Category Archive: Learning Disabilities

1. Team 14 takes shape for a sponsored Ironman.

   April 11, 2015 12:30 pm Leave a Comment

   Team 14 takes shape.
   

   

   I’ve been very fortunate in the past to get help from the right people when it comes to long challenges. The people I ride/train with are always the first point of call, their experiences and detailed knowledge of what it takes to be successful is invaluable. Mark P, Steve P, Ray, Phil T and Simon S, I count myself lucky to know these chaps, they have the endurance mind set.

   Then there are the fitness professionals who share my passion for being healthy and raising money for good causes.

   My gym, www.tfdgym.co.uk provided me with a place to train for the LEJOG ride in 2012, they also provided lots of expert knowledge to help me build up to the ride. I am in no doubt that things would have been a lot harder had I not had the right guidance. I met with Lisa and team in early January to float the idea of the Ironman, they have stepped up to the plate again, I was over-whelmed with their offers of help.

   At various times over the next few months, I’ll be posting about the people supporting this event which I have chosen to name Team14 (more on that in another bog).

    

   The Boss

   Lisa is a swimmer; in fact, we both were, swimming at the local club as kids. The word ‘legend’ is sadly over-used in today’s world but it is apt in Lisa’s case. She attempted to swim the English Channel in 2011, was fished out after 15 hours in the water with both eyes swollen shut, protesting that she was in the right place mentally and everything was good…that speaks volumes. The tide had turned within 3 miles of France, that is cruel.  I know this was a warm up for the main event though, to gain experience for when she achieves it at the next attempt!

    

   Psychological Edge

   Lena is Sports Psychology student and will be helping me to focus on achieving my training goals plus improving my concentration; pacing is key for an event like this and energy margins are slim, I can’t afford to take my eye off the ball. Her holistic approach covers all aspects of training and life; her help will provide a good base to see this challenge in the bag.

    

   Strength & Conditioning

   Martin will be working on a specific strength and conditioning programme. I like the idea behind this; it’s all about functional fitness, compound movements that employ many muscle groups. Martin is a stickler for correct form and execution, which ticks my OCD boxes nicely!

    

   All-round Core Strength

   Clare is helping me with core strength and flexibility, one of which is awful! I’ve never been the most flexible person there is but I have adopted a programme of stretching to help.  Additionally, I attended my first Pilates class on Wednesday to get an idea of some core exercise alternatives. My first impression is that anyone can do Pilates but it is difficult to do really well. The foam roller plus a tennis ball have become my best stretching buddies in the last few weeks!

    

   I have been training with the event in mind since Christmas; the additional input above will ensure that the programme becomes focused on the end goal. It’s great to be working with Team14!
   

    

   For more information on this event, click here.

   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!

   

2. A New Challenge for 2015 – Team 14 is launched!

   March 16, 2015 8:42 pm Leave a Comment

   Christmas provided some spare time for thinking and planning, I have been wondering about doing another fund raiser for a while given it’s been nearly 3 years since I rode LEJOG. I believe I have come up with a challenge that should capture people’s interest, a solo Ironman – with a twist.

   

   The first problem I had (albeit a nice one) was to decide on a charity. I set myself two simple criteria: small and local. I cast around a few friends for ideas and I also asked colleagues at work. They came up with a cracking charity, www.14club.org.uk based in Wantage. Their website said they provided a social club for people with Learning Disabilities, so I popped along to a club evening to meet Gary and Mark.

   It’s a small world, I knew some of the members and the organisers but I had no idea that the club even existed. The atmosphere was relaxed, people were choosing what they wanted to do. There were a number of activities available from chatting with friends, watching a film or doing a craft; a cup of coffee was offered to me and I didn’t say no. My daughter was also along for the ride and she genuinely enjoyed chatting to people.

   Volunteers are the mainstays of the club, from drivers (they do not claim fuel) who get the members to and from club night/events to those who help on the night. They do this with a calm, cheery approach which is infectious; they aren’t seeking reward or acclaim, they just want to make sure people have a great time. To do this, they raise all the money they need by themselves; 40 members enjoy what the club has to offer and it costs around £3k a year to run.

   The rising cost of essential things like insurance means that fewer events can be run, it’s a simple equation: more cash = more activities, this is where the Ironman comes in.

