’s arrival in June I’m now fast approaching a thousand miles of use and so far I must say it’s been faultless. All expectations have been met and I’m very pleased with it’s all round performance, particularly the gearing and the comfort afforded by the steel frame itself. The bike is completely standard other than the addition of Shimano touring pedals (A530). They are clipped on just one side so allow freedom of choice to go clipped or free. However, if I were to pick a hole in the Galaxy then it would be the brakes, namely the standard issue Tektro Alloy Cantilevers, they are an old, but trusted on-rim design, and I find them very average. Perhaps I should of held out for the next model up as I’ve since read disc brakes are the way to go with their added stopping power.
   
   Incidentally I did not realise it at the time but my Dad used to own a Dawes road bike back in the 1950s and from the photo he showed me, they’ve not changed much, probably including the brakes!. Unlike my father however, he was never quite crazy enough to contemplate an End-to-End, so I guess I’m not quite that chip off the old block.
   
   Choosing a bike is always a (nice) problem, let’s face it, if we all had unlimited cash there would be a bike for every occasion! The comfort and relaxed geometry of a tourer plus clipless pedals will certainly make the trip more enjoyable. Nice touch on the one sided pedals, another option that makes life a little easier.
   
   At the point you decided to ride the End to End, what was the biggest ride you had undertaken and how does it compare to the challenge of JOGLE?
   
   Years ago I took part in a London to Brighton charity ride for the British Heart Foundation. I was in my 20s and it seemed like a worthwhile and fun thing to do with a few lads from work. With seemingly thousands of others I endured a quite testing ride on a very hot June day (using a mountain bike with knobbly tyres). I treated it as a bit of a laugh and so did little in the way of training, but having youth on my side I just about got away with it, crossing the finish line with nothing more serious than ‘jelly legs’. That ride was 60 odd miles, which is almost the planned daily mileage for my End-to-End ride. Although it was nearly 20 years ago, that ride helped put things into perspective when I began to consider the effort required to cycle the length of the UK. It was very obvious I would have to put in some serious training to begin to even dream I could finish.
   
   Have you settled on a route and what type of roads will you mainly be riding on?
   
   This is about the journey itself and in no way a need to cover a thousand miles in the quickest time. Within reason, I looked to where I fancied going and then simply marked out a route that would take me there. I’m particularly keen to take in the west coast of Scotland, an area I’ve grown to love from previous non cycling visits – it’s a place of sheer raw open beauty.
   As for the type of roads, I will look to quieter roads and paths to try and avoid the busier A roads where possible. I must add I’ve gained good ideas and a degree of inspiration by checking out the journals and blogs of those End-to-Enders that have gone before me, which has helped form my own ideas on how I want this to be. I’d certain recommend Sustrans who promote cycle friendly routes, they have a comprehensive website which is worth checking out if anybody is in the planning stage www.sustrans.org.uk. As the End-to-End has no set route, whatever path I do ride will make for a very personal journey and I like the uniqueness in that.
   
   Did you use any online mapping and how do you intend to navigate your way on the trip itself?
   
   There are quite a few different planning and mapping sites and apps freely available or at little cost, but I tend to use ridewithgps.com and cycle.travel/map which work well enough for me. Using these cycling aids helps make identifying cycle friendly routes, elevation profiles, local accommodation and those all important bike shops, effortless. However for the actual ride I shall use paper maps, taken from a cheap, 3 mile to 1 inch scale road atlas. It’s not that I’m a luddite, just my way of keeping things simple with less chance of failure, and there’s nothing much simpler or fail safe than paper.

    I agree on the map front, low/simple tech is sometimes better! I used a Garmin on a 24 hour charity ride, it worked well until we got near the New Forest, then it got very confused! The other issue is battery life/chargers/finding a socket etc. etc.
   
   ‘Conventional’ wisdom has always recommended riding from Land’s End because of the prevailing winds, why did you decide to ride north to south?
   
    I wasn’t overly phased by this as I’ve read plenty of accounts of winds affecting riders in either direction. What I am even more wary of is the wetter weather I am likely to ‘enjoy’ on Scotlands west coast, my intended route of travel. The main reason however behind my North to South route is simply to clear the more time consuming haul up to Scotland by rail first, thus leaving the relatively shorter journey back to Kent after the finish. I also think there is that school of thought of travelling south, and therefore aiming for home, will offer up a slight psychological lift. In addition to this my girlfriend will meet me at Lands End for a lift home after so it underpins my decision based on my travel logistics, rather than the conditions of prevailing weather during the ride. Not forgetting another very good reason for heading south of course is that I’ll have warm weather and glorious sunshine to look forward to, that reminds me – must pack the sunblock and shades!
   
