Day One! Wed 5th May - Crystal Palace to Calais

So, after four months of training (on and off!) we both met up in Crystal Palace at 6am, along with 106 other cyclists, full of questions and worries....Had we done enough? Had we packed the right kit? Would our bikes survive the trip? And more importantly. would we? We were both pretty nervous to say the least, and looking round all the other faces it was clear we weren't the only ones! After a briefing from the organisers - Skyline Overseas - all too quickly we were off and the nerves had to be put to the back of our minds as we set off on what would end up being 100 miles of cycling. The route was brilliantly marked and after just an hour and half or so of cycling, we were at the first water stop! We were both pretty chuffed to be amongst the first there - which was handy as there were no loos so I could make a quick dash behind a tree before the rest of the folks turned up!! (too much information??) It was a pretty hilly route - taking in a 25% right at the start which took a lot of people by surprise and there were some pretty nasty hills right at the end of the route as well, just as everyone was starting to feel the tiredness in our legs! But, Shopper Man, as he became known, kept us going! There was no way we were going to flag if he could manage it on a £25 raleigh shopper that weighed about two tonnes and had only two gears!

The very mean 25% hill. The cyclist powering (!) up there is Dom who we met later in the day and who was cycling for Plan.

















It didn't take long to get chatting to the other cyclists and by 50 miles in, we'd got in tow with 4 great guys - Darren (Burchy), Dom, Jon and Michael (also known as Ant and/or Dec) and by the time we arrived in Dover we had a team name already! It was a really hard first day - lots of hills, one puncture (Franks) and pretty chilly weather. We had to wait about a bit at the various stops and it did get cold but the bon homie kept us going! We arrived at Dover in plenty time for a celebratory beer after 95 miles of cycling.

Celebrating day one in Dover

l-r Lesley, Dom, Frank, Ant and/or Dec, and Burchy. The invincible Team Crab















As you can imagine, trying to get over 100 cyclists and their bikes safely onto a ferry was a bit of a feat and we ended up missing our ferry as we waited for some folks to make it. It was an understandable set back but unfortunately being tired, cold and very very hungry after 95 odd miles of cycling, we did all get a bit grouchy...not helped by some problems in Calais which meant we didn't get to our hotel til 11pm after getting lost and cycling around in the dark for over an hour. But nothing ever runs smooth! After downing a recovery shake each it was time for bed - determined to enjoy the next day despite the lack of sleep!

Total cycling on day one - 100 miles from Crystal Palace to Calais

Average speed - 14.6 mph

Total climbing - approx 4,000ft

Training update #13: The final countdown

Time to departure: 5 days, 22 hours and 15 minutes

Oooh, exciting! And terrifying!

So, to ensure that we were both fully prepared, I got myself up at 5am on Friday morning and took myself and my wee bicycle up to the sunny Borders for our second, and last, joint training weekend!

The aim was to try and cover 200 miles over three days of the weekend. Unfortunately, my elite athlete inspired preparation of late nights, bad diet, wine and lots of work during the week and Frank's quite badly hurt leg, meant that our first day training was a bit of a wash out. Instead of the planned 50 mile ride, we both fell asleep in front of the snooker and only managed 35 miles. Harumph. But, we survived and after inflicting our rather mute company on our parents, early nights were had to get ready for the big Saturday ride.

Saturday morning was a glorious spring morn. My legs felt better than the day before, I'd had a grand sleep and the sun was shining. All good! And it was a brilliant ride, 75 miles of fantastic countryside, taking in some of the finest named Borders towns...Ancrum, Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk, Ettrickbridge, Yarrow Valley, Innerliethen, Traquair, Peel, Yair, Selkirk and back to St Boswells.

Frank takes time out from cycling for a Secret Seven style investigation of a potentially illegal animal trap in Ettrick Valley.

After about 35 mmiles I'll be honest, I was starting to wonder if we would manage it. We had picked a really hilly route that took in three valleys, with long relentless climbs between them and by this stage both of us were feeling it. And it was bloomin hot too! Thankfully a banana break, a short amount of stretching and the sight of an old guy flying past us with a laden bike up the hill ahead put some extra wind in our sails and we made it to Innerliethen (after overtaking a car at 35 mph...THE MOST FUN EVER) 20 miles later feeling not too bad and very much looking forward to our icecream from world famous Caldwells icecream shop.

