Kidney Cancer Bloggers Have your Say

Yowser am I tired, got little if any sleep last night as the day was flying round my head, but I forced myself out of bed with surprisingly few aches and pains.  I expected sore shoulders because of the rucksack, and I wasn’t disappointed, however the great thing is I wont have to wear this for the actual event because we have the support van.

I left the hotel and pedalled my way down to the  ferry terminal, checked in at about 5:30am (as requested), and went to the front of the queue and waited …. and waited, only to discover the ferry was delayed by at least an hour.  No rain thankfully but it was cold just standing about.  I did have one of those bizzarre meetings you have in life, I met Wolfgang Stars from my Dresdner days (head of risk) so at least that passed the time.

Eventually they let me on the boat at around 7:10am.  It arrived around 12 noon so immediately I was on the back foot to try and make up some time.  Boulogne is not a bad little town in the old parts and I found a nice little bike shop so I could replace my cleats, like an idiot I forgot to get my back light fixed and that would come back to bite me later in the day.

Getting out of Boulogne was quite hilly but then it was flatish for a while and then the hills started again.  Tired from yesterday and now with a streaming cold I struggled to keep going.  For the actual event we’ll need to ensure the van is well stocked with food because I found very few places to eat, a lot of places were shut…..  so I did the whole day on an egg mayonaise sandwich and a pain au chocolat …  not a good move.

The countryside is lovely so we’ll have nice terrain along the way and it was all gentle country roads with very little traffic. With the weather with me most of the day I only got wet a couple of times.

It went a bit wrong around 20 miles from the end.   The garmin decided to take me off down a track that then turned into field tracks …… it is fired!!  so I ended up having to walk a fair few miles to get back onto the road by which point it was dark. I did cycle a bit but with a broken light but I was getting quite a bit of grief from passing drivers so had to walk again.

Huge relief to arrive at the hotel and to get dinner and a hot bath.

Tomorrow the garmin is fired! the 2.5kg lock is fired! (I’m leaving it here as it’s bruised my hips so badly and it’s slowing me down)

Lets hope the weather holds and I can crack on tomorrow! There is a cycle shop in Abbeville so I’ll swing by there in the morning….. sadly it doesn’t open til 10am … shucks I’ll have to lie in  Hope the cold goes.

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

After a restless night’s sleep I got up at around 4:30am to get myself ready, showered, check packing and to grab a cup of tea before heading out the door at around 5:30am.  What I did notice on the pedal through Watford to the station was how all the traffic lights were green, so it only took me about 7 mins to get there, hence I arrived very early at Euston.

After much fiddling with the Garmin Edge 705 at Euston working out how the navigation operated (should have checked that) I trundled over to Marble Arch and then decided to kill the remaining hour or so having breakfast in a cafe behind Selfridges that does a mean scrambled eggs on toast. They also had SKY TV on in the background  which meant I caught the latter end of James Whale’s slot … as if I needed reminding of why I got up this morning

About 3o miles in and am so glad that the route takes us off main roads and onto country lanes.  With the exception of the first 5 miles it’s been pretty quite and uneventful.  I was relieved when the route didn’t go onto the A20 where I thought it would but ran in parallel instead on a quieter main road, so no worries Hugh … no motorways as yet (I’ve gone under the M25 and over the M20 so far. There was a bit of a steepish climb from Horton Kirby to where I stopped for a coffee so I think this looks like a natural mid to late morning stop for the group, the cake is great, tea good and they’re used to cyclists and dont mind us en-mass.  

Not sure exactly how many miles I did since the coffee stop, the garmin timer stopped and I didn’t notice for about an hour.  The garmin sat nav feature is a bit flaky, I’ve gone down the wrong tracks a few times and at one point it sent me down a raod that put me 20 miles out of my way so I had to double back, but I guess that’s why I’m doing it now so at least one of us knows where we’re going.  Of couse the Garmin was off as I was getting lost so I wont be able to see what I did

It got to about 1pm and then the rain came and by 2pm I was soaked to the skin so I held up at the Park Inn next to Leeds Castle and here I’ll stayed until got dry and the rain stopped.  I didn’t have to be in Dover by any specific time because I’m now taking the morning ferry.  So I to relaxed and take it easy…..big mistake.

The route thus far had been hilly but went through some pretty villages to compensate and if we’re not chasing ferry times then we can all chill out and just enjoy the day, walk where we need to and make up some time where we can.

