82 miles, 5hrs, senior citizen blood doping and still a long way to Paris

Highlight of the day?

Making it around a decent chunk of Kent, Surrey and East Sussex without (a) falling off, (b) collapsing and (c) feeling like I could have gone further.

Lowlight of the day?

Being overtaken by a senior citizen on a bike from WW2 (leather brooks saddle, leather saddle bag, panniers) wearing tracksuit bottoms tucked into Wellington boots. In my defense, I was trying to unwrap a peanut butter sandwich without riding into oncoming traffic. In addition, blood doping is rife amongst the elderly down this way...

Thought of the day? 

If I can do 82miles and feel good at the end of the day, there's hope for further miles.However, below is a blunt reminder of the London to Paris task I'm undertaking in 8 weeks time. The little red loop below London is todays 80miles. It's clear from the map that it's going to be a long way to Paris in less than 24hrs

ps. the ride to Paris in 8wks time is for charity. I'm fundraising for children with muscular dystrophy. Please donate what ever you can and flag that it's for me. If you enjoyed reading the above, please donate here - http://www.justgiving.com/GoogleDuchenne

Half way point! Roll call of sponsor honour..!

SUCCESS! With 9 weeks to go we're half way and it wouldn't be possible without the incredibly generous support of my sponsors and fundraisers. £1K down, the tough second £1K to go..!

As ever, your donations have been gratefully received. This week we've had a lot of love from Family Abbot, big walnuts, big donations! Similarly mid week support from Family Rosenbauer and the clan Petropoulos Coupland, big hearts, big donations..!
Finally, closing out the weeks giving, thanks to one of the most handsome men I know, Damo, and to Lili, colleague and cohort for both helping out in the kindest of ways.

You're all wonderful peeps and I really appreciate your support. Thanks, Nic. 

Thoughts about cyclists and shaven legs. Brazilian calfs?

Apparently you cycle quicker if you have no leg hair. Removing hairs equals shaving seconds.

Interesting.....

Before I shave, wax, laser, sugar, epliate or IPL, I thought it prudent to do a little research and understand the broader benefits of smooth man legs before borrowing Janeywife's ladyshaver. 

Why do Pro cyclists shave their legs? 

Apparently, those daily massages conducted by professional trainers are so rigorous that leg hairs are part of the collateral masseuse damage. Literally, they're rubbed out. Simply put, no hair, no additional pain on top of the daily massage, (not yet a daily problem, but one that sounds like a good problem to have). 

On the flip side, hair removal in any shape or form means that hair will grow back. All of a sudden there's the risk of having ingrowing hairs. This sounds like no fun. Especially if its on the perineum, which presents a second question, to those cyclists that do shave their legs, where does one stop? The male equivalent of the biffins bridge? 

Similarly, does it all get shaved off or is it best to leave an on trend landing strip? A common and hotly debated point. Should the whole leg have a thigh to ankle narrow hairy landing strip down the front, like a mohican. Just enough, maybe a 10mm wide strip to cause enough turbulence to disrupt the airflow?

Furthermore, will a pair of smoothly shaven man pins be merely the first step on the slippery slope toward further male grooming....?, bringing obsessive searches for sandalwood scented chamois lotion, rather than the borrowed scoops of George and Margot's epiderm cream?

Alternatively, is it a cultural thing? 

I've not studied many male legs, like none, but I understand that the French, or in general, seasoned and experienced 'Continental' road cyclists, have not just tanned and toned calfs but they are baby-skin smooth as well.

These smooth shaven gallic pins are probably equal in part to the French national psyche of being Gauloise smoking romantic foodies. A thought, do the hairs from the mens legs migrate to under their wives arms?

Dang, cultural stereotypes are such weak and empty targets. 

Well, after not too much consideration, and a decent belly laugh at even the suggestion of a hair free pins from Janeywife, I arrived at the following conclusion. 

Yes, I am as guilty as many other middle aged men in lycra in my attempts to emulate a Pro Cyclist. I wear full lycra for the commute, I have a full carbon road bike. I wear pro-style shades. But after careful consideration I have accepted that it is going to take a lot more than half an hour hunched over the sink with a bic razor and some spandex to turn me into a professional. 

Shave me, take me to a tanning parlour, lacquer me up with oil and dress me top to toe in the finest Rapha cycling wear, but alas, I am still only going to look like Bradley Wiggins plump Southern brother. 

For this reason my razor will not stray below my neck. I look forward to riding on the Continent and my hairy legs will be my badge of Britishness. 

In answer to my earlier question about where to stop shaving I've discovered the answer is simple. 

Don't worry about where to stop, instead don't start.

Finally, if you've enjoyed above and yet to donate, here's the link!

http://www.justgiving.com/GoogleDuchenne

Please give what you can, it's much appreciated. Please flag your donation is support my ride as the page is a Google team page. Thanks! You're all great and generous peeps. 

Lyrca. How to look like a bicycling burrito.