Frank brings class and panache to the occasion as always.

The last leg home was going all rather fine and dandy until it dawned on us that we had one final 4 mile climb up through Selkirk and beyond - which involved us both head down, sweating and swearing for some time until we made it to the top and could enjoy the last 9 miles of speedy-ness

.

The end. Abandoned bikes, shoes, gloves and helmets. Just out of shot - two Smees collapsed on the grass.










To recover, we then ate our own body weight in pasta and garlic bread. I never thought I'd get tired of pasta but it's getting close.

Sunday for me was a day off. I had hoped to do a wee bit of sailing with my dad in his wee saily boat up at St Mary's Loch but the weather wasn't great and I got the fear that I might take a dook in the water - not usually a problem but having been training a lot, I figured my body might get a bit upset with 2 degrees water and i couldn't risk getting a cold. Soft I know. Frank got a few extra miles by cycling over to mum and dad's for tea. Show off.




Dad and his newly painted and very lovely Enterprise at a driech St Mary's Loch

Monday was our last chance to get out together so out we went! The first 10 miles or so were amazing. Averaging 20 mph we were flying along. And then we turned up a different road and came back the opposite way and it became clear why. It was bloody windy. the way out was fine, but good lord the way back in was hard work. After 25 miles, Frank headed back to get ready to drive to Aberdeen and I continued on alone on my tod. Frank had very carefully planned the route so it would avoid that hill back up through Selkirk (or that *insert sweary here* hill as it is also known) but I managed to miss the turning and ended up doing it once more. Goshdarnit. I really started to struggle with the head wind, and cycling alone is so much harder so I crammed Go energy Gel down me throat and gritted my teeth.Thankfully the last leg was with a tail wind so I sped along for the last 9 miles taking my average speed back up to a respectable 15.4mph for 52 miles. Woo hoo!

So, that was it. Our last weekend training. And here are the stats!

Total mileage: 160 miles/256k

Average speed: 15.2 mph/24.3kph

Number of cattle grids crossed (and sworn at): 6/still 6

Number of times the wee dog near Ancrum barked at us: 2 (where was he the third time we passed?!)

Number of times Frank told that sheep to shut up (in not quite as polite language): Countless

Number of swearys utilised by the Smee siblings over the weekend: Inumerable

Calories burnt: 6,500 (ish) each

Weight of pasta eaten: 3.4 tonnes

Cups of tea (free) drunk in 1st class carriage on train back to London: 5

We're both very much on the wind down now. I'm going to have one last ride on Saturday to keep the legs turning and then it is all about eating, sleeping and trying to eek out that last bit of sponsorship!

We're really close to our target of £3,000 now which is really exciting. All our friends and colleagues have been so generous and knowing that we've got so many people supporting us has really made it worth while. Plus we're both stubborn buggers and there is no way we'd pull out! Thanks so much from us, and from Book Aid International too, who will be using the money raised to send books to libraries in sub-Saharan Africa because, all together now, books change lives!

Books change lives from Book Aid International on Vimeo.

Training update #12: Hobbling Smee reports in

Hey there. More rambling from myself....Smee the elder Early April gave way to some rather pants weather but still managed out for some decent rides. Thursday 8th was a decent 90k road ride from St Boswells - Selkrik - St Mary's loch - Innerlethen - Gala - Melrose - Home. Was a really nice route but had to contend with a 20kph head wind all the way out for 25miles which lead to some mutter under my breath. 5km climb over to Inners was interesting but all part of the training. Also start running again in an attempt to get my triathlon Fitness back on track. The weekend 9th/10th was a bit of a right off Liz, Lesley (Smee jnr), Ewan (Middle Smee)/ Gabs and Kids (Trainee Smees) came up for a long weekend for Melrose rugby 7's which involved a few small ales and catching up with old friends, so nil cycling done. 7's was ace splendid weather, great company and plenty of drink. Week after was better with some mountain biking and a couple of runs. Followed by a trip to Ae Forest (part of the 7 stanes mountain bike routes) on Saturday the 17th, awesome weather so set off round the red cross country route 24km, plenty long climbs to test the legs and some fast single track decents, pretty damn good (will defo be back) all went well until the last downhill jump track, took a bit of a recce down to scope out the jumps etc and then back up for a 2nd run at speed, this is where is went a bit wrong, was all going well until one of the bigger jumps which I was out of balance for so decide to just go left round the chicken run only to find someone stopped blocking it so with no option but to take the jump (wouldn;t have managed to stop in time) on landing left foot came out spd (clipless pedal) and jammed against a rock while the pedal tried to force it's way through my calf muscle. result being some nasty cuts up the back of my leg but worse being the damage to calf muscle couldn't put weight on it for 48hrs but beginning to ease now and hoping to be back on bike later this week. New wheels ordered and spares for the trip so all going to plan. Les up this weekend for 3 days of long road rides as final prep! Catch you all later Frank x PS Get with the plan and go to http://www.justgiving.co.uk/pedallingpinders and part with some cash.