   What type of physical preparation have you undertaken and were there any particular issues that have surfaced during the training?
   
   My health is generally good but there is no escaping the fact that some weight has crept on over the years. Since the summer I have built up to several weekly rides of around 10 miles or so each with an added weekend ride of 30-40 miles. After six weeks of regular riding I also wanted to give myself an early test, to see how I would fair stringing together two long days of cycling. This I did on what was the hottest weekend of the year last August when I cycled to Canterbury and back with a loaded bike. This turned out to be a very satisfying and successful ride of just over 110 miles and although a little dehydrated and saddle sore I felt fine. So in essence my only real exercise has been from the cycling itself. With regular mileage and a watchful eye on my diet, I’ve shed nearly 2 stone in as many months and feel absolutely great for it.
   
   When the going gets tough, specifically ‘undulating’ terrain in the Lakes and Scotland, what is your mind set for dealing with the hills.
   
   I will try to maintain a good pace and rhythm especially on the climbs, but I have to be realistic and concede if I need to stop as king of the mountains I certainly am not. I recently read Ellie Bennett’s amusing account of her own LEJOG, ‘Blood, Sweat and Gears’, a very worthwhile read. She shares her own ideas on the subject of hills and how ‘counting elephants’ along with the use of the ‘F’ word does the trick for her. Got to be worth a go I think.
   
   Swearing goes hand in hand with LEJOG/JOGLE, it helps no end!
   
   Riding End to End is tough enough, but to do it on your own brings a whole new dimension to the challenge, in my case it was loneliness that could have become a real issue. What is your greatest fear during the ride?
   
   Certainly there is no getting away that I’ll be foregoing the moral support and companionship a cycling buddy may bring. Usually I ride on my own so in that respect I will be used to this, but cycling End-to-End will be a different matter, so it will be interesting how it turns out. Strangely, in a way, the solitude won’t be completely unwelcome. I commute to London for my work, I’m often stuck in ridiculous traffic and continually surrounded by the hum drum of the rat race. In essence I am look forward to connect with that inner peace of my own thoughts that a quiet road may bring.
   

   I know you have decided to raise money for Mind, can you tell me more about this and also let people know where they can sponsor you?

   I’ve decided to raise money for MIND as they offer support to sufferers of mental health all over the UK. They also push for better services and campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems My own family were touched first hand by this when my younger brother, who at the time was just 17 years old began to suffer the onset of mental illness. This was an extremely difficult time but as a family we pulled together to help in what ways we could. Unfortunately others may not have this support and so this is where Mind can help, as they state that no-one should have to face mental health problems alone. Their support can quite simply be a lifeline to those who feel nobody cares.
   
   For anyone wishing to donate I’ve set up a Just Giving page, any donations will be gratefully received. https://www.justgiving.com/RichardNJOGLE/

    Please visit Mind’s website for further information http://www.mind.org.uk/

    And finally, if you could take one luxury item with you, what would it be and why?
   
   Just the one? Oh well, I guess it would be the luxury of having the company of my girlfriend at the end of each day. She has given me much support since I came up with the idea, not only that she is also a trained therapist who would help bring me back to life with her healing hands each day. If that was too much to hope for then I’d happily settle for a nice plump pillow, it’s the thing I miss the most when I’m camping.

    My thanks to Richard for going to considerable effort to answer my questions, it sounds like his preparation is well on track for next June and I wish him all the best. Perhaps we can do a post-JOGLE blog in 2016?

    Please do consider sponsoring Richard, from my own experience, seeing donations role in from people is a real positive for the project as a whole, particularly during the ride.

    https://www.justgiving.com/RichardNJOGLE/

    Best of luck Richard!

   

   Further reading…..

   If you liked this blog please take a moment to check out my book describing the solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2012, all profit from sales to www.criduchat.org.uk

   Please click the cover image for the Kindle version or click here to order a paperback copy. Thank you!

   

3. One more donation for Team 14!

   November 14, 2015 5:41 pm Leave a Comment

   It seems like an age since the Team 14 Ironman at the end of August, a few more donations have come in and the event seems to have come to a natural end. However, there was one more donation received last week, a rather large and unexpected amount!

