iPod Playlist help!!!

Curse the fog!! No cycling today and my photoshoot is down the pan too - come on Spring!!

In the meantime, we've hit ONE THOUSAND POUNDS!! Thank you so much to all who have given, thought about giving and spread the word. Big donation from Whitlock & Heaps Estate Agents in Hove - THANK YOU!

Unfortuntaely though, I'm getting bored of my iPod playlist, PLEASE can I have some suggestions?! either comment or tweet @brightlawyer - I'd love to hear your thoughts, good or stupid. Prizes for the most ridiculous and best for going over Devil's Dyke...

R

No turning back....

It's officially happening. Upon returning home yesterday I was pleased to take delivery of my official welcome pack from Death Valley containing all manner of handy hints, but rather more disconcerting was the covering letter which announced that it was enclosing further details and further information on India!!!!   Hmmmm, not sure what that's all about.  Nevertheless, whether I end up cycling Death Valley or Mumbai-Kerala (??!!) I am getting more and more excited each day, and there's over 7 months to go! I think I need to calm down a bit otherwise I'll be in no fit state for anything by November.


I should our continued express thanks for the continued support and sponsorship. I know I keep saying it, and beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'm really blown away at the level of support that we've received so far. Thank you to all who have sponsored us so far! It's really fantastic, and spurring Rich and I on to continue the fundraising efforts with even more vigour. We have loads of ideas for events over the spring and summer so watch this space....


I have been chatting to quite a few people who have been to Death Valley, and who have started to worry me a little. Their opening line seems to be "Have you ever been to Death Valley before? Do you realise how hot it is?"   to which my reply is a bit of a confused stare.  I probably look half confused, half worried, but still thinking to myself  'I'm sure it can't be that bad?'   Please.....if anyone has actually been there, it would be nice to hear from you with your own experiences.


So....the training continues, but not before I've been to the Garden Centre. Thinking of getting some cacti to get me in the mood!  


M

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Wow what a beautiful morning!! Fantastic cycle in today, although I have to be honest, there's not much in the tank. I cycled in Mon, Wed and Fri last week, over the dyke on each trip and, as a result, my legs are feeling quite tired. No cycling in on monday due to heavy fog and I'm not so mad to try to kill myself - death by Transit etc. However, I was quite pleased at the postponement as I wasn't sure how my legs would fare anyway. I think maybe I need to be consuming more calories - any suggestions?!

The best news however is that my new long sleeve Compression Top arrived from South Korea yesterday and it looks AWESOME! One might even be fooled into thinking I had muscles!

Things are going great guns on the fundraising front. We are nearly at £800 on Justgiving and, as we've been pledged a further £250, we're basically up to £1,000!!!! we are soo pleased and thank you so much to all who have given so generously. www.justgiving.com/deadmen-cycling

We've made some lovely new friends too at Nick Rivett Sport on Church Road in Hove @nickrivettsport who have been really supportive and enthusiastic and also allowed us to display flyers, posters etc. The same goes for Agua Vida on Church Road (my stylists!) @aguavidasalon and the lovely girls at Bagelman.

The marketing machine is about to hit the local estate agents at full force - they aren't going to know what's hit them... However, we're hopeful that some might be moved to support us, particularly as the Starr Trust was one of the Brighton & Hove Estate Agents Association President's charities of choice (god that's a mouthful).

Hmmm what else...? Ooooh photoshoot due on Monday, subject to weather, Thanks to the lovely people at Brighton Library for displaying posters/flyers etc and thank you too to Sarah Outen for encouraging words! Her trip is extreme! She says:

‘My journey is all about human power – to make a complete loop of our planet using only a rowing boat, a bike and a kayak. It is simple in theory, but in practice it will be monumentally challenging. The distance, the logistics, the unknowns, extreme climates – it will be huge in all respects. But it will also be an incredible experience with lots of stories, which my team and I plan to share with people all over the world.’

Check it out www.sarahouten.co.uk

That's all for now - need to do some work...!

R

Red Nose Day

cool, misty, miserable... and yet I had the best ride yet today.

I am now into my routine of cycling from Henfield to Hove (over the Dyke, each way) three times a week. My legs were feeling quiet tired this morning though so I started my ride with a bit of trepidation. I needn't have worried though - although my legs are tired, my fitness is up massively, as is my stamina. The last long steep hill on Saddlescombe Road didn't feel as hard as it did last time. however, that may have a lot to do with such an excellent response Michael and I have had during the last week.

We have started an email campaign which has led to this blog being viewed loads of times and, within the last five days we've raised over £500!!! Special mention to Pembroke Financial Services! See for yourself at www.justgiving.com/deadmen-cycling!

**BREAKING NEWS** Our flyers, posters and cards have arrived from the printers - soooo pleased with them! Hope you are too! well done Michael for getting that sorted!

Also, thank you John Warner of Friend James for another generous donation which has just arrived!

Rich

Thank you

A massive thank you to those who have sponsored us today.  Rich and I launched our advertising/promotional effort this morning, and I am pretty well blown away by the initial response, and the number of people that logged on to the blog, and the JustGiving site after our email this morning.

Please keep checking back here as we post further details of how we're getting on with the training and the fundraising.

Thank you again.

Michael

Monday 14 March 2011

I'm feeling full of beans this morning.

I was a little late getting up and consequently was in two minds whether I had time to cycle in this morning. I was also slightly put off with all the ice on the car windows outside as I'm yet to buy tights/baselayer pants or a long sleeve top (more about that below). Actually I do have a long sleeve top, but its currently in Singapore, courtesy of eBay...

