How many calories?

I really like my new bike computer as it tells me how many calories I am using. Biking around Cornwall I’m using around 500 calories for every 10 miles, so on the JOGLE I’ll be using over 50,000 calories for the ride, plus all the calories I use during the time when I'm off the bike.

Had a good week of training so far:

Monday – spin class
Tuesday – gym weights session focussing on legs and gluts.
Wednesday – 30 mile hilly ride as fast as I could
Thursday – 20 mile ride as fast as I could
Friday – ride to gym and back (5 miles) and then weights session concentrating on arms – this won’t help me go faster or further on the JOGLE, but I want my arms to look good while I’m doing it!

Was going to have a day off today, but the weather is so nice I think I might go for a gentle ride round.

Plan to go out with the Penzance Wheelers tomorrow – hope the weather is as good as today.

I'm raising money on my trip for a small charity - Peace Direct. This is how it describes what it does:

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, wherever there is conflict there are local people building peace. They are disarming rebels, resettling refugees, protecting the vulnerable, uniting communities and restarting economies. They work at great personal risk to prevent, resolve and heal conflicts in some of the world’s most fragile countries.
We find these local peacebuilders, fund their programmes to increase their impact, and promote their work to those in the wider world who can help with finance and influence.

They need all the help they can get, and for most of us in the UK that means donating money. Please sponsor me - remember all the money I raise goes to Peace Direct.

A very good day from the point of this trip:

*** Two more people sponsored me.
*** I did a 30 mile ride over 10 minutes faster than I did it in 2004 when I was all trained up and thought I was very fit!
*** Finally managed to get all my B&Bs booked. It's taken me ages. I'm really anxious about the ride so I found I could only book one or two places at a time.

What a great day :-)

I have been really busy the last week (including being away for two days), so haven’t managed to do as much training as I usually do. But have managed 2 weight sessions in the gym and one bike spin session. Also got out on my bike yesterday and rode to the Chocolate Factory on the Lizard peninsula, a round trip of around 42 miles.

I managed not to eat one of their cholcate dipped flapjacks as I want to lose 8 lbs before I do the ride.

Lots of people are promising sponsorship and I hope soon to be over a quarter raised – I’m now at 19%. Peace Direct is such a good charity and it will encourage me as I’m pedalling along every day to know I am raising money for such a worthwhile cause. Please remember all the money goes to the charity, as I’m paying all my own costs.

Went out with a group from the Penzance Wheelers today. Dave Henderson is a great ride captain and makes sure no one gets left behind (me on the hills!) and that the coffee break doesn’t last too long (otherwise everyone gets cold and stiff).

Today’s ride was what is known in cycling circles as “a lumpy ride”! That means lots of hills and as we are in Cornwall some of them are definitely steep .

Did almost 40 miles with 8 other riders – all men, who were patient guys when they had to wait for me.

Just received my new bike Sat Nav - state-of-the-art Edge 800 - up to now I've been borrowing my partner John's Sat Nav. This has to be the first time I’ve had more up-to-date bike equipment than him. Will start to get to grips with it this weekend.

Also been trying out Hoo Ha Ride Glide. Don’t normally get much in the way of saddle chafing, but I loved the description of this so much on the Minx Girl web site that I decided I had to give it a go! I think it will help, but the tube is enormous and, therefore, heavy so will have to decant some into a smaller container.

Not done as much riding as I would have liked this week as I was away from Saturday to Monday, but managed weights on Tuesday, spin class on Wednesday and a 35 mile bike ride and coffee stop with my friend Kay yesterday. Today it’s more weights in the gym.

The money is coming in

I now have over 18% of the target I set myself - £3150 for Peace Direct. I'm getting there.

I've had some cards made that I can give to people to remind them to sponsor me. Lots of people have said they would; now to turn that intention into action.