Training update #11: Two weeks to go

Howdy

So, last time I wrote I was starting to get the proper fear about the cycle to Paris. Well, now the fear has kind of subsided and has turned into a combination of excitement and nervousness. Two weeks tomorrow, at 6am, Frank and I will be gathering with 100 other cyclists in Crystal Palace and heading off to Paris. That is kinda exciting. And kinda scary. But mainly exciting. The excitement is partly fuelled by two things: 1. SUNSHINE! 2. FOOD!

1. SUNSHINE!

The sun has come out in London. And it is glorious. Over the past couple of weeks I've been out with the chaps and chappesses from Dulwich Paragon a few times and every ride has just got lovelier. On Friday 10th, I joined four of the chaps for a ride out into the Kent and Surrey Lanes. Each time I go out I am doing something that little bit harder than before, which is great but it means
I'm always a bit nervous that I'll hold people up and/or make a fool of myself. As it was, I didn't need to worry as either they were being nice to me that day or I'm getting better! We rode just over 50 miles at about 14.4mph average and it was pretty much fun the whole way round. Apart from Brasted Hill. Ug. A 20% climb (at points 25%) which was quite frankly hideous. The R is definitely in the wrong place in Brasted. I must admit I had to stop half way up for a short rest (and swear). Turns out it isn't that much of a suprise I struggled...as I've got what is apparently referred to as a 'standard double' crankset (GEEK ALERT) which means I basically just don't have enough gearage at times. So while the rest of the chaps got their way up on their triples and compact doubles, I was trying to push much bigger gears. And failing.

The view out into the countryside. This is within the M25!













Anyhoo. That is quite dull. Sorry about that. Where was I? Oh, yes...sunshine! So, last weekend I went out again with DP on Saturday and Sunday. Both fabulous days. On Sunday, excitingly I got to wear short cycling shorts for the first time this year. And fingerless gloves. And normal socks. AND I even wore sun tan lotion! My comedy cycling tan is in early stages of development already which is frightening. Sunday was especially nice as it was quite a relaxed ride, averaging 14.4mph, which was a relief after Saturday when I rode with the medium group which, whilst advertised at an average 15/16mph was much nearer 16.5/17mph average. I was, quite frankly, bu**ered by the end of it! However, I have discovered what I need to do in order to recover from such rides....which is....EAT!


2. FOOD

So, apparently I burn between 1,500 and 2,000 calories out on a ride depending on the length. That's the same as you're meant to eat on a normal day so I did finally realise that I needed to start eating more (and of the right stuff) if I was to recover properly in order to ride the next day. Now, I likes my food, so this isn't too much of a chore! I get to eat all the things all the girl magazines tell you to avoid - especially carbs and fat! I have breakfast, eat and drink throughout the ride, have a post ride lunch, then a second lunch when I get home, then a mid afternoon snack, then dinner (Mainly of pasta), then supper. AMAZING. On Saturday, I managed to eat more than I have done in a long time and that, combined with an early night and no booze, meant that the next day when I went out riding again, my legs felt great whereas previously I would have struggled going out two days in a row. So, the ride out of Sunday was probably the best so far as it combined sunshine, good company, beautiful countryside and great food thanks to Fanny's Farm Shop where we stopped mid ride! http://fannysfarmshop.co.uk A lovely, magical little haven of a place in Surrey which also happens to do possibly the best carrot cake I've ever tasted!

