its downhill to stonehenge!

I am currently training for my 1st ever 3 day challenge, 195 miles from llantsillio to Stonehenge on September 13-15th. Bearing in mind that my 1st and only other challenge was Nightrider, there's nothing like setting yourself a mammoth challenge!

http://expeditionwise.com/images/stories/pdfs/Stonehenge%20Cycle%20Challenge%20Itinerary.pdf

The challenge is raising funds for Stonehenge's redevelopment, basically they are returning it to nature, moving a road and the visitors centre, when we finish the ride we actually get to go in to the circle! there will be some awesome pictures! (I've never been to Stonehenge!)

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/our-plans/

it's worth a look at what they are doing!

This all started the week after Nightrider, when i got an email from an old manager who now works for HASSRA- the civil service sports and social club (yep, I'm a civil servant! don't tell everybody) had i seen this challenge on the Internet...... I hadn't and had missed the closing date to register your interest, darn it! (the plan was people registered their interest then 1 person from each of the 12 regions would be pulled from a hat to take part). I emailed the lady running it, with a desperate "am i too late?" email. lovely reply back nope, give me your details, can you ride a 12mph average speed, can you commit to training, can you commit to raising £180. OK you are in the mix.

Yay

Only i never really expected to get chosen, things like that just don't happen to me. So when i got the call on the Monday morning to say congratulations you're in, my initial response was WOW thanks, followed quickly by, oh s**t what have i done!!!!

bear in mind at this stage i was still riding the beast, the most i had ridden was the 62 miles on night rider and it had almost broken me.  i also have never done anything quite so out of my comfort zone, i am doing this with 11 people i don't know (well actually 35 people in total but 11 other HASSRA riders) away from home for 4 days, in hotels and strange environments. (oh god here comes the slight panic again)

the girl running the event emailed us all in a group email, so we started chatting, i suggested setting up a facebook group- the stonehenge cycle crew was born. and thank god it was! i feel like i know this bunch of mad men and women like old friends now, there are 4 women (including me) a mix of abilities, personalities and experience. we have been having nightly chats online, not always bike related, often beer related. they have decided i am Mrs bump and a 10 metre exclusion zone is to be maintained around me at all times! but now i feel like I'm going to be cycling with mates so that stress has gone, it is their fault i now have cleats.

its now 3 weeks till the challenge (this time in 3 weeks we will be on day 2, the easiest day), since June i have change my bike to my beautiful Trek (I'm still in love with her) been persuaded to try cleats, learnt how not to fall off with cleats, begun to conquer my fear of steep things (speed humps were terrifying) and my mileage is now more or less where it should be (in fact the thought of night rider is now an "easy" ride!) i just need to get my fuel sorted and attempt more than 2 days in the saddle.

So how do i approach the last 3 weeks of training... (apparently hiding in my bedroom pretending it isn't happening isn't an option, bugger it)  well i had planned on 3 days riding this weekend seeing as its bank holiday and i am childless (thanks to my sister, mum and gran) but its hoofing it down today so it may be a turbo session today (i hate the turbo with a passion, its a great tool to train when the weather is manky but dear god its boring! the reason i love cycling is the scenery, the sights, the things you miss in a car. i find being on the turbo brain draining lol) and then rides tomorrow and Monday. i am not planning on attempting the full 195 miles, i think the combination of adrenaline, the group banter/support and the general atmosphere will be enough to ensure i complete it.

food is an issue. i am not a skinny girl, and my eating habits would make a pro rider turn tail and run, i know however that i need to think about food in my run up to the challenge. part of what made Nightrider so difficult at the end is that i simply ran out of juice, i hadn't fuelled properly before (i had a pot of oats so simple made with luke warm water) and i didn't fuel as i was going along. so 10 miles before the end i simply hit the wall. I hate gels-slimy and energy bars-too dense, its like eating clay, i make a mean flapjack but its time consuming. apparenly jelly babies are good, i just felt sick after eating them (perhaps im not supposed to eat the whole bag?) I also don't drink enough, i take it with me but, as I've not yet mastered the "drink and ride" technique  i often come home with drink left. My plan is to actually do some research (this is usually left to Andy to do) i know that porridge is a good starting point for me, but i need to look in to what i should be eating the week before..... hmmm does anybody know Chris Froomes number? I'm sure he could give me some tips.... (what do you mean that's called stalking????)

All in all i feel ready for the challenge, i am looking forward to it and, i plan to blog each evening so i can bore/entertain you with my antics- unless its completely uneventful in which case i probably wont bother! i just hope i am as prepared as i think and, that it doesn't break me!

just in case you feel flush here is my link! although I've raised the target amount i would like to raise more, not least because there are prizes for most sponsorship at stake!

www.virginmoneygiving.com/zoeyates1

Oh and down hill to stonehenge? well its down on the map! and, i'm keeping to the mantra its going to be a flat ride, after all everybody know wales is flat!!!!