I was chuffed to bits when I received an email from Helen, one of my fellow Cycle Africa participants, asking for my permission to write a blog post about my appearance at the information day last weekend. I was even more chuffed when I read what she'd written! And, I love that she owns a company called 'Cheeky Wipes'! What a brilliant idea - wish they'd been around when my kids were little!
Click here if you'd like to read what Helen had to say about me and my poem - or if you'd simply like to find out more about her fantastic Cheeky Wipes ('guaranteed to make a bum job better!).
Monday 26 January 2015
Monday 19 January 2015
A weekend of wonderful women
I'm knackered tonight after spending the weekend down in London with a bunch of wonderful, inspiring women.
Lastly, there was my daughter Gemma. What a joy it was to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon with her and be reminded how settled she is in London. We didn't stop blethering - over lunch, during our lovely stroll around Greenwich Park, and over coffee and cake - till it was time for me to head to the airport and home. Gemma makes me so very proud with her attitude to life. Ever since she was a little girl she's loved learning, looking for new opportunities, stretching herself, making the best of things, throwing herself into everything she does with passion, taking responsibility for rejections or 'mistakes' and using those experiences to move forward with renewed vigour and determination - basically, always being up for feeling the fear and doing it anyway! You know, I consider it an important part of a parent's job to inspire and motivate their children, and I've always felt a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure when I've been able to do that for any of my kids. But, that sense of satisfaction and pleasure is nothing compared to the feeling I get when one of my, now adult, children inspires and motivates me. And Gemma did that by the bucket load during our Sunday stroll.
First, there was the pair that I hooked up with on Friday night. I 'met' Zoe and Shara during the build up to the Ride the Night cycle last year. We 'met' on a Facebook group for the event and, before Friday, I'd only ever met them in person once (very briefly at Windsor Racecourse before the Ride started). However, anyone passing us by as we whooped and hugged in the middle of City Airport's arrivals lounge would've thought that we were long lost close and crazy old friends! We hit it off just as much in real life as we had done online; we had a blast, from the minute we met at the airport till the minute Shara dropped me off at my daughter's flat on Sunday. Social media gets a lot of bad press (much of it well deserved), but it does have its plus points - and we three are proof in the pudding that real - and special - friendships can indeed form on Facebook!
Next, there was the two hundred fellow women cyclists and speakers at Saturday's Cycle Africa Information Day. Even though I signed up for the Women V Cancer challenge to cycle across Tanzania months ago, I think it only hit me on Saturday just how 'big' an event this is going to be in my life.
Inspirational speeches from representatives of the charities that we're supporting; inspirational presentations from women who've been helped by the charities which reinforced my determination to keep on raising awareness and funds for Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Care; inspirational and informative presentations from the organisers and Tour Manager (they even managed to convince me that camping will be fun...); inspirational and motivational talks from women who've participated in previous Action for Charity cycling events... I was, you'll have gathered, well and truly inspired! I was asked to read out a poem from my wee book and, even though I've read it many times at other events, it was such an emotional moment for me.
It was a special day, and I'm guessing that I'll always think of it as the start proper of my
Cycle Tanzania journey.
Inspirational speeches from representatives of the charities that we're supporting; inspirational presentations from women who've been helped by the charities which reinforced my determination to keep on raising awareness and funds for Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Care; inspirational and informative presentations from the organisers and Tour Manager (they even managed to convince me that camping will be fun...); inspirational and motivational talks from women who've participated in previous Action for Charity cycling events... I was, you'll have gathered, well and truly inspired! I was asked to read out a poem from my wee book and, even though I've read it many times at other events, it was such an emotional moment for me.
It was a special day, and I'm guessing that I'll always think of it as the start proper of my
Cycle Tanzania journey.
 |
| Yours truly trying to inspire... |
 |
| I'm almost starting to believe this might just be so... |
Lastly, there was my daughter Gemma. What a joy it was to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon with her and be reminded how settled she is in London. We didn't stop blethering - over lunch, during our lovely stroll around Greenwich Park, and over coffee and cake - till it was time for me to head to the airport and home. Gemma makes me so very proud with her attitude to life. Ever since she was a little girl she's loved learning, looking for new opportunities, stretching herself, making the best of things, throwing herself into everything she does with passion, taking responsibility for rejections or 'mistakes' and using those experiences to move forward with renewed vigour and determination - basically, always being up for feeling the fear and doing it anyway! You know, I consider it an important part of a parent's job to inspire and motivate their children, and I've always felt a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure when I've been able to do that for any of my kids. But, that sense of satisfaction and pleasure is nothing compared to the feeling I get when one of my, now adult, children inspires and motivates me. And Gemma did that by the bucket load during our Sunday stroll.
 |
| The young and the old in Greenwich Park, beautiful together... |
So, I headed off to the airport feeling very tired, but very grateful for all of the fantastic and inspiring women in my life - not just down in London, but also at home, and beyond. And, with a very strong feeling that the ten month journey to Tanzania - and the trip itself - is going to be about so much more than just the cycling.
I guess, then, that there might be a fair few more Stories from the Saddle to come that aren't actually from the saddle! Hopefully though, you'll still tag along - and enjoy the ride...!
p.s. I should mention that two of the wonderful speakers at the information day were men, with one of them being the son of Jo Maxwell - the woman who inspired her family to set up Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust...