The garden at Fanny's Farm shop.They were slightly taken aback at the sight of 15 people dressed entirely in lycra.













So, although it has been blooming hard work getting to this point, where I feel I may actually manage to cycle 280 miles, it hasn't been all bad! I've seen some glorious scenery where I least expected it (inside and around the M25!), met some great people, enjoyed sunshine (finally - as a pay off for all that ice) had the excuse to eat SHED LOADS and I'm probably fitter than I've ever been. PLUS, we're very nearly at our target of £3,000 thanks to all of our generous and lovely friends, family and colleagues. Hoping that we can reach the target, which will help to send 1,500 books to libraries ini sub-Saharan Africa where they can change lives. Thanks to everyone who has sponsored us so far, it really is hugely appreciated, if you've not done so yet, you can here! www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Off up to Scotland on Friday for a four day training boot camp with Frank. Planning on riding nearly 200 miles over three days. JOY!
More soon!

Lesley

Training update #10 THE FEAR

Okay.

So I've got the fear now. As of today it is only four weeks until the cycle. That leaves three weekends left of training (plus one for light cycling/sleeping/eating a shed load of ccarbs).

HOLY COW

Thus far the furthest I have cycled is 67 miles. Once. Never mind four days in a row.

One of the main problems is cycling on my own. I had planned on cycling to Whitstable with my chums last Saturday but the weather was atrocious. So, I figured that I'd cycle back myself on the Monday instead. But when it came to it I just plain chickened out. It is around a 75 mile cycle and the route included a great deal of wee country lanes and circumnavigating Kent towns like Gillingham and Rochester. Basically too much scope for getting lost. And getting lost when you're knackered and alone is not fun. Instead I got the train home and went on the usual DP Saturday training route. I didn't skip either of the hideous hills which I was a tad proud of but even though I knew the route it did occur to me at one point that I was over 20 miles from home, on my own, on a country lane and no one knew I'd even gone cycling never mind where I was. If somehow I crashed or broke down I was kind of scuppered. I think maybe tiredness brings on the paranoia! Or maybe I'm just making excuses.

Ach, this is all a bit doom and gloom isn't it?! Which is silly because on Saturday I had one of the best rides ever -along the coast from Whitstable and up some wee roads to Canterbury. I arrived in Canterbury at 10am on Easter Sunday morning and the place was pretty much deserted. Cycling up through the cobbled olde streets (slippy!) and past all the lovely buildings was extremely peaceful. It felt slightly like going back in time. Until I noticed the Starbucks right beside the entrance to the Cathedral of course! I grabbed a cuppa and watched the people slowly starting to arrive for Easter service before pottling off on my bike once more. I had considered nipping into the service until I realised I was in my cycling gear, complete with muddy bum and general sweaty-ness so thought I'd spare everyone that pleasure.

On the way back I took a wee detour which took me through Fordwich which claims to be the smallest town in Britain (methinks it may not be the only one). After a pretty long climb I was treated to some lovely sweeping roads which were great fun...at one point shouting out loud "This is amazing!" What a doofus. When I turned round and went back the same way I realised it felt so great as the wind was at my back. The cycle on the homeward leg was not so much fun!

Anyway, back in the house by 12.30pm after:

Distance: 45miles
Time: 3hrs
Ave speed: 15mph
Sites seen: Canterbury Cathedral, Fordiwch, Reculver Church, couple of squirrels (dodged), loveliest road name ever ' Heart in Hand Road'
Number of weekend naps: 2

This weekend I am away to the Borders and have no time to cycle unfortunately so off out with a couple Dulwich Paragon peeps on Friday morn for a 50 odd mile ride before catching the train. The company will be most welcome! Although they may regret inviting me when I hold them back the whole way round!

Anyway, as you will no doubt know, the reason I am putting myself(and my big bro ) through all this bonkers-ness is to raise money for Book Aid International who support literacy and education through book provision and library development in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though my days are taken up working for Book Aid International I've still chosen to do this in my spare time, which I guess shows you quite how much I believe in what we do! Books are amazing things but are very easy to take for granted - imagine what it would be like to have no books at all? And no way to learn or be inspired by them?

