Welcome back to anyone returning for my promised updates for this little cycle challenge which is now less than six weeks away.
First an apology: I still have no photographs of the team or action shots of hard training miles to upload but I promise they are on their way. Instead here is an overview of the training so far.
For Eric and I our training has really been building from cycling to work which started when our company offered the ‘ride to work’ scheme which allows you to buy a bike for commuting (with tax relief incentives). What started as once a week one way (13-15 miles) has extended to 2-3 times per week both ways plus longer runs at the weekends.
The longer runs for me have given me the pleasure of painfully huffing and puffing through some stunning scenery. I have been through the Campsie Hills, up the side of Loch Lomond, Drymen, Fintry, around Aberfoyle and Loch Katrine, and rain or shine it always takes the last of my breath away. It’s a strange concept to actually plan a cycle route where you actively look for hills to have to go up and down, but the reality is in a few short weeks we will have to be ready for just that. On the route itself there are two sections in particular that make we wince: the first steady climb out of Glenbrittle in Skye at 5.30 in the morning when no sensible person should be awake, and the climb up to Rannoch moor through Glencoe.
To try to prepare for these, sections in the routes mentioned above like the Crow Road, Duke’s pass, Stockiemuir road have all been included. Every time I casually mention these to my dad, he of course has been there done that and of course got the t-shirt. I do feel sometimes like I am retracing some family history with this event. It has already been asked if by extension I am passing the baton of challenge on to my son Drew? We’ll worry about that when we actually have achieved this. Or put another way by my friend and colleague Ben Kohler: ‘first let’s catch the fish then we can decide how we might cook it’.
If Eric and I are the hopeless amateurs of this Polaroid Eyewear cycle team then Bennie de Jong is the seasoned professional. Last week he finally returned from a vacation in Majorca, delayed as we was by the flight blocks over Europe caused by the volcano in Iceland. And what method of relaxing for this vacation? About 130-140km per day cycling. And when stuck for the extra 4 days? More cycling. Admiration aside, having someone of this experience level on the team is a gift. For training tips, preparation, equipment advice, food and hydration planning – it’s great to have someone who has done it all and knows the script. I don’t have to worry about Bennie’s training readiness, other than can he face going as slow as our pace all day.
That’s it for this week.
Paul
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