Nevertheless, as it was a lovely looking morning, I decided to cycle in as part of my plan to cycle in Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (which has nothing to do with the amount of fuel I'm putting into my truck, I promise).

What a good decision it was! I took it slightly quicker this time as I'm feeling a bit more confident about my stamina levels. I made really good time coming out of Henfield (I don't time my rides, per se - I go by the number of tracks I get through on my ipod). However, I can't help getting a little bit down when I take the sharp bend at Shaves Thatch (where the Ginger Fox is) and I can see an incline all the way to the base of the Downs. It's almost imperceptible in a car, but it's there I promise, and although pretty easy, I feel like my energy is being drained just before the mammoth hill section... The other depressing bit is when I can see the road snaking up the Downs and I know I have it all ahead of me.

Good news though - I didn't stop once on my trip in this morning and I'm starting to understand my gears a bit better. I've also discovered that, when I need to stand on my pedals, I need to take it really slow to avoid being sapped of energy.

All good today though, even though by Waterhall Golf Club I was going so slowly a snail would have overtaken me. Just the Dyke Roundabout to navigate after that, which always raises my adrenaline levels, then a super speedy rocket into Hove - fantastic!

Oh, plus Michael and I start our marketing campaign shortly and I've had some exciting news about who is taking an interest in our challenge - more on that later.

Finally, in Blacks I found the most awesome looking compression baselayers from SKINS - want some - I'll look like Batman...

Rich

Yesterday's cycle in!

yesterday's ride was great - it all felt good, my new lycra is awesome and way more comfortable than the old shorts (see previous post) and, apart from the little bit of rain in the air, I was well up for a ride in to work and back.

I took it pretty easy on my way out of henfield as I have decided not to worry about how long it takes me to get into work at the moment. Im more concerned at building up my fitness and stamina - ie i didn't want to stop for as long as i did last time i went over the dyke.

so the great news is that apart from a really quick stop to take my jacket off (too hot, despite the rain) I made it all the way in without having a breather. If you know the hill i mean - saddlescombe road - I hope you're marginally impressed as it's a bitch to say the least. 

Very proud of myself. also, made it in in 45 minutes and didn't crash!.

On the way home I decided to go to small dole via shoreham. this is because my legs were a teeny bit tired, but, more to the point, Im a little nervous at going over the dyke in the dark. I felt really comfortable all the way home and, apart from nearly being knocked down by a transit van pulling out almost into me, all passed off without incident. home in 50 minutes, despite the headwind.

need a new rear light - mine eats batteries and could do with some reflective stuff to even the odds up just a teeny bit.

I have been told off for not cleaning my bike though, which like my truck, is filthy.

god i slept well last night.....

R

Fact!

The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley (Furnace Creek) was 134 °F (57 °C) on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek. During the heat wave that peaked with that record, five consecutive days reached 129 °F (54 °C) or above. The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001. The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120 °F (49 °C), and 105 days over 110 °F (43 °C). 


Bring it on!!! 

sartorial cycling

...my new bib shorts arrived yesterday - very pleased with them! Black muddyfox shorts with silver writing and reflective panels! It turns out they are much more comfortable than my previous ones. Although I'd love to say that the burst seams were due to my bulging muscles and glorious physique, ....i just bough the wrong size.... ah well.

Things are moving on a pace here. I have finally got Michael sorted on twitter and linked him to the blog, facebook and LinkedIn. Hove Rugby Club has very generously said that it will promote our fundraising to it's members and contacts and I have made contact with a Starr Trust Club21 member who may be able to assist in making me look (even more) beautiful in a photographic state... hopefully more on that in due course - ie pics.

Michael has started to look for corporate sponsors and we are very exercised about a new 'strip' for the challenge (by which I mean cycling jersey, not a striptease routine). Hopefully we can sort out something soon on that.

update on training tomorrow when i cycle over the dyke again....

R

...and CRASH!

Training has started! I've been a good boy and started to ride my bike to work - a round trip from Small Dole to Hove and back. Over the dyke on the way in and back via Shoreham on the trip home. More about how i got on later, but, for now, check out my wound!!

Pesky car nearly side swiped me, my wheel got caught in a crack in the road and my left pedal scraped the kerb...which sent me flying.... my slide along the kerb edge has given me a great bruise though - I'm delighted with it!

Prizes if you guess what colour it goes next...

R

Day 1

Day 1 of Paris-Nice today. 'Chapeau' to Thomas De Gendt, finishing in 4h, 05m, 06s. Well done to him for keeping the 3-man breakaway distanced from the peloton. Hopefully Rich and I will be able to get a good break going on Day 1 of the Tour of Death Valley, and with any luck we will finish our day 1 a lot quicker.   Note to self: Need to set the pace at an early stage.

M

Blog virgin no more....

...it's been a busy afternoon trying to grapple with Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, but at long last i think I may have set up what I need to and linked them all so one post will pretty much cover all bases... This very much appeals to my lazy gene.

My next task is to get some better photos - Michael and I are in high level negotiations regarding our image rights and I hope to have a photographer in place shortly. There's apparently quite a demand for us all suited up in our cycling lycra..... If you can spread the word for us so we get at least 200 page views we'll gladly oblige. (Note to our respective stalkers: we can tell if it's one person repeatedly pressing 'refresh').

In true preparation-for-killer-event style, .....I'm driving home for a curry and 12 beers.

Rich

Welcome to our blog

Exciting times ahead! Please keep checking back to this page for our updates as we try and get ourselves in some sort of shape for the adventure that lies ahead. Something tells me that cycling across the Mojave desert is going to be somewhat different from Brighton seafront, unless someone throws a couple of rattlesnakes and scorpions in my path.

Will keep you posted!

Michael