If you've not already, please do sponsor us. Your support really will make a difference!

http://www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Training Update #9: Elder smee speaks

Well thought is was about time I contributed to the blog seeing as Lesley has been doing all the training and i've haven't. Last week was a bit better on the effort front...

Monday 22nd 30k with Dave, who I blame entirely for the last 4 years, he's the one who introduced me to Triathlons and all other manner of spandex clad nonsense. Downside being he's 10years younger and hasn't partied nearly as hard over the years thus kick's my ass at most things (apart from swimming!!),


Tuesday 23rd 45k was a longer ride solo which was ok given that it was windy, got a puncture 3ks from home and the goo in the tube which should seal it didn't so cold and wet I had to swap the tube, so much swearing under my breath. Thanks to the other roadies out there who all stopped to check I was ok for bits. Damn friendly bunch


Wednesday 24th 4 Mile run which was first run in god knows how long, was pleased with pace and that I managed up hills without barfing, was all going well until 1k from the hotel and it decided to hose down with rain, got some very funny looks walking through hotel like a drowned rat in Spandex!!!


Thursday 25th I decided to get the mountain bike out and see what Blairadam Forest in Fife has to offer in the way of routes. Was a complete mud fest and not very enjoyable, although when it dries out in the Spring it'll be pretty good, not hilly but loads of technical bits and some decents with decent berms and jumps a return trip is on the cards


Weekend was messed up with work so didn't get any miles or running.


Monday 29th was same loop as last Monday.

Weather has now decided to return to winter and we've had a loads of slushy/ snowing rubbish last night and this morning so any mountain biking isn't going to happen and unless weather improves I may have to dig out Turbo trainer.

Sponsor us for our ride to Paris! www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders


More ramblings later, Pinder the Elder

Training update #8: Update

So, I made it.





Phew.





It wasn't quite as long as I had thought, it was in fact only 67 miles. I was pretty daunted to be honest though. This was the longest I have ever cycled in my life. What if I broke down in the middle of nowhere and couldn't fix it? Or what if I just ran out of gas?? Well, I had said I'd do it so I had to just get on with it. And you know, I actually kind of liked it! The route was pretty great - after a short spell on the very busy A24, I got onto nice quiet country roads and enjoyed pootling along and enjoying the scenery. Thankfully, Naomi and Robin had picked a route that took me over the South Downs at a point that wasn't too steep although it was a very very long drag up hill. After 4 hours or so of cycling on your own, it is hard not to start talking to yourself to break the silence so if any cars had their windows open driving past me they probably heard snippets of slightly rubbish (and a wee bit sweary if I'm honest) self-motivational chat.


Yet again, the company of a fellow cyclist for the last few miles really helped me keep going especially as my knees were really really starting to hurt! We cycled through Lancing Airport together, which was pretty cool. Lots of wee planes taking off around us. Because of the way I came over the downs, I didn't get a big panoramic view of the sea as I had hoped but I did finally see the sea as I cycled through Lancing:




By the time I arrived at Naomi and Robin's i was pretty cream crackered but they greeted me with tea and biscuits, ran me a bath and then fed me up with lovely rolls and sausage. Splendid.







So....here are the deets:

Distance 67 miles
Time 4 hours 29 minuts
Average speed 15mph
Number of stops 1
Caolries burnt 1,968

Food eaten to get me there: 1 x bowl of muesli and a banana for brecky, 1 x banana en route, 1 1/2 bottles of lucozade sport, handful of jelly babies.
Refuelled with: 2 x digestive biscuits, 1 x cup o tea, 2 x nice sausages in rolls with mustard and onions, 2 x pints of ale, 1 x massive portion of lasange, token amount x salad, 1 x slice cake, 2 x glasses Barolo.
Recovery: 1 x bath and 2 x ibuprofen

I have to say, aside from allowing me to delight you with stats, my new pooter was absolutely invaluable. Without it I would have had no idea how far I had gone or how far I had to go, nor would I have had anything to motivate me to keep going at a decent speed. Hurrah for my pooter.

Obviously I didn't cycle back. London is north from Worthing and that means it is uphill. Right?

