First Tonne Done

As part of my training, I set myself a series of goals. Each getting progressively harder, so that they would give a good indication of my progress.

The first of these was to be able to ride somewhere, camp overnight and then ride back the next day. I've done this a couple of times now and have had no real difficulties with it. I suppose 9 years in the Army has been of some use...lol. The next big one was this weekend, where I set myself the goal of riding to Oxford and back in a single day. This would be my first fully laden 100 mile day...

The prep wasn't the best. I ran into my friend Mel as we were both out on a ride and we went back to hers for a cuppa. A cuppa that turned into several beers and a very late return home. So needless to say, I wasn't feeling at my best when I woke up. I set off at 08.30, which was half an hour later than I'd hoped, but good considering. I hate the first half an hour of any ride, it takes me that long to get onto a rhythm and for all my aches to ease, but I also had a headache and a strained right calf muscle to deal with.

The headache went after a couple of bottles of Lucozade, bought from a garage in Hungerford, but the calf felt like it was. on fire and no amount of position changing was helping, only resting it. Eventually I got to Oxford at just after 1pm, absolutely famished and with only thing in mind... NANDOS. It took me a while (and one lap of the ringroad) to find it, but I parked up Keira, (my bike) and headed in for a spicy hot half chicken, chips, coleslaw, mayonnaise and a bottomless drink. I needed fluids so much that I necked the first drink standing at the ice machine, before getting a second and sitting down applying a cold compress to my calf. The food was as amazing as ever and really set me up for my return journey.

I left Nandos and headed along the road I knew out of town, about a mile or so later, I came back past the Nandos, altogether I'd done about 8 miles more than I needed to...lol. (but now I know for next time). The journey back seemed quicker, I left at about 2.45 and was home by 7pm, even the calf had stopped hurting. So I headed up to the Weyhill Beer festival, with Keira, all stinking and sweaty. By the time I'd got home I had done 128 miles...

It was more than planned, but I felt good and was fine on my ride the next day. So fine in fact, that I plan to do it again in two weeks... NANDOS... nom nom nom

First Post

Hi,

Welcome to my blog.

My name is John Ottaway and the primary function of this blog is to update my family and friends on my progress as I train for and then set off, on a solo bike ride to raise money for Help for Heroes and Naomi House, (a local children's hospice which couldn't run without donations).

I will be riding from my workplace, Stannah Lift Services Ltd, in Hampshire to Daldoss Lifts in Trento, Italy. I will be on my own, no support vehicle, everything I need will be on the bike, including the tent I will be sleeping in each night. I will cover almost 900 miles through England, France, Switzerland and over The Alps into Italy and hopefully have interesting things to report each day as I travel...