   I will train and undertake to complete an Ironman distance but with one amendment, my knees don’t like running so I will swap the run for an indoor row of the same distance. I am under no illusion as to how hard this will be, that’s why I have been training since Christmas. The distances are:

   •  Swim: 3,900 metres (2.4miles)
   • Ride: 180km (112miles)
   • Row: 42,195 metres (26.2 miles)

    

   The swim is my strongest leg, when I am training for an event for example a swim/bike, a typical session would be around 2,800 metres involving some speed work and longer swims; the focus of these sessions is about improving stroke efficiency. Adding on another 1,100m should be OK but I still need to train sensibly for this.

   The bike distance is longish but not something that is out of the ball park, again, sensible preparation will ensure that I can complete the mileage in the required time with something in the tank for the row.

   The row is a major issue (at the moment), I will be fatigued in the shoulders (which will have stiffened after 8 hours of riding) and my backside tires after about 10,000 metres becoming painful. I think the key here is plenty of interval work at threshold pace and then very slow, long rows to condition my rear end. The combination should get me through to the end. There is no doubt about it, I will need to be much fitter and stronger to get over the finish line, but I have plenty of help.

   I will be posting more details of progress and events, in the meantime, more information can be found at

   http://www.phil-cox.net/cri-du-chat-syndrome/team-14-ironman-challenge-for-2015/

   I am not pushing for donations at this stage given how far away it is but I am looking for a commercial sponsor to be associated with the event, if you think you can help in this respect, please contact me here. However, I’m not going to complain if you want to bung me a few quid, you can donate here

   http://make-a-donation.org/fundraisers/team-14-1

   Watch this space; the whole day should be fun with lots of opportunity to be involved!

   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. Finally, the Kindle version of Point North and Pedal is here!

   July 26, 2014 9:42 pm Leave a Comment

   I am now very happy to say that Point North and Pedal is now available for Kindle and can be found at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M0FI46A/

   

   It has been an interesting process getting the book onto Amazon especially around the tax side of things. I outsourced the book formatting to make sure that the reading experience was of professional quality. I would have spent hours tinkering with the format trying to follow Amazon’s rules etc. but for the sake of a few quid it would have been time wasted.

   If you haven’t got around to purchasing a copy yet, have a look at the preview on Amazon and also have a look at the two excerpts on this website, links below:

   http://www.phil-cox.net/point-north-pedal/book-excerpt-1/

   http://www.phil-cox.net/point-north-pedal/book-excerpt/

   If you buy a paperback, all of the £6 cover price goes to the charity, if you download, approximately £2.38 is generated as a royalty. If you have already read the book, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon, every click helps!

   For now, the novelty is still fresh and I am glued to my Amazon download report!

   Happy reading!

4. Public Transport LEJOG Challenge kicks off Learning Disabilities week….

   August 19, 2013 1:44 pm Leave a Comment

   The last couple of days have been spent getting back into the work routine after some time off; it’s great to be back in the gym and training with September’s challenge ride in mind.

   https://www.facebook.com/TheBigIsleBeBackChallenge

   I’d received an e mail at work from an organisation called My Life My Choice (MLMC) inviting me to a lunch-time launch of a very different End to End challenge. Unfortunately I was away and did not attend but have been in touch with MLMC to find out more about the trip.

   MLMC are a self-advocacy charity run by and for people with learning disabilities. The start of the End to End Challenge was planned to coincide with Learning Disabilities week (w/c 19^th August): 1285 miles using public transport starting from John O’Groats on 20^th August! Two MLMC Champions, Kevin Preen and Michael Edwards (pictured below), will be travelling with Dan Harris, the Champions Co-ordinator at MLMC. I can’t wait to hear how the challenge progresses, what issues are encountered along the way and how the team cope with being away from home.

   

   The logistical complexity of actually navigating the distance using public transport is mind blowing, I’m not happy when I have to get a train to London from Didcot let alone making connection after connection to do the LEJOG distance. I often hear that people with learning disabilities encounter problems when travelling on public transport; I hope that this trip will highlight many of these issues and perhaps provide some solutions. One thing I do know from my own experience of travelling End to End is that there are many people out there who are willing to help; overall I’m sure the trip will be a positive one.

   STOP PRESS: The chaps are now on their way to John O’Groats from York to get ready for the start! Good Luck!

   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!