Training again.

I am not convinced that this is the right garb for a serious cyclist, but when in Egypt.....?



This was Egyptian night on our Nile cruise with Paul and Ann, and we made sure we got in the swing of things-could have done with some Madness though (Doesn't seem to care, no more wind in his hair as he reaches the last half mile!)

So, apart from the Dehli belly, which has also now afflicted the Commonwealth Games, a fantastic trip all round-one worth doing again-probably the Lake Nasser one next. Now time to get back in training, and this week has seen two weights sessions and 250 miles on the road so far. I have signed up for Sebring again next year in Feb, and of course will be doing RAW again in June. I still hope to have a crack at RAAM in 2012, but a lot will depend on exactly how much training I can get in over the next 21 months.



Six weeks on from the third operation this year, I am well on the mend. I am now sporting two metal plates, 19 screws and three excellent scars. Fortunately my left leg is healing well. Some people argue that cycling these distances is lunacy and accidents are bound to happen. I have read through all the US studies on this and the fact is that the physical benefits of cycling far outweigh the potential risks. Either way, I take all the precautions possible and hope that I make it to a decent age. Don't forget, life is dangerous. In the West, we take our comfort and safety somewhat for granted, but after a trip to Luxor, you can soon see how different the lives of the Africans are.



In any event, my thoughts go out to the friends and family of Jure Robic, who pushed maybe just a tad too hard on a mountain bike training run, and was tragically killed, far too young. But if you'd interviewed him and asked would he have changed his lifestyle, I very much doubt it would have stopped him. In the billions of years that surround our proportionately tiny existence, it is surely better to have lived life to the full, rather than drift through it, potential unfulfilled. Life itself is not an endurance event-it is a voyage of discovery of our own limitations.



This picture of Jure was taken by my brother Mark, last year. I'd say he lived a happy life, so job done. RIP Jure, and as my friend Big Jay would say-'keep on gettin it!'

So, onwards to Sebring, then RAW, then the RTTC 24 hours where I hope to give a better account of myself in 2011.


Onwards and upwards everyone!

I'll update this again when I have something worth saying. Bye for now. Tim

Two steps forward, staggering back....

Not all things go according to plan, and sometimes it feels if things really do come along in threes-I'll explain:

See the broken collar bone on my left? Well it took until two weeks ago to get that signed off as ok to start sport again. 14 weeks of slow recovery, and only two weeks after getting the pins removed from my left elbow.

Well, the staples were taken out on the Thursday and I went straight out on the bike, two weeks ago yesterday (staples don't look as good as stitches do they, but surgeons cannot sew anymore by the looks of it).

Training went well for a whole 6 days, then on a minor training ride a few metres from where the dog took me out in January, a truck pulled out of a beach access without looking left and I hit him hard. Broke my left collar bone again, and did a rib plus smashed in my cycle helmet. Hours of fun!

So, what is next? All I can do is rest up, make the best of a bad job and try and stay out of harms way for at least a quarter or two. I am still crewing for Paul Carpenter on the 6th of June, so let's see how that goes then assess in July. I have promised to do the Loch Ness Monster Duathlon in September with JJ, Alexander and Giulian so that is the next target. Glutton for punishment, or merely losing too many brain cells cumulatively to be sensible enough to know when to give in! Target is still RAW 2011 and RAAM 2012.

What was the third thing? Never try this at home-I did and it hurts:

Take a piece of Stilton Cheese which is sticky enough to stick on the new special cheese knife that appeared in our cutlery draw. Make some sandwiches. See stick yStilton on knife and decide to lick crumbs off. Realise to late that knife is scalpel sharp and an amazing gash appears in cheek. Blood pours out and won't stop and it is in one's mouth so no plaster effective. I won't say how I stopped the bleeding but Rambo did it and it works!

Back to the drawing board.....and check out the new paint job on the GTR:-

RAAM and RAW logo either side.

I'll update the blog after the RAAM in June. Everyone can follow the RAAM website for an update.

ATB all.

Tim

Sponsor our crew for 2010!!

Right guys and gals..

Since I have now thrown myself in the deep end to crew for Paul Carpenter (a Brit!) in the Race Across America (RAAM) for June, I feel it is incumbent on me to start raising cash towards the trip for Paul's monstrous endeavour!

If any of you are approaching 50 years young and feel that your sporting life is nearing a close, look closely at the world of Ultracyclists, of which Paul is a leading exponent and participant. His achievements to date are testament to what can be done if you put your mind to it, and what he intends to do in the RAAM. The race is expensive, and these Ultracyclists do what they can to raise the cash to race. Whilst I will be funding my own trip, anything that can be donated towards Paul's mission will help. In the meantime, I will do my very best to raise sponsorship for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which I meant to do before my accident in January.

Paul's website is www.ultraracer.net where you can read about his challenge. I urge you to have a look at what it takes to do this, and assist in anyway you can-even if it is just buying a T-Shirt.

My aim is to follow in Paul's footsteps and do RAW again next year and the RAAM in 2012. For those of you who do not know much of this event, Sir Steve Redgrave Has a team in this years RAAM, so it will be worth following on the internet just for that.

You can also read about what Lance Armstrong is all about on www.livestrong.org and I will be posting a justgiving site for this when I enter for the 24 hour race on Merseyside to qualify for RAAM in July, fitness willing.

I cannot emphasise enough about how much help you have all been over the years to the charities that I have chosen to race for, and I thank you all heartily for the donations when times are not always easy.

Best wishes to you all.

Tim

Back in training-staples out

So, the staples are out and the plaster is off. The wire and other bits of metal holding my deformed elbow together are staying put. Despite the grim features though, I am back in training having done two days on the spinning bike and elevated 12% treadmill-140 minutes so far and back to being a hamster!

Looks like we have a new team member-I'm just confirming with him, but I have discovered (Dave - you were right), that we need a smaller car as the follow vehicle, so I needed another driver-job sorted.

Next up, I would like to sponsor the Lance Armstrong foundation this year, so assistance on sorting this would be helpful.

Finally-thanks for following and putting up with the tales of woe, and keep the ski slopes clear in March!

Cheers

Tim

January 2010 update

Right then, what a start to the ultra-cycling year! Full on heavy training after a superb Christmas with far too much alcohol and food but hey.....has to be done!

Then it all went pear shaped on the 15th - 15 years to the day since I last broke my arm, I ran into a dog 3 miles from home, at 25 mph on my best bike, and broke-wait for it-my collar bone, 4 ribs (the worst one in my back), shattered my elbow (operation) and got a 1.5 litre haematoma in my left thigh-great!

Anyway-two weeks later and recovery has started well. No training yet as they only drained my leg yesterday, but plaster off, stitches out and leg re-drained next Thursday, and then it will be a slow start on the indoor turbo.

Needless to say the Sebring 24 hour is off though we are still going on the 10th Feb to suck up the experience and help out. Check out http://www.bikesebring.org/

So, this year it's unfinished business, so back to RAW, but with an altered crew to give others experience ready for RAAM 2012. The new members are my wife Irene-who is a sucker for punishment....and Patrick Finnegan my old workmate, though he's not that old ish.

Irene is on the left and I am just sorting out Patrick's now.

Here we go! Patrick at the Christmas party-debonair as always....

Pete Jamshedi is back for more and Mark Turner is this year's crew chief.

You can check out the race at the websites below although RAW has it's own this year.

The charity this year is Lance Armstrong's Foundation, so i'll set up a site for that shortly.

Thanks for following and let's see how we get on!

cheers and all that,

Tim