About an hour after I left the pub Mr Cock-up and his entire family joined me and I went totally off course, and it was getting dark. The garmin was next to useless as was it’s operator and it kept on sending me off in all sorts of directions. The rain started again and it became obvious that I needed to stop following the sat nav and just get to Dover. I’ll put it down to experience and have a go on my motorbike when I get back to ensure the route is mapped out properly. Lots of upydowny bits as it got towards Dover. However I reckon my 80 mile ride turned into well over 100 with all the ponsing around I did towards the end. One minute the Garmin said I was 10 miles away and then next it said 15 … nuts!! Bring back the good old map an compass.

Once I got to Dover the temperature dropped considerably as I sailed down the hill to the port and I was grateful for a warm welcome and a hot bath at the Premier inn. I have to say they are good hotels, clean, comfortable, big rooms and quite. Yes the location is always bad but the rest compensates for it.

Got very little sleep to be honest and I was up again at 4:30am to get myself for the ferry …. which of course was late anyway

All in all I had a great day, made some mistakes, didn’t go as fast as I wanted but with about 12kg of stuff on my back it was to be expected (wont need this for the real thing as we’ve got a support van …. phew!!). Also there were a few aspects of the route I wasn’t happy with that need to be looked at. Please, please, please …. no more rain!

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

So I’ve got over all the aches and pains of the Vasaloppet ski marathon and now I’ve switched focus to the Arch to Arc cycle ride in June.

As I mentioned in my earlier blog I’m doing a pre-run of the entire route next week to make sure that we take in some interesting places and that the timings are all right.  I’ve done a few 30 or 40 mile days in the last week to get my rear into gear and the bruising to settle.  All the hotels are booked, the ferry from Dover to Boulogne sur Mer and the final train back from Paris.  All I can hope for now is the same weather we’ve been getting this week.

All the gadgets are working… The iPhone, Garmin GPS, Solar powered rucksack (yes they exist and I have one here it is), and if it arrives in time a helmet camera to video bits and pieces on the way.  I’m a self proclaimed geek.

The one down side of doing this on my own is that I have to carry all my own clobber and that means a stupidly heavy lock (3KG) that really weighs me down.  I’ve got quite a nice bike (see below) and the insurance company insist on it sadly

My Bike at Wellington Arch today

I tooled myself up this morning with everything that I need next week and set out on a 40 mile ride to check I didn’t buckle under all the weight, and so far so good, I think I can do it.

I met up with an old friend called Andy Skinner at Covent Garden for lunch, he did a 1000km challenge last year and is joining us on the Arch to Arc.  It’ll be good to have someone who’s had some real life experience of hacking long distances over consecutive days.  I think that’s the key for everyone, doing 50 miles in a day is more than do-able, however it’s getting back into the saddle the next day to do the same that’s the tricky bit, it can get a little sore if you’re not used to it, so bear that in mind as you’re doing your training, I tend to cycle through the pain over a few days and then it settles down.

My main concern is day one and making sure we get to the ferry by 18:00 (it sets off at 18:45) so I’m going to replicate the exact times by setting off at 8am from Marble Arch, taking it easy out of London, having a good hour’s stop off for lunch. It’s essential that we’re in our saddles and ready to ride by 7:45am at the latest, any later and we’ll be cutting it too fine.  I’ll publish the route once I’ve fine-tuned it and if anyone has any places they think we should be cycling through in France then let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

I’m conscious that I’m very used to cycling through London rush hour traffic so I will do my best to take this into account by not weaving in and out of traffic at every opportunity and hold back to emulate how we’ll ride in a group.  I want to keep our average speed at about 10mph or above, that should mean we’ll all make it in plenty of time.

I also decided to go to Marble Arch today to see what the set-off would feel like, and it should be great as we all set-off from there down towards Buckingham Palace, passed Westminster, over the Bridge and onwards.  This is the view we’ll get from Wellington Arch

My bike resting up against the Wellington Arch and view towards Buckingham Palace

So that’s it really, my bike goes in for a full service on Monday and then I’m good to go.

As a by the way, we’re up over 65% of the £20,000 target, so keep the money coming in, Sally Hewitt is steaming ahead in the sponsorship stakes!! Nice one Sally!!

I’m going to be watching the Sports Relief John O’Groats to Land’s End cycle ride tonight on BBC1 …  it may give us a few tips as well  Hopefully it’ll be available via BBC iPlayer as well

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

It’s been a while since I wrote about progress to date, however things have been moving along a pace and the June date is starting to get ever closer.  Time to begin thinking about oiling your pedals and getting out there to start training!

