Story 29: A first, and last, Ride the Night training cycle with Gemma

It's been a gloriously sunny Easter Weekend in my neck of the woods. My daughter Gemma couldn't have chosen a better weekend for a visit home and we couldn't have had a better weekend for our first (and probably last) cycle together before we take part in the 100km Women V Cancer Ride the Night event at the end of May.

Gemma's, em, a bit behind in her training as she's busy with many other things, but she's as determined as I am to manage the 100km and I have absolutely no doubt that she'll rise to the challenge.

I'm delighted to report that I coped OK with the toe-clips and managed not to fall off (it's early days though...) We all thoroughly enjoyed our 22 mile cycle and our bit of Jam Jar breakfast thrown in for good measure.

The next time Gemma and I cycle alongside each other will probably be on the 31st of May when we head off from Windsor Race Course into the night to ride 100km round London with 2000 other women. It'll be an incredible tour de force against cancer and it'll be brilliant to be part of it with my daughter by my side.

All we need to do now is get more cycling in so that we're fit enough to meet the challenge. Me up here in Scotland and Gemma down south in London.

Geographically apart but determined together.

Story 28: Mulling over another challenge

I'm fair enjoying this cycling-on-the-spot malarky. I mean, it's not the same as getting out and about on the bike but there's a lot to like about sitting on the saddle in my living room - or in my garden - and going nowhere!

'Why not just get on your bike and go for a cycle on the roads or paths?', you might ask. Well, I would definitely rather do that, but I'm not really up for going cycles on my own (I'm ashamed to admit that I still haven't bothered to learn how to change an inner tube...) so - until I get off my ass and learn how to sort a puncture - the turbo trainer's going to be ideal for those occasions when Alex isn't free for a ride, or when the weather's rubbish, or when my hand is still sore from a wee fall and I can't work the brakes properly... (see last post!)

I've not spent more than an hour on the trainer yet, but I'm still mulling over the idea of having a go at cycling 100km on it during Scribbler's Picnic (a music festival in Stirling that raises heaps of money for our local hospice and other cancer charities). One of  my fellow Night Riders did it, sitting outside her local bike shop, last weekend to boost her fundraising - though, she's a much fitter and more experienced cyclist than me - and I just found it so inspiring!

Lots of people, whose advice I value, have told me that I'm nuts to try it.

And that sounds like just about as good a reason to try it as any...

Story 27: Learning the hard way...

Every time I get on my bike I learn something new. The thing I learned today was:

After you've spent a few days cycling on a turbo trainer in your house it is easy to forget, when you're back cycling outside again, that you have to keep the bike moving while you're trying to clip your feet into your cycling shoes. You have to remember that the bike will fall over, taking you with it, if you clip one foot in then lift the other foot off the ground before you've pushed off. You must remember that your bike is not attached to a turbo trainer any more and it is only you pedalling that will keep it upright when both feet are off the ground. If you forget this you will fall over, before you've even left your driveway, and leave yourself with a dented body and a dented pride.

Oops...!

Story 26: Cycling on the spot

I've got this cycling event coming up soon, the 100km Women V Cancer Ride the Night in London, in 54 days time. Since registering for it, at the end of last year, I've been out on my bike, em, four times. I've put loads of effort into raising funds for Women V Cancer (I've even written a little book!) and I've put a lot of effort into trying to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. But, I've only been out on my bike four times. And the longest cycle was 22 miles. Oh dear.

So today I sprang into action! Spurred on by an invitation to perform at an Eve of Festival music concert (reciting rhymes from my wee book between bands..) which preceded the decision to host a stall at said Festival itself (the infamous 'Scribbler's Picnic' - Stirling's answer to T in the Park...) where I'm considering setting up one of these bike stand thingys and pedalling 100km while I pedal my book, I got on my bike and went for a cycle! 

And I didn't move an inch from my lounge floor.

Kenny, my friendly local bike shop owner, has given me a loan of one of these bike stand thingys (I think 'turbo trainer' is its proper name but I didn't feel very turbo-propelled...) so that I have no excuse not to get on my bike and train. He thinks I'm mad for even thinking about trying to cycle the 100km on a bike stand while the Picnic's on. But I'm tempted! 

I'll give it some thought over the next week or so while I'm cycling on the spot (and hopefully getting outside for a whirl too) before deciding whether my butt (never mind my legs and lungs) could manage it.

But, I have to say, there's just something really tempting about the idea of a possible not-so-serious story of a static cyclist's exploits at Scribblers...!