   We are lucky in Wantage, there are a lot of people who give their time to raising funds for local and national causes. As with all small towns, most people know most people and word gets about quickly whether you want it to or not.  Only last week I was asked to set up a turbo trainer in the Cancer Research shop to do an all-day spin in December, I’m not sure they realise just how sweaty it will get but I’m happy to help! We have a good network of people with all sorts of different skill sets.

   There is one stand-out fundraiser in the town; he has perfected the knack of relieving people of their cash for good causes and getting word out about deserving charities and events. If he’s not doing a personal challenge, he is arranging events such as a dinner for the old folk at Christmas or reviving the town’s carnival. Ray Collins will stop at nothing when it comes to fund raising; he works tirelessly giving up weekends and holidays to get things done.

   Ray was keen to ensure local charities benefitted from funds raised at this year’s Wantage Carnival: The Beatbox, Yellow Submarine and the Churchill Hospital all received donations.

   Ray knew of the Team 14 Ironman and had also heard of the 14 Club, he called me and announced that he was donating some money from the carnival to my cause. More than happy with this, I popped in the shop where he works to ‘collect a small cheque’. Well, the cheque was small in size but the amount printed on it was £800 – an unbelievable figure and one which took our fund raising to £3,500.

    

   

    

   I am very grateful to Ray for his donation, it means that the 14 Club can cover costs for a whole year and continue with their work benefitting local people with a learning disability. Check out their website at www.14club.org.uk

   If you ever fancied doing an Ironman, have a look at the planning and preparation that went into the Team 14 event here.

   

   Lastly, if you have a few quid spare, please consider donating to the 14 Club via my Make-a-Donation page, it will make a difference to those that need it.

   Further reading…..

   If you liked this blog please take a moment to check out my book describing the solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2012, all profit from sales to www.criduchat.org.uk

   Please click the cover image for the Kindle version or click here to order a paperback copy. Thank you!

   

4. Ironman complete and fund raising going well!

   September 10, 2015 9:45 am Leave a Comment

   It’s been nearly two weeks since the Ironman, I was under the false impression that things would calm down once it was out of the way but I couldn’t have been more wrong. There have been a number of administration tasks to sort out plus I started training again on the bank holiday Monday, there hasn’t been time to breath.

   The morning of 28^th August started very early at 5am, I needed to eat and make sure that I was happy with my kit. We had spent most of the previous day delivering trestle tables and items of kit to the gym so there was little to do. My bike was already checked and loaded into the car, I just needed to run one last check before the swim started and we would be ready to go.

   Kevin William’s at Wantage Leisure Centre had kindly agreed that I could have a lane to myself for the swim, they couldn’t have been more accomodating as we set up. I spent five minutes warming up in the pool’s plant room, we had agreed to use this for the transition as it avoided going through the changing rooms and out the main door. I could get changed here and leave my bike safely, another worry avoided. I got into the pool at 6:55 and swam 100m very slowly just to get things moving.  Ben was counting off the lengths to make sure I completed the distance, he gave me the nod at 7am, I pushed off for the first length.

   We’d broken the swim down into 6 blocks of 26 lengths, a total of 156 lengths of the 25m pool. I took the first two blocks easily but went a little too hard on the third block. The tapering of the last week had left me full of beans; there was a temptation to really get the engine going as a result. The fourth block went back to a more measured pace, well within my threshold.  The last two blocks saw a gradual increase in pace, I finished feeling comfortable and knowing I could have gone harder for the swim, I wanted to be safe in the knowledge that I had left enough in the tank for the row. Total swim time was just under 1 hour and 13 minutes – no stops.

   A short video of the last length can be seen here.

   I carefully levered myself out of the pool to avoid any calf cramp, this had been dogging me in training but seemed to have cleared up over the last couple of weeks.  I mitigated the onset of cramp by eating bananas (increased potassium) and staying well hydrated, Adam Dobson of Revolution Sports Injuries had lent me his pair of calf sleeves which also seemed to help nicely. I left those on for the duration of the day. Sarah Penney had found her way into the plant room so I asked her to turn her back as I changed poor soul.

   I emerged into bright sunlight to be greeted by a number of riders ready to set off on the 112 mile bike leg. We had arranged a peloton beforehand, it seemed like a good way to get others involved and raise the profile of the event plus it was company for me. Steve Penney and I had spent a couple of hours putting out signage for the route two days prior to the event; we knew the loops backwards by the time we started to pedal! The wind was slightly higher than I would have liked but people made sure they took turns at the front, everyone was willing to do their slot and the ride passed quickly.

