Welcome to my official training blog for the 2013 edition
of the four yearly cycling event which covers 1,400km (about 869 miles) from
London up to Edinburgh and back again.
It may not make for the most interesting of blogs, especially if you’re
not into cycling but hey, I need something to keep me motivated to train constantly
between now and the end of July so here we go, I’ll keep my entries to one a
week and daily updates once en route.
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| (Me last summer when we had daylight last!) |
The Event
Put simply, the LEL is a non-competitive event run every four
years by AUDAX challenging riders to cycle from London to Edinburgh and back
again in five days. The route is 1,400km
or 869 miles (ish) in length and requires riders to stop at a number of controls
along the way to pick up a stamp and bolt down some food and sleep!
The event is not a race but rather a test of personal
endurance, all completing participants are considered equal, regardless of time
so long as the journey is completed in the specified five day limit.
I’m really looking forward to the route, it takes me
through my home county of Lincolnshire going through Market Raisin and across
the Humber Bridge and gets me back to Scotland (The world’s finest little
country?) for a day or two.
Signing Up
One and half years ago I would have never believed that
in 2013 I’d be signing up to a 870 mile cycling endurance event. At that point five years of drinking too much
wine, eating too much and not doing any exercise left me at 200 pounds and after
buying a cheap £100 special from Halford’s totally out of breath after 5
miles. However, a year and a half later
and 2,500 miles of riding which got my weight down to 160 pounds and distances
up to 116 miles I was looking for a challenge.
I found the LEL online in Autumn 2011, signed up for the news letter and
forgot all about it.
On New Year’s Eve I saw my friend Agnes who I have not
seen post a status considering possible New Year’s Resolutions. I knew she liked biking and sent her a link just
for the crack but said I was considering it (which I was). Got a "like" but
thought not more about it.
Jan 5th entries open – I’d been agonising for
days whether to invest the £219 in signing up for the event or not, I was sure
that tickets would sell out pretty quick so was keeping an eye on the event. Sales opened at 22:00, at 21:00 I got a
message on Facebook, from my friend who I had not seen in the four years plus change
since my wedding, are you entering? Well
having suggested the event, how could I not, credit card details went in at
22:00 exactly and I got a place. All 900
spaces for the event were sold out in less than 12 hours so thank I’m thankful
for the chance to take part this event, not sure I could be bothered to wait another
four years for the chance.
Week One Training
and Equipment
OK here we are in stats and equipment:
Bike – I’m taking my Raleigh Airlite 100 – It’s an entry
level road bike with a modest list price, not the greatest machine but it’s
done me 2,500 miles so far so I’m sure it can do the LEL.
Cloths – Sticking with my Canadian LG and Italian
Castellie kit, loving the new very red carbon riding shoes (Early birthday present
thanks Amy).
- Total Miles for the Week: 167m
- Longest Ride: 44.15m – Bedford to Milton Keynes and back
- Hardest Section: Lidlington Hill (category 5)
- Food of the Week: Quiona and Hazelnut bake with roasted tomato sauce
- Drink of the Week: “Sputnik” old communist cocktail with rum, brandy and orange juice J
All in all happy with my first weeks training, although
slightly disconcerting to see that the 167 miles clocked up over a week will
not even be worth one day’s worth of cycling in the event! I’m hoping to get my first single 100 mile
ride of the season in next week.
great! :D
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