The numbers in the event have been pretty much nailed down and we expect to see 14 of us on the start line at Marble Arch. With over 60% of the £20,000 target already reached this is an outstanding achievement by everybody, lets keep the pressure on and see if we can exceed this figure and make a real difference to Kidney Cancer patients around the UK.

Having recently left my current employer I have a little time on my hands over the next couple of weeks to focus on some of the logistics, it’s been a long time coming, I’d hoped to be free from work in November last year, but with one thing and another it’s taken until now to sort things out.

To kick start my own training I’ve just completed a 90k Cross Country Ski Marathon in Sweden, possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted, but great fun non the less.  So now it’s full steam ahead with the cycling.  Next week (or the week after) I’ll be cycling the proposed route from London to Paris to make sure there aren’t too many SNAFU’s along the way and that we dont end up on any dual carriageways (Hugh).  I haven’t really planned it as such, I’ll just pick a nice clear morning sometime and wing it.  Ruck Sack, Passport, Vaseline, Money, Camera, Phone, Spare set of clothes (and a bit of washing powder) and of course a few spare inner tubes.

The folks at the fund have selected a few hotels, so I’ll be giving those a go, making sure they can take a heard of cyclists (or whatever the collective noun is).  A well stocked wine cellar is a must and it would be rude not to sample a few of those and report back.

So I guess I’ll blog as I go and give a day by day account on progress.

By now you should also have all received your entry froms.  Please please can I urge all of you to fill these in ASAP and get them back to the Fund.  We need them back in so we can arrange the final bits and bobs around travel.  If anyone has any questions then feel free to call me and I’ll do my best to answer.

If anyone has any suggestions with regard to the route then now’s the time to get your oar in.  The fund is doing it’s best to find a day where we can all meet up prior to the event as well as a “get to know each other” thing.  We also have a nice new shirt design especially for the event, so we should all look like Tour de France pros (even if we dont feel like it).

If anyone is interested in getting involved in any other cycle events as part of their training then I can recommend the Winchester to Wantage ride.  I’m doing this with a couple of the other Arch to Arc’ers.  I’ve also entered the London to Brighton. There both in the region of 50miles each so a perfect day out for training.  These may also be great opportunities for fundraising.

Anyway, more soon!

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

Well, I got into a little bother yesterday for publishing yesterday’s blog so I’ll stick to a topic I know I’m safe with (it will be re-published later)

The great news is the Arch to Arc cycle ride has reached well over 50% of the £20,000 target and we’ve still got a lot of time left.  Keep up the good work everyone! This is really going to make a difference.

Cycle Weekly have kindly donated a number of copies of one their latest editions which contains a pretty good training plan to get people from 0 miles to 100 miles in a day.  We’ll be sending these out shortly to each of the riders along with a registration form that we want everyone to complete.

On the sporty front I’m getting more than a little nervous about the Cross Country Ski marathon in a few weeks time, I don’t feel anywhere near enough ready for it.  I just wish we could have some more time in the snow before we go.  Other people are doing seeding marathons before the event and our Austria marathon seems a long time ago now.  I keep on telling myself that it’s not a race and if I dont complete it this year it doesn’t matter and there’s always next year.

However, at least I feel my cycling’s getting better.  I even dug out my birthday card from my sister this morning to give me some motivation.

The Birthday Card

It was great to receive this, much as I hate the Moon Pig adverts the output is great.

I’m pretty much ready to do the exploratory ride to Paris and it’s just a case of picking the right few days now. Hopefully next week, but we’ll see, it’s very dependant on a few commitments I have and the weather.

So there we are, a short update.  Just a few more riders to confirm and sign up now and then we’re off!

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

I’ve been asked by a few people about the training regime they need to be following in order to complete the bike ride.  And it’s a fair question.

Well, we’ve been lucky enough to secure the support of a UK cycling magazine that have allowed us to distribute a training plan they recommend that gets people from zero to 100 miles in about 12 weeks.  So basically what I’m saying is …. There is time!!

They’ve suggested we modify the plan slightly so it fits our purposes but as it stands it’s a set of (I think) achievable goals each week with plenty of rest days.  We can’t distribute it just yet as they’ve agreed to send us copies of the whole magazine.  So be patient.

If any of you are following me on facebook you’ll see I’ve started cycling already.  Don’t think that this means you need to go hell for leather at the same pace…. I have 2 good reasons for needing to do it now rather than leaving it until later 1) I intend to cycle the route in the next couple of weeks to make sure it’s feasible, pleasant and to try and pick out some points of interest and 2) I have a 90K Cross-Country Ski marathon to try and complete in March and cycling is a great way of building up leg muscle and aerobic capacity without the impact of running.