So, next up is to top that cycle to the seaside with another cycle to the seaside this weekend - this time to Whitstable. And I will be cycling back.

Not too late to sponsor us of course and to help people experience the joy of reading.

www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Lesley (smee junior)

Training update #8: Preview

I'm cycling to Worthing this Saturday to visit my lovely friend Naomi and her husband Robin.

It's 75 miles away.

Good lord.

I am a bit terrified.

Please think good thoughts for me!

Will let you know on Sunday if I made it....

Training update #7: Stat alert

I was having a ponder about what was missing from this blog. It just didn't seem, I don't know, serious enough. Or geeky enough. And then I realised....it needs STATS! Every good training blog needs some stats, and preferably some charts and graphs as well. Colour coded if at all possible. That way, as well as being mildly amused/bored by my cycling chat, you can also be dazzled/bored by numbers too! Hurrah!


So after popping out for a 45 mile cycle with Dulwich Paragon again on Saturday ( i finally got over the shame of my previous pedal fail and returned. Turns out they still talk about my big ice slide back in January, I think it has entered into club legend), I took myself off to the bike shops and bought myself one of these:

A cycling computer!

I know. It's exciting isn't it. Please contain yourself.


A sensible human bean would have bought one of these at the very start of a training regime, but I thought that if I got too hung up on average speeds and such like too early it might get a bit dispiriting if I didn't improve as fast as I hoped. However, on my ride on Saturday morning I noticed that I was actually starting to feel pretty good out there on my bicycle. The 'steady' group at the back of the ride that I usually join was feeling a wee bit, shock horror, slow for me and I ended up riding up with the intermediates. It felt good. So, I thought if I was to continue to improve, and to motivate myself when I was out on my own, I needed to be more aware of what I was doing. And the only way to do that is with some good, solid stats!

So, i strapped the pooter on my bike and on Sunday went out on my ride with technology on my side. I cycled the same route as we did on Saturday (ish...so I avoided one of the massive hills...sue me ) and my legs were a wee bitty tired but having the computer was a brilliant way of keeping me going without the club riders for company. I set myself a challenge of keeping above 14.5mph average and it made a huge difference. As did the fact that it was a beautiful day. Although i was a little less than impressed by many of my fellow cyclists I passed out on the wee country lanes. You'd think a wee nod, wave or a "good morning" wouldn't be too much to expect but I got blanked by at least 75% of them. Bah and indeed humbug. The nice chap who spoke to me from West Wickham to Elmers End round-about made up for it though... I was starting to flag and his company got my speed back up to (stat alert!) 23mph in a jiffy. Anyway, after 2 1/2 hours, a couple of big hills and a snickers (or marathon for the purists amongst you) I got home and check the numbers. Time for the big reveal!!

Distance: 36.6 miles
Time: 2hrs 26mins
Ave speed: 14.7mph (tried desperately to get it up to 15mph but I was just too slow on the hills)
Max speed: 31mph (Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)
Min Speed: 6mph (damn you 15% hill up to Downe)
Calories used: 1,165 (I took this as an excuse to eat like a horse yesterday)

So, you'll be excited to learn that from now on, my blog posts will include some exciting stats.

Lucky you!

Oh, quite a few folk have asked where I cycle to...I only know where I turn left and right, not actual names but you can see the route I did on Saturday and Sunday (it's a red line) here if you so desire!

Thank you so much if you've already sponsored us. And if not, you can still do so here! www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders. All the money raised will be helping to send books to libraries and resource centres in sub-Saharan Africa. Like this one!

Nguruman Maarifa Community Resource Centre from Book Aid International on Vimeo.

Training update #6: Reunited!

Hello all

Sorry i've not updated you on my no doubt riveting cycling exploits this week. The small matter of dinner at Buckingham Palace slightly diverted me! (No, really)

Anyway, last week was a bit of slow week to start with training wise. But, all training and no play makes Lesley a dull girl! My usual gym/cycling nights were replaced last week by two amazing gigs including the finale to the rather wonderful '100 days to make me a better person project'. This was started by comedian Josie Long back in December when she gave people the challenge to do something every day for a hundred days - with the loose aim of making them a better person. And it was a lovely wee project - although not so wee as the exhibition last Wednesday proved! My good chum Dominic took part by taking a picture of someone he made smile everyday, Andy wrote a Haiku every day, Ade walked an hour every day andThe Pictish trail wrote a 30 second song (nearly) every day along with many many other pledgers, like the chap who wrote a letter to his girlfriend every day or Josie Long herself who spoke to a stranger. Anyway, needless to say the finale which included an exhibition of all the various pieces of art and activities as well as performances, was suitably lovely and inspiring. Some of the blogs are on my links on the left hand side and you can read more at www.hundreddays.net

Hmmm. that all has nothing to do with cycling but is a very good excuse for not training mid week last week!