   The feed station at the gym was manned by my wife and kids, they made a load of flapjack (slightly over-catered I would say!) and we had had a generous donation of food from Alison Wright. Steve had provided a water bowser which contributed to a very professional looking set up. Our pace was quicker than I had panned at 16.5mph so we soaked up some of the saved time by chatting and eating a lot at the end of each loop; it was very sociable and simply good to be riding with friends and supporting a great cause. A big thank you to those that gave up their Friday to ride on the day:

   Malcolm Heavens, Steve Penny, Nobby, Andy Norman, Sean Liu, Richard Sheppard of Bikelux, Nigel Bedfords, Sarah Fogden, Nicola Bateman and Carl Salmon.

   Bikelux of Newbury was supporting the event by providing energy products for me and also their mobile mechanic for the day. The poor chap (also called Richard) was there all day without a single mechanical; I bet we would have had issues if he wasn’t around though. A huge thanks to Bikelux for wanting to be involved, check out their website or go and visit the shop www.bikelux.co.uk

   The final loop was half the distance of the main loop and finished quickly, some of The 14 Club volunteers turned up to welcome the riders back and be part of the photographs. Once we had eaten a little bit more food, it was into the gym to start the row.

   TFD Gym in Grove have been brilliant since we started to discuss the event back in January, they have been very relaxed about us bringing in our bits and pieces and also welcoming those who were prepared to do a bit of rowing in support. The idea was to entice people to sign up for a distance or an amount of time and make a small donation, these lucky folk were then entered into a draw for a Waitrose voucher and a bespoke printed sports bottle. The latter prize was kindly donated by Khush at www.kapz.co.uk, they have some really funky bike products, check them out because if you like bikes you’ll want to be aware of this site! I’m the proud owner of two unique headset caps each with a design of my own choosing, completely bespoke and beautifully machined. Might be in the market for some bar ends soon!

   

   Riders and crew!

    

   

   We grabbed Emily after her workout (sorry) – she designed the Team 14 Logo!

   The row went well and the stretch breaks every 5km had the desired effect. The total distance was 42,195m or 26.2 miles. There was no way that I could run a proper marathon with my dodgy knees, rowing seemed a challenging alternative. Things started to get a little sticky at the 10km to go mark, there was a bit of suffering up to 5km to go, a couple of gels and a load of pain killers seem to make the last 5km’s relatively bearable. The pace was sedate at 2:20/500m, hardly any lungs involved although the glute pain was significant. Stretching mitigated this to a point but the last 10km was difficult all the same. I finished the row in 3:40 (including the stretch breaks), the whole event had taken 13 hours and 20 minutes (again, this included all the breaks and stops at the bike tent).

   I though the end would be a little emotional but it didn’t turn out like that, once I had released the foot straps and carefully stood up, it felt like an anti-climax. Jason had provided motivation from the rower next to mine for the last 14km’s which helped enormously.  I think training on my own had sometimes been very boring  with the end never really in sight, with plenty of people around the distance seemed to slip by, before I knew it that was it, all done.

   I spent a bit of time on the roller but couldn’t really be bothered to stretch properly. The event was very low intensity, just long so I wasn’t too sore on the Saturday and Sunday. Sleep on the Friday night eluded me a bit, I guess I was still wired from the day, Saturday night’s rest was fantastic, out for the count!

   A massive thanks to all those who supported me as I rowed:

   Kate Sullivan, Grace, Jo O’Halloran, Sam Cox, Harriet Cox, Ben Cox, Liz Snook, Daphne, Jason Auchinvole, Carl Salmon.

   

   To date, we have raised over £2,600 and the total continues to rise. I couldn’t have done this without the help of many people, especially my family and Steve Penney. I’ve been selfish around training, regularly turning down rides with friends so I can stick to my program but they all understood. I guess I know a lot of good people.

   Now, I wonder what to do next…..

    

   Sponsrship

   It is still possible to sponsor me, please visit my donation page here. Your money will be used to help The 14 Club of Wantage continue to help people with learning disabilities, thank you.

    

   The Team 14 Ironman was supported by:

   

   

    

   Further reading…..

   If you liked this blog please take a moment to check out my book describing the solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2012, all profit from sales to www.criduchat.org.uk

   Please click the cover image for the Kindle version or click here to order a paperback copy. Thank you!