Tuesday 13 January 2015
A seasonal cycle with my son
2015 feels like a big year for me. Among other things, I'm hitting 50 in May and I'm cycling in Tanzania in October. I don't know whether it's just the marching on of time, or the pedalling on towards my big cycling trip, but somehow it feels important to get back into the habit of recording things more regularly on my wee blogs. So I'd better make a start...
The last time I was outside on my bike was Christmas Day when I fair enjoyed a little cycle through some muddy puddles, and up and down some wee hills, with my son. He's 21 now and the last time we were out cycling together was a fair few years ago:
We'd gone for a family cycle, along the route from Callander to Strathyre. I had gone along pretty reluctantly, as I didn't really cycle at all then, but I wanted to do that 'family thing'; be out, be active, pass other families along the way, wave and smile, be all happy, and jolly, exude an image of 'we're the sort of family that does stuff on a Sunday together and we don't ever fall out and we're all such good friends all the time...'
But, the day didn't quite pan out like that. Anyone who knows the area will know that there are a few tricky inclines on the route. They're not very long, but they're gravelly and they're steep and they're bendy and they're hard - especially if you're someone who never cycles. Like I was then.
On a particularly bendy hill, I met my match. I really wanted to cycle the whole way up. I started off determined. But, I just couldn't do it. I got stuck half way, and I wouldn't let anyone help me. Alex would have gladly given me a wee push. But, stubborness set in. Whose bloody idea had it been for me to join in with Family Fit for a long cycle that included hills?? I'm bloody going to manage this if it kills me! Oh, I huffed and puffed and moaned and groaned while Alex and the kids sat on their bikes at the top doing their, em, best to gee me on: 'You're doing great Mum' 'Keep going, you're doing really well' 'Why don't you just get off and walk up?' 'You're probably in the wrong gear?' 'It's not that hard, go back to the start and take a runny at it' 'Hurry up Mum, I'm starving...'
Eventually I gave up, got off and walked. Even that was a struggle! I was absolutely bloody knackered - and I was well huffed up. For the rest of the afternoon, every time we passed another family my smile and hello were given through somewhat gritted teeth.
I guess it's not always the kids that spoil a family day out...
So, I can't tell you how happy it made me to go for a lovely walk with my daughter and my mum, then to pedal speedily (OK, slowly) up the hills alongside (OK, a wee bit behind) my son on Christmas Day. It was just lovely to hear him shout 'Come on Mum, you're doing really well, you're nearly there!' and not want to spit teeth at him.
I came home caked in mud, with freezing cold feet (you know yon way; you get in the shower and it's like the shower head's firing needles at your toes) and way behind with the Christmas Dinner preparations (we ate at 7.30pm...) but it was so worth it. I'd had a blast!
And, I didn't have to grit my teeth when I was saying hello and smiling at any passers by. This time, I really did mean it.
The last time I was outside on my bike was Christmas Day when I fair enjoyed a little cycle through some muddy puddles, and up and down some wee hills, with my son. He's 21 now and the last time we were out cycling together was a fair few years ago:
We'd gone for a family cycle, along the route from Callander to Strathyre. I had gone along pretty reluctantly, as I didn't really cycle at all then, but I wanted to do that 'family thing'; be out, be active, pass other families along the way, wave and smile, be all happy, and jolly, exude an image of 'we're the sort of family that does stuff on a Sunday together and we don't ever fall out and we're all such good friends all the time...'
But, the day didn't quite pan out like that. Anyone who knows the area will know that there are a few tricky inclines on the route. They're not very long, but they're gravelly and they're steep and they're bendy and they're hard - especially if you're someone who never cycles. Like I was then.
On a particularly bendy hill, I met my match. I really wanted to cycle the whole way up. I started off determined. But, I just couldn't do it. I got stuck half way, and I wouldn't let anyone help me. Alex would have gladly given me a wee push. But, stubborness set in. Whose bloody idea had it been for me to join in with Family Fit for a long cycle that included hills?? I'm bloody going to manage this if it kills me! Oh, I huffed and puffed and moaned and groaned while Alex and the kids sat on their bikes at the top doing their, em, best to gee me on: 'You're doing great Mum' 'Keep going, you're doing really well' 'Why don't you just get off and walk up?' 'You're probably in the wrong gear?' 'It's not that hard, go back to the start and take a runny at it' 'Hurry up Mum, I'm starving...'
Eventually I gave up, got off and walked. Even that was a struggle! I was absolutely bloody knackered - and I was well huffed up. For the rest of the afternoon, every time we passed another family my smile and hello were given through somewhat gritted teeth.
I guess it's not always the kids that spoil a family day out...
So, I can't tell you how happy it made me to go for a lovely walk with my daughter and my mum, then to pedal speedily (OK, slowly) up the hills alongside (OK, a wee bit behind) my son on Christmas Day. It was just lovely to hear him shout 'Come on Mum, you're doing really well, you're nearly there!' and not want to spit teeth at him.
I came home caked in mud, with freezing cold feet (you know yon way; you get in the shower and it's like the shower head's firing needles at your toes) and way behind with the Christmas Dinner preparations (we ate at 7.30pm...) but it was so worth it. I'd had a blast!
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