Given it’s quite cold and dark at the moment there isn’t the desire for all of us to get the bike out of the garage, which makes it hard. My advice (for what it’s worth) is to get out when you can and just get used to being in the saddle, don’t worry too much about distance and pace at this stage (I’m not).  I always find that my first week back in the saddle consists of riding on alternative days until the saddle sore subsides (which it does I promise you).  After the first week I can then start focusing on building up the distance and speed.

If you’re a member of a gym and you don’t want to cycle on cold wet days (understandable) then spin classes are pretty good.  I may give them a go myself.  My partner (Jane) is a personal trainer so I’ll get her to see if she can put a few bits and pieces together.

Keep in mind that with the exception of day 1 from London to Dover (c.75 Miles) these are not huge daily distances.  The key will be as we get closer to June is to make sure that you go out on consecutive training days to ensure you’re capable of doing one day after another. Anyway this will all be part of the plan.

I’ll say again as I’ve said a few times, this is not a race, so we wont all be tearing off all over the place.  It’s the first time the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer has run the event and to that end this year will be a “pathfinder” which is why we’re keeping it to around 20 people.   It should be a great mix of people from all over the country and a chance to make some new friends.  We even have one person from Houston Texas flying over to ride with us!

As part of the training pack we’ll also be sending out a registration form to all the entrants so we have everyone’s details and requirements along with the terms and conditions.

And now for the really great news!  We’ve raised over 50% of the money so far, which is just incredible!   Upwards and onwards and thanks to everyone’s efforts.

Please sponsor me by clicking on either of these links VirginGiving or JustGiving

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

Happy New Year to everyone and I’m sorry not to have written sooner, however I’ve been away in Austria on a Cross Country Skiing training week which culminated in a 42K marathon.  There are now places on my body that I didn’t know existed that ache!  But what a sport I can really recommend it if you are looking for a low impact sport that gives a full body workout.

This is all building me up to a 90K Ski Marathon this March called the Vassalopet in Sweden. I’m still not sure if I’ll be fit enough to get through it this time round, but we’ll give it a bash.  If successful (or near to) this year then I’ll do it as a sponsored event for the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer next year.

I was pleasantly shocked when I got back to see that we’ve got a couple of new riders who’ve created VirginGiving pages and even better we’ve reached 33% of the target (£20,000).  How brilliant is that!  I know we have more riders to come so this is a significant milestone.

When I think of what this money can do to help us push for greater awareness of Kidney Cancer, patient events, specific training for nurses, campaigning etc it really inspires me to do more.

We simply have to get this hideous disease on the agenda and out of the rarer cancer category.  It is the 8th most prevalent Cancer, higher than either Leukaemia or Cervical Cancer for example and yet both these have higher visibility.  Why is this?

The greater the visibility the more chance we have of getting a voice at the table when it comes to availability of treatments.  This has to change.

Anyway, off the soapbox and back the Arch to Arc Cycle ride to Paris. Half the riders have signed up now with VirginGiving pages and more are on the way.  If you are still contemplating signing up then go for it!! Entrance to the event will be closing in the next few weeks so we can focus on the organisational and fundraising aspects.  Here are the instructinos again if you need them, click on this link.

I’m still hoping to be meeting with the Fund on Friday this week (work permitting) so I’ll have a fuller update after that.

As a slight side issue one of the riders cycling friend’s is selling a couple of bikes if you feel the urge! (probably suit 5’6 – 5’10 rider).  Here are the details:

Little used size medium Planet X Carbon Pro SL (colour: Blue)

• Veloce front & rear mech
• Mirage 10sp shifters
• Chorus 10sp Carbon chain set 172.5 53/39
• Campagnolo Record square taper 102mm bottom bracket
• Mavic Aksyium wheels black
• Conti GP3000 700*23 tyres
• Veloce brakes
• FSA compact bars PLT Pro stem
• Trans-X 31.6 carbon seat pin
• Outland anatomic saddle

A bargain at £600!

