Countdown

Just 5 more days until I find out if I have successful in getting an "upgrade" from riding just the last to riding all of Stage 5. By now you will have realised just how much that means to me. I know that there are fund raising events taking place by my challengers this weekend. If you have enjoyed reading my blog and want to support one of the standout non-pro cycling events of the year and some great charities.....all sponsorship greatly received at http://uk.virginmoneygiving/RobertNewrick I have received 2 stickers with my name on for my bike, which I'll add Saturday. Not long til I get a Boardman helmet too. Hope to get out for a ride this Sunday and check the knee out. Hope its dry too; been awful this week! Good start for the Stage 1 riders. Great rider tracker on www.dallaglioflintoff2012.com Fingers crossed.

Alternative training programme

Chose not too ride this weekend. Went to docs about knee and told that it's a touch of bursitis (or inflammation of he tenden to the rest of us). Cure being rest and anti-inflammatories. Seems that the more I've applied ibuprofen gel, the more I can feel my knee!! Hopefully ok for a ride next weekend. So enjoyed a couple of beers yesterday (alternative training!) & the briefest of lie ins this morning instead. 30mins is still better than no lie in!! Was strange not being out on a ride today but time spent with Sarah and my beautiful twin girls more than made up for it. Plus I spent a small amount of time in a cycle shop! Liege-Bastogne-Liege recorded to watch at some during the week. Sponsorship had a good boost on Friday and now passed the £2,500 mark, including Gift Aid. Well chuffed and continue to be humbled by everyone's generosity. Should know for certain this time week regarding riding all of Stage 5; quite away ahead of the others competing for the Stage "upgrade"! Would be off in 3 weeks time - very excited. I wonder what the mixture of excitement, nervousness & anticipation is of all the riders embarking on Stage 1 tomorrow. You can follow their progress on http://www.dallaglioflintoff2012.com Good luck Cycle Slammers!

It starts next week!

A good ride out on Saturday. Solo ride of 62 miles including climbing up Fish Hill. First time up as have always found a route that took me down. Temperature difference at the top surprised me. Was already in winter gear. Am actually looking forward to some sunshine and start getting the tan lines! The downside of the weekend was that my knee said enough after 10 miles on Sunday. Better part of valour, would rather rest it a bit now to ensure its ok for a 4 day ride which starts in under 4 weeks! How exciting! Already thinking about what to take and what to do on weekend of return. Still looking strong on the sponsorship front but still have to wait until the end of next week to have final confirmation. Although still a little bit shy of target. Really hoping to get to £2500. So close but not there yet! Monday afternoon included a conversation with a journalist from the Redditch Standard. Should hopefully see the article in this weeks edition! Photo too! Hoping that's not the only local paper running a story about he Cycle Slam and me this week. Exciting times ahead! Good luck to all the riders starting Stage 1 in Greece on Monday. Wow it's really happening.

Countdown continues!

So with two & a half weeks to go until I hear whether I have all of Stage 5 to ride and not just the last day, the sponsorship edges ever nearer my (revised) target of £2,500! I really find people's generosity amazing and very humbling. Weekend saw 125 miles covered in 2 days. Which I'm happy about as target was to ride over 100 miles in consecutive days. Easter Sunday's ride went as far West as Ledbury before coming back up to Malvern. Nice ride up Colwall Hill prior to a coffee stop with magnificent views of the Black Mountains. Visibility was great & views rewarding he effort of the climb! Nice rolling ride back home and good pace too. Forgot to mention that the training ride last week from Mitcham was actually resistance training. Resisting all the nice country pubs we passed was definitely hard!!! Here's hoping the opportunity of 3 days cycling in France comes to fruition. Can't wait!! I'm sure the girls are wondering whether it's normal for Daddy to be wearing lycra! Http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/robertnewrick

Buenos tardes. Buenos noches.

That was certainly a hard ride. First time out in the wet. You know when pleasure rides turn into training when you're prepared to go out when it's raining. Today was that day! Solo ride & 57 miles completed in 3.5 hrs. Chuffed with that considering back brake got a lot of abuse on the downhill sections, especially where there were some turns ahead. Comin down Fish Hill was a little nerve racking to start with. Wet roads & the occasional step out of the back wheel lately means braking is the better part of valour!! Love the Garmin Edge. This was the first time I had created a course and loaded it. What a great piece of kit & the stats afterwards once connected back up to the pc. Nice! I have to say that the conditions today quickly took my mind off what happened just before I started the ride. Had to give CPR to an elderly woman/neighbour. A strange feeling especially knowing it was probably too late. Ambulance & paramedics arrived shortly afterwards. Very sad. And so my longest ever solo ride ensued. Tomorrow brings a ride out with Evesham Wheelers to Malvern. Hope the legs survive. Paris - Roubaix being recorded & hopefully get a chance to ride over the cobbles to as part of the Cycle Slam 2012. Sponsorship going well but will be happy knowing that I will definitely be riding Stage 5. Still 3 weeks to go before knowing for certain. Also waiting to find out when photo shoot pictures will be used in local paper(s). Ideally no later than coming week. And now for a Sat pm film: "The Motorcycle Diaries", which is one of the best films ever! And a glass of red wine too. Training after all!!

What a week!

Now that was a week that lived upto, if not exceeded, expectation! A photo shoot with Lawrence on Wednesday. Whilst a quick PR style shoot in the glorious sunshine was enjoyable, it was followed by an excellent speech. Lawrence's that is! Saturday's Cycle Slam training ride was brilliant. A well organised day with a great lunch! Started at Mitcham (Halfords store) with approx 70 other riders including Lawrence. The temperature had dropped a bit from the sun induced days we've had this week so back to the winter gear. A 65 mile ride including Box Hill (part of Olympic course) plus a couple of other steeper climbs and a head wind for the final 20 miles. Met some great fellow riders & cycled with 3 of them for most of the day. Coming back into London was harsh: buses, angry traffic and feeling like we caught every red light! I don't miss the big smoke! A very rewarding day & loved it. What's more is that the sponsorship fund is now over £1500 - wow! Think that could mean that I'll be riding all of stage 5 not just the final day. Meaning an additional 300 miles in 3 days! Bit more training needed me thinks but what an incentive knowing how much has been raised. Looking forward to consecutive rides over Easter weekend. Time to ramp it up. Http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/robertnewrick