London to Paris routes

Here are Days 2, 3 and 4 from my GPS app. Annoyingly I failed to get Day 1 for various reasons:

London to Cambridge

In the last month I've been building up my fitness by going to spin classes. Then on Sunday, Will and I set off from London and rode over 60 miles to Cambridge. It was my first long ride and it was easy until the hills and rain spoilt the fun. We stayed overnight in a hostel and cycled back yesterday, managing to beat our time convincingly.

Here is most of our trip on the way there. Annoyingly my phone battery died before the end, which is why there's a straight line for the last section and why it's only showing 58.6 miles...

First proper ride

I finally started my cycling training!


It wasn't really far but it's a start. As you can see from the map below, we cycled from Brighton out to Shoreham and back. It was a lovely sunny day and my new bike was great to ride. I do have a bit of a sore bum, but we won't talk about that.

New Bike!

After doing some research, testing different models and shopping around, I finally settled on the Specialized Secteur road bike. It wasn't cheap but it will hopefully be worth it over the next few months. The Cycle2work scheme helped though!

I picked it up earlier this week and tomorrow I will be attempting my first proper bike ride. I can't wait! Fingers crossed I don't fall off...

New Shoes!

Here are my new shiny running shoes, which I got on Christmas Day! :D
I'll be going on my first run this weekend.

Run!

As part of my training, I've decided to ditch the gym and start running. Obviously my main training will be cycling, but I thought I'd mix it up a bit. Plus, I still don't have a bike :)


I've heard that good running shoes are vital and I want to make sure I do this well. So yesterday I went to a shop called 'Run' in Hove, which had been recommended by a friend, where they film you running to analyse what type of running shoe you need.


In jeans and a hoodie, wearing special lightweight shoes, I ran up the high street whilst being filmed. As I expected, my feet pronate (rotate) as I run, so I need running shoes that make up for it.


I tried on 3 different pairs of shoes, each time running around the (surprisingly large) block. I was stuck between 2 of the pairs, so I ran around the block a 4th time wearing one of each. I ended up going with the Nikes, which just felt the most comfortable.


My parents are getting me them for Christmas, so I will post a photo when I get them. Now I've got to decide on a running app for my iPhone!

London to Paris!

Let's start at the very beginning. My good friend Will asked if anyone was interested in cycling 300 miles from London to Paris for Amnesty International, a charity he has been involved with lots. I immediately expressed interest as it ticked a lot of boxes in one go:

• I've been wanting to do something more for charity. In fact, Will and I have been talking about other ideas for a year or more.
• I have major wanderlust.
• I want to get fitter. There's only so far I can get by playing football twice a week and occasionally going to the gym... I need a goal! (Yes, I know that playing football gives me a goal too)

I was a definite yes before I had even found out the details of the trip. Everything seemed perfect, except the large amount of money (£1400) I have to raise in only a few months (and the slight problem that I don't actually own a bike). Convinced I could at least get close to that amount, I paid the deposit and sent off the forms.

This is where the hard work starts. On this blog I will be charting my attempts at fundraising and getting fitter.

If you feel like donating already, I've made it extra-easy for you to give money. Either go to my JustGiving page or just text "WARD66 £5" (or any other amount) to 70070. Amnesty International is a really great cause, they help protect human rights around the world where basic rights, which we take for granted, aren't available to all. Click here to see some of the amazing work they do.