Saturday 31 March 2007

Training Up A Level


What a week! The training has started its new level - 2 hours in the gym on Sunday, a 30 Plus mile ride on Monday. Ride on Tuesday, 2 hours gym on Wednesday, 4000m Row and a Spinning class Thursday, Spinning class Friday and then the first ride from home to meet the guys (Roland, Brian, Ben, Dee & Ian were there) at Reigate hill on Saturday then out for our usual ride and all the way home again - nearly 38 miles with some 4,000ft plus of ascent. See the ride below. Feeling good though. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ


Saw Markie at Reigate Hill on the way home, he was feeling a bit sore this week. It's his big day on Tuesday - Stitches hopefully coming out and a review of his progress. I will keep you posted on that as soon as I hear.


Anyway have a good week. Make sure you check out the Video clip at the bottom of the Blog to see Markie in action!!!! (First Video in list below)

Saturday 31st MarchCaterham-Reigate-Caterham

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Caterham-Reigate-Caterham
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Sunday 25 March 2007

How not to ride your bike !!

Check out the video below. Remind you of anyone??
(First one at bottom of blog)

Saturday 24 March 2007

He's back and in good spirits


Markie pictured here with his injured arm and shoulder which he got last Saturday, biking on the side a Welsh mountain. After a few days in hosptial, an operation on his broken Humerous, his dislocated shoulder and his broken shoulder ball joint - Markie's back and in good spirit. He came up to Reigate Hill for a bacon roll and a cup of tea to meet us guys after our somewhat short Saturday blast. Markie has done extremely well considering how he looked and felt just under a week ago before his free helicopter ride.

Sunday 18 March 2007

Lucky git gets a FREE Helicopter ride

Training took another angle this weekend 'Emergency Mountain Rescue'





Packed up the car with 4 bikes myself, Markie, Ben & Ian. Set out from Ian's at 5.15am we made great time. We were ready to leave the car park at the bike centre in Wales at 9am, even after stopping for a lovely!! breakfast on the way.
Weather was fresh but dry. 45 Minutes of enjoyable climb through the trees up to about 1600 feet and in to the action, a new section called 'Black Run' a fantastic roller coaster ride up and down ramps, fast drops, sharp corners then a breathe taking big drop to the end - Absolutely Brilliant ! Then up a 2 mile section of fire track to the top and the the start of a section called 'Heartburn' a technical 1.5KM length of single track. 500m in and disaster struck. We came around the corner and there was Markie lying there on the ground. At first we thought it was just one of 'those fall off that we all do' a quick get up brush down make a joke and then off again. But on further investigation this did not seem to be the case it looked bad. Poor Markie was in a lot of pain. Left shoulder and elbow were not right. We thought possible worse case scenario dislocated shoulder but upon further inspection once the Paramedics arrived broken Humerus and possible dislocation. Three gallons on morphine, 2 rangers, 2 Ambulance Paramedics, 4 Air ambulance Paramedics 3 RAF Paramedics and three hours of planning Markie was final on his way to Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Oh dear!!

Wales Day with a Break and a Heli trip

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Wales Day with a Break

Our trip to Morriston County General

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Tuesday 13 March 2007

Altitudes Are Go



Markie and I visited Peak Performance Altitude Training Centre based up in the grounds of Wembley FC and run by a very friendly guy called Gary. We thought we should get a test that take us up to a simulated 6,000m altitude to see how our bodies would react.

We were both apprehensive about the tests, hearing so many stories of how peolpe can react to high altitide. Good news though, we both passed with flying colours. The transrockies takes place at an altitude of 3,500 to 4,000 plus meters above sea level. Your blood oxygen saturation can suffer a lot at this level, the amount of oxygen is nearly half that available at sea level, this lower level can effect you performance quite conciderably. So it is onward and up ward with the interval training. We are off to wales this weekend to get a bit of practice . Pictures will be coming soon. Watch this space.



Monday 12 March 2007

Sunday 11 March 2007

Team Name - Help Needed

We need your help! We need to come up with a team name for our entry in to the Transrockies. Any suggestions would be greatfully appreciated. No rude ones though. Best suggestion will get a free packet of Pretzels. Below are a couple of pictures that might help you on your way. Please leave suggestions in the comments section below.
Thank you.
By the way Markie is on the right
I am the one on the left.

Saturday 10 March 2007



Saturday We met up at Reigate Hill 8.30am. Markie and I got a short training blast in a bit earlier with 4 times up Grannies - a slippery chalky hill with 250 feet of ascent with 45 plus degree climb (Lovely !!) An amazing turn out as you can see from the picture. A real spring day. Good to see Brian back in action!