One of the best things about riding a bike is that it's possible to dress up in spandex every day and get away with it. It looks like exercise, but deep down, buried in a place most cyclists don't acknowledge, it feels good too. Sounds kinky, and it probably is.

Let's dig into this thought. Keep reading and there's a picture reward for those who make the end rather than click back in disgust.

Basically my day starts in the same way as it does for thousands of other marginally overweight family men just north of 40. Something like this.

Get up, fart, scratch nuts, fart again, clean teeth, half heartedly make the bed, all the regular man things that must be done before heading down stairs.

Head to the utility room come play room. Step on random pieces of sharp pointy toys, namely lego and wish out aloud that it was more utility room and less play room.

It's at this point where most men on their way to work grab a shirt, put it on, inhale a cup of coffee and head off to the station or bus stop with all the other lemmings.

Not in our house. From Janeywife I get a wry smile. She knows that instead of the clean shirt making it onto my back, it gets folded into a rucksack before I dive into the special green box that contains the cycling super suits.

You're right in asking, WTF is a cycling super suit? (Dad - go look up WTF online as an acronym -  first you'll be disgusted, then I know you'll be using it in a couple of days yourself, recollect how YouPorn played out?)

A cycling super suit isn't your regular bit of lyrca branded spandex.

Oh No.

A cycling super suit is a strong look. Matching colors to the bike are the only way forward, red, black and white obligatory. No deviation allowed.

A Nike dri-fit top hides the bib top which effectively makes the leggings into a one piece. By the time I'm ready to leave I'm wrapped in a stretchy, skin tight one piece, making me into the equivalent of a bicycling burrito.

Add matching white Italian cycling shoes that sound like tap shoes when being walked across hard surfaces, gloves, a do-rag with flames on it, cycling helmet and orange lensed bono style light amplification glasses with white frames and you've something half way in between a prize penis and the Tour de France.

What purpose does a cycling super suit serve?

It's simple. A strong look yields a strong feeling. Feel strong, ride fast. Ride fast and get to Paris quicker. Quicker to Paris, happier sponsors and more time for some Mille six cent soixante-quatre on the Champs Elysees.

By the time I tap dance my way out of the house in the morning, looking like a black ballet ninja I've got the whole household behind me wishing me a safe journey. And sniggering.

And the best bit, I'm not alone. There are many many middle aged men clad in lycra out there, just not all of them have cycling super suits.

The one's that do are the ones that race route commute, sprinting to work, riding as fast as possible, and I'm now one of them. After spending long enough being overtaken by fat girls on mountain bikes whilst getting fit, I've got the physical strength to match the wardrobe strength.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. It's brilliant.

ps. If you'd like to donate, please use this link and flag that it's for me. If you see me, wave, and then shout TOSSER!

Thanks. http://www.justgiving.com/GoogleDuchenne

Todays roll call of sponsor honor!

Thanks to todays sponsors, you're making a difference not only to the total I'm fundraising but also and more importantly, to the lives of young boys who could benefit from the cure you're supporting become a reality within 10 years.

JimmyS, Cousin Sarah, Great Cousin Michael, Mum and Ian, You're all good sorts. Many thanks.

If it's not nailed down, it's going in

Training, training, training.. I have to be ready to ride 280miles in 24 hours, 100 miles day one, 180 miles day 2, or there abouts..

Currently I'm riding 100miles a week, let alone a day but am getting fitter and stronger daily.

The 100 miles a week is my work commute, 10miles each way, twice daily, 5 days a week.

The next step is to build both physical and psychological strength to weather 100miles in one ride. The most I've done is 46miles and that was hard, 3hr30mins constant work.

How am I going to do this?

The hardest part is the psychological element of riding alone. To combat this I'm joining Dulwich Paragon cycle club who run organised rides of varying length where peletons form of 10/15/20 riders working together to pull everyone along. This is alien to me and as I experience it I'll update the blog accordingly.

The first Dulwich Paragon ride will be the first Saturday in April, an obligatory acclimatisation ride needed prior to membership. I'm looking forwards to it!

Until then, it's the daily sprint each way to work, 10 relatively easy miles apart from the slog up Crystal Palace hill each morning and evening. That said, it's helped me drop 20pounds since Christmas so I'm not complaining as I'm now able to eat anything in sight and not worry about the consequences.

It's all fuel..if it's not nailed down, it's going in..

The first sponsors roll into town...

We're off! Many thanks to my first donors.

Order of merit includes family and auspicious friends indeed! Laurent and his tri-baiting-banter, deep down he knows like most quality Frenchmen that the only way forward is to surrender.

Next up, Mr Chris Slater, he's no city CEO slouch and he's got the finance to prove it, Dad and Cam for their stereotypical reinforcement of the French on bikes with berets and onions, love it, may well subscribe if only to get rid of the smell of cheese, Family Engel steadfast as ever and always relied on for the first friends to put their hands in their pockets, and the biggest thanks to Lou, Chirag and Andy, family donors hit up in the most appalling of manner, at a family reunion.

To each and all of you, thanks for your support.