ALSO:

Ambrosio: Celcius full Carbon clear coat frame: 53/54cm centre to top, 54cm top tube c-c, 135mm head tube (very good condition – only used as best bike)

• Campagnolo Chorus brakes
• Campagnolo Chorus 10sp Carbon shifters
• Campagnolo Record alloy square taper 102mm bottom bracket
• Campagnolo Record alloy chain set 172.5mm 53/39
• Ambrosio Excellight black 28h wheels
• Gommitalia Logosport 700/23 tyres (brand new)
• FSA carbon seat pint 27.2MM (BRAND NEW)
• Fizik Aliante saddle (brand new)
• Ambrosio Inverse stem
• FSA strada handle bars (BRAND NEW)
• Chorus front mech
• Centaur rear mech 10sp alloy

Also a bargain £500!

If you are interested then let me know and I’ll give you the contact details.

More news to come but keep those donations coming in!!

Please sponsor me at either VirginGiving or JustGiving

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

Things are really starting to push forward, we’ve had one or two more riders setup their VirginGiving pages and we’re topping 27% of the target already!  This is way beyond where I’d hoped we’d be by this time.  Sally is storming away with sponsorship money, over £1000 in a mater of weeks!! Having said that this is no time to get complacent and we still have a long way to go to get to that £20,000 goal. 

As another reminder for those wishing to ride, don’t forget to get your deposits in ASAP, here are the instructions again (click this link to my previous blog). Half the riders have already signed up, so don’t delay or you’ll miss the opportunity to ride with us this time round.

As for next steps, well, I’ll be meeting up with the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer on the 15^th January 2010 to look at booking the Hotels and Ferry/Rail journeys, and as I said previously I’ll be looking to do an exploratory trip of the route towards the end of January (and I know others may well join me).

Outside of this things are ticking away nicely.  We have the prospect of getting a couple of major sponsors which will be amazing.  I know we have PR in place and that we’ll have coverage at the start and finish line but if anyone knows how to engage any other media channels between now and the big day then please let me know.

Anyway, that’s it for now.  Have a great festive season! Don’t worry about over doing the mince pies and turkey ….. the training starts for real in January!!

Merry Christmas!!

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

We have over 7 months to go and within just 2 months we’ve already reached 20% of our £20,000 target.  This is fantastic news!  We still have well over 20 people (closer to 30) who want to do the ride so I’m very encouraged that just 6 people have already managed to reach 20% …. Just think what we can achieve once everyone starts fundraising.

To that end I’d just like to remind those of you that have signed up that now is the time to get you deposits in and start your fundraising efforts.  The full instructions are available here in my previous blog. 

At the James Whale Fund we’re really keen to get the hotels and ferries booked in January so we can relax on that point and focus all our energies on fundraising. So please please if you want to come on the ride get your VirginGiving pages created and your deposits in now, and remember, we’re restricting this to just 20 people in year 1 … so don’t dawdle or you’ll miss the boat … literally!

Over the course of the next few weeks we’ll also be checking out the route. I’m debating cycling it, but I’ll need to see if I can get somebody willing to follow by car so I have some support …..  3 days in the same clothes …. not a pleasant thought, especially for those sitting near me on the train on the way back.

I’m still very excited about the whole thing and can’t wait to get going … real French bread, soft cheese and the odd bit of Red Wine of course …. Heaven!

Please sponsor me at either VirginGiving or JustGiving

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010

Hi Everyone !  It’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote to you all and gave you an update as to where we were.

Well, things are coming along a pace, the team is negotiating hotels etc and it all seems to be getting there as planned, however there is still much to do and we need your help!

The good news is that we’re getting more and more interest from people wanting to cycle which is very encouraging …. Well over 40 so far !!  

Now, here’s the tough bit and where you can help.  As I’ve mentioned before we are trying to keep the numbers in at around 20 people to make sure it goes off without a hitch in the first year……  so,  you’ll need to get your skates on to sign up and get your £300 deposits into the fund by Jan 2^nd 2010 as places will go fast.  To date we have already raised over 17% of the £20,000 target which is great news.

I sent out a notification to everyone a week or so ago asking folks to setup their VirginGiving pages as soon as possible.  If you are struggling with VirginGiving (as a number of people have been) then feel free to create a JustGiving page instead if you find it easier, but be quick as we’ll will be cutting off any new entries once we get to 20. 

I realise a number of you have signed up to say “Yes” on the Facebook page,  however we will still need the firm commitment of a ViginGiving or JustGiving page + the £300 deposit … this is what will secure your entry.

So, to avoid disappointment be as quick as you can!

As always if you’ve got any problems creating your pages or you need any aspects of the event explaining then please don’t hesitate to contact either myself or Nikki Grant at the fund.

http://www.jameswhalefund.org/ArchToArc2010.html

Thanks for the support!

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Posted under Andy Thomas, Arch To Arc 2010