The ride was a bit different, as you will see below, we tried a few new hills to make it a bit different.
Have fun!

Saturday 10/3 Ride

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Saturday 10/3 Ride

A 25 Mile Ride with 4 times up Grannies to get it all going

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Wednesday 7 March 2007

Update News

Another week has gone by lots of training in the gym and out on the road. I have added a count down timer to the big day plus some very interesting video clips at the end of the blog for you to look at. Pop down and have a look they are great.

We are still getting lots of other very generous contributions from lots of people we wrote to. A big big thank you to Ben, who's Company GEW (EC) Ltd in Redhill have donated a massive £500 towards the fund and a big thank you to Yasmin Whittaker for her contribution it is very much appreciated.

Tuesday 6 March 2007

Tuesday Biking to work

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Training Day to the office and Back
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Saturday 3 March 2007

MotionBased Activity: Saturday Ride 30 Miles Plus

Early Start with Markie and 3 times up Grannies as a warm up

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Friday 2 March 2007

Training Sessions for Rockies



The training started on the 1st January 2007 . A strict regime of a good healthy diet and no alcohol (maybe a glass of red once a week as a treat) 6 days per week training with a mixture of activities, 4 days CV training including 2 1 hour Spinning classes at local gym, were I work as a part time Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor. Two 25 to 30 mile mountain bike rides practicing plenty of hills in the up direction unfortunately, average ascent of 3,000 ft, only half the daily average in the Rockies, so plenty of training needed plus 2 days of serious resistance training in the gym covering core strength, upper and lower body power. In addition to this I walk the dog twice a day for about an hour. Included in this is one day off for the important recovery. Phew!!
As the months go on this will all increase 2 fold and with the nights and mornings getting lighter it will be helpful. I will post weekly updates on the training front.
Pictured above is me and my faithful Orange 5 mountain bike which is going to take me across the Rockies the picture was taken in February amid 3 inches of snow.

Thursday 1 March 2007

Fund Raising Update

The Support from everyone has been absolutely fantastic. So far we have had a great response from our letters that Natalie has been very busy working on. Sending them out to all manor of businesses and Celebrities around the country, we have literally been inundated with all types of products and donations, ranging from food,(chocolates, crisps & sweets) to days out, golf days books, stationery, cosmetics and clothing, the list is endless. A big thank you to all of those contributors. Once, all of the items have been auctioned, raffled or sold we should be well on our way to our target £25,000.

A massive thank you must go to Richard and Julia Wright for their amazing support. Both of them are very busy training hard for the London Marathon next month, what an amazing couple. http://www.justgiving.com/thewrightpage

Trans Rockies Challenge 12th August - 18th August 2007

In its short history, the TransRockies Challenge has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most rugged and wild of the multi-day mountain bike epics in the world. With fantastic singletrack, unpredictable weather and wilderness camping, the TransRockies is a unique experience which has drawn and inspired riders from all over the World.
A new chapter in the TransRockies story will open next August 2007 when participants in the fifth edition of the TransRockies Challenge roll away from the start line in Panorama to face a new route and a new set of challenges. During their seven days of World Class epic riding, they will traverse through the high peaks of the Kootenay Rockies in South-eastern British Columbia on their way to the finish line at Fernie. While much of the route is new, the TransRockies will offer the same two-person team format, and wilderness camping that makes it such a unique event.

The seven days of the TransRockies Challenge is one of the hardest that a mountain biker can find over 600km of riding and over 12,000 meters of climbs. Thats higher than Mount Everest! There is a mental and physical struggle for everyone from first to last. In that struggle, riders can find the best in themselves discovering a mind and body that they are stronger than they ever guessed; they will learn the true meaning of teamwork and sportsmanship; and they can forever earn the honour of being called “Finisher”.

The event will take place in August 2007. Donations and sponsorships will be donated to the ‘Children’s Trust’ in Tadworth, Surrey for their brain injury unit, in the memory of my little son ‘Milo’ - aged just 6. He very sadly died on the 2nd December 2005, very suddenly from a giant brain aneurysm, a very rare type of aneurysm, affecting only a handful of children in the world. My family are trying to come to terms with this unbelievable tragic loss.

I am therefore looking for any contributions to help raise money for this very worth-while charity, from this event. It is for this reason I am hoping you might be able to help me in any way, either in the form of a sponsor, a product or service that you could offer for me to use at the actually race or anything that I might be able to auction at one of our future planned charity events that we are holding before we go. Alternatively, I could help you by advertising your company during this event in exchange for any support or products you might be willing to give or lend to me.

Any contribution no matter how small will go along way to helping others less fortunate then all of us.

Thank you so much for your support.