Doesn't time fly?

On the same weekend exactly 4 months ago the idea and first training ride for our Lejog was born. Almost every Sunday in those 4 months we have completed a group training ride, gradually increasing each week in altitude and distance. On top of this each individual has been out on their bike several times a week plus using a turbo trainer or attending a spin class. After a shorter ride this Sunday we have a few days out of the saddle to keep the legs fresh then we set off for Cornwall later in the week.

Along the way you will have seen many thank you posts on this blog, all of the companies mentioned have been very generous with their goods or services and for this we are all very grateful. Their generosity has meant the costs involved in setting up and running the ride have been kept to a minimum for both the individual riders and the charity.

As well as our corporate supporters, in the background there is a team of people who, without them, the ride would simply not take place. Wives, husbands, partners, parents, family and friends have all helped and put up with each of us on our journey so far. So whilst we are the ones with our photos in the newspapers please remember that behind each of us there is someone else keeping things ticking along.

Once we get going later this week we shall try and post regular photos as we progress along the route. You may even get a list of daily stats (food consumed, miles covered, lemonades downed!) as other lejog blog riders do. For those wanting some tech we shall even make a note of all the bikes and gadgets used to help us cover the 1000 miles.

We shall catch you next week when we start our monumental event. 

Test

This is just a test to make sure all works ok whilst away from the luxury of wi fi.

Whilst here you may like to know excitement is building with the arrival of essential lejog supplies. Mabel mascot has been put in charge:)

Alice's Escapes Official Launch

To see a short film about the wonderful new charity, Alice's Escapes, please click on the above BBC image.

Day 5 of our Lejog ride will be finishing in Alice's home town of Ulverston. So we will combine our arrival with the official launch of Alice's Escapes. Booths of Ulverston have kindly offered to host the event. The party will start from 3.30pm with entertainment from UVHS band, we shall be cycling in at around 4.00 - 4.30pm. John Woodcock MP will then officially launch the charity and if you have any questions, representatives from the charity will be available to help. If you are local it would be lovely to see you and have your support for this great new cause.

Running out of Sundays!

Our 100 mile Sunday training rides are very quickly passing us by with just two remaining before we set off for Cornwall. Last weekend saw us take in a ride south to the popular Cafe D'Lune near Conder Green. To avoid traffic we used the Morecambe to Lancaster cycleway and then the Millennium bridge over the River Lune. This linked to St George's Quay and then the Lune Estuary path, a hard dusty path that was good fun to ride.  

Cafe D'Lune lived up to it's expectations with great food and excellent prompt service.
We then took a route home via Caton, Borwick and Milnthorpe.

Our penultimate ride this Sunday sees us climbing up and over Kirkstone pass then skirting around Ullswater and Thirlmere before heading home through Grasmere and Coniston. No doubt coffee and cake will be involved somewhere!

The final ride the following Sunday will be a short local one so that our legs can recover in time before we start our grand adventure.

On the subject of legs we are grateful to Sport Tape for helping us out. You may well have seen athletes and even celebs on tv programs such as Sport Relief wearing tape over certain muscles. Designed to mimic the skin, kinesiology tape integrates with the body’s sensory system naturally to enhance performance and aid recovery. Their products will come in very handy at some point during our 10 day ride.

http://www.sporttape.co.uk/

Smile please!

Last weekend we were very fortunate to have the offer of a team photo shoot taken by local photographer Cheryl King. The location, Birkrigg Common just above Ulverston, turned out to be a fabulous venue blessed with beautiful sunshine.

After studying Media at college, Cheryl subsequently trained and worked in Outdoor Education gaining leadership and coaching awards in Canoeing and Kayaking, Mountain Biking and Cycling, Orienteering, Power Boating and Mountain Leadership. Recent years have seen her develop her commercial cycling photography business – ckingimages.

To see the results of the photo shoot and a short interview with each rider please go to Seeking Mountain Sport

You may have noticed only 7 riders in the above photo. Unfortunately on the day Gary was unable to be there, to see a few words from Gary here is a link to the Biketreks Racing Team page.

Many thanks to Cheryl and her assistants, Mark and Lottie, from all of Team Alice.

 http://seekingmountainsport.com/2012/03/25/team-alice-on-tour/

http://ckingimages.co.uk/

Arrgh....eeeek.....and other less choice expletives!!

In the run up to our little cycle ride you are seeing a range of thankyou's. Sorry if there are a lot of them but we do have a large amount of people and organisations who have helped us in preparation for our Lejog.

Cycling for the team is something we all enjoy and it helps keep us fit. Our fitness levels are going to be seriously tested when we start our marathon ride especially in the legs. With this in mind we shall probably be massaging our own legs on a nightly basis, unless we find a masseuse who fancies a little road trip! Those of you not up to speed with cycling should know that nearly all pro and amateur racing cyclists will shave their legs on a regular basis to help with massaging and also, should the worse happen, dress any cuts. Whilst we are not eluding to be pro cyclists this bit of hair removal may well just help us out.

Not wanting to do things by halves we have bypassed the shaving and gone straight to waxing! So anyone who hasn't donated some dosh for our cycle ride can surely spare a few pounds to see some of us put through the leg waxing pain!

Emma Richardson Beauty Therapy of Ulverston have kindly agreed to undertake the leg waxing. Emma is a fully qualified beauty therapist and offers a wide portfolio of treatments. When describing her business she states that she offers a friendly yet professional service in a relaxed treatment room for your enjoyment. Our team will need all the help they can get to stay relaxed!! We sometimes say photos to follow, not sure that will happen this time, we shall see:)

www.emmabeauty.co.uk

Biketreks - Ambleside



We are very grateful to Biketreks for supplying us with some of the sports nutrition for our Lejog ride, here is a little more about what they offer from their base in Ambleside....

Biketreks was established with one simple goal in mind: provide great products, fantastic service, and a refreshing place to pursue all the different facets of cycling.

All of the staff at Biketreks pursue cycling in one way or another, and although we all love the glamour of high-end bikes and the newest gadgetry, we are just as excited to get children on their first bike, get people off of the couch or internet (sorry), and out riding the pavement or trail.

Our reputation for professionalism and expertise comes from the quality of our staff. The sales staff are not compensated with commissions - their only incentive is to make you happy. They are trained to listen to you, the customer, share their knowledge and fit you to the bike that suits your body, your style of riding, and budget.

Our mechanics also play a vital role in the quality of the finished product that you purchase. We believe they are the best in the business. They are year-round, full-time professionals who love bicycles; it shows in the pride they take in assembling and servicing your bike.

If you need any information regarding cycling, we will get you the answer. That’s what we do! Oh, and don’t forget to just stop by and chat! We can make pretty good coffee! We’re here to have fun too!

A big thank you to Biketreks!

http://www.bike-treks.co.uk/