Training picked up again on Friday when i took myself and my bike back to the Borders to visit my folks and go for the first ever Pedalling Pinders joint training rides!

Exciting. Look, here we are looking resplendent in lycra. (I'm the one on the right)

I arrived in Melrose about 12pm, had a swift nap to recover from my 5am start, and then Frank popped round and we took a nice jaunt out into the Borders countryside. It was a beautiful day and I can't express quite enough how lovely it was to be out of London on my bike. We cycled up to Innerliethen and back, ogling at the downhill mountain bike competition taking part there on the way. It was a lovely 37 ish mile ride. Frank got the short straw and then had to cycle home again so he added another 12 miles onto his ride. Anyway, it felt good, although i was, in all honesty, absolutely knackered and after an amazing mum-made fish pie went straight to bed.

the next day it was my turn to do the extra miles and i cycled to Frank's house, 6 miles away in St Boswells. After i managed to mess up pumping his tyres (seriously, I'm rubbish with bikes, I have no idea why I thought this was a good idea), we went off on a 30 mile round trip to the lovely town of Kelso. Lovely apart from the cobbles. Eep. Thank the lord for padded shorts.

No idea how the Tour de France riders managed on the Champs Elysee. Got back to Frank's and after munching a giant slab of cheesecake, I pootled off home. By the time I get home, I've cycled just over 40 miles. Not bad!

This is the view down towards kelso. And a fun road this was too! Lots of ups and downs and Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! I don't think Frank likes it when I "Wheeeeeeeeeeee" going downhill. It's not very cool. (and that was Wheeeeeee not Weeeeeeeee)

Anyway, it was really nice to get out cycling with Frank and have some company on the road. Plus it provided lots of opportunities for us to rant and put the world to rights.

We've raised a really fantastic sum of money so far, over £2,200 at last count which is wonderful. In case you didn't know, one of the reasons I'm doing this now is that I turn 30 on May 11th so this is a bit of a birthday challenge too. So, if you've not bought me that porsche or diamond ring you'd planned to buy me for my birthday yet, sponsor us instead!

www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Enough rambling,

Lesley xxx

Training update #5: Surrey to E17

Hello everyone

So, in my last training update I said that I would go out training last week on Thursday, Saturday AND Sunday. And I did! Hurrah!

Thursday was my usual 20 mile round the burbs trip. Bit yawn but I didn't get lost and the steep hill up to Crystal Palace is actually getting easier. On Saturday I managed to sleep in a little and wasn’t up in time to get to Crystal Palace to meet Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club for their weekly ride. Instead I pootled off down to Surrey on a wee thirty mile loop that took in some very ‘Surrey’ villages as well as Chipstead Downs and, shock horror, yet another muckle A road – the A217.

It was grand day but I did realise that there are two good reasons to cycle with other people. (Okay, three if you include the fact that cycling with other people who know where they are going means you don’t get lost or end up on dual carriage ways.) Anyway, one reason is that when you are on your own, it is always a bit too tempting just to take the easy route…so, on Saturday when faced with ‘White Hill Road’ or ‘Chipstead Valley Road’, it didn’t take me long to take the easy option (the valley road, obviously!). This means I’m probably not improving as quickly as I should be.

The second reason is that cycling on your own all the time can get, well, boring. And a wee bit lonely. And also sometimes a bit scary if you’re miles from home. So on Sunday, instead of going off on some big long trek again into deepest darkest Kent or Surrey, I decided to cycle up through London to sunny Walthamstow (insert East17 jokes/songs here) to visit my good chums Stevie and Lyndsay. That way I would have some human interaction to look forward to as part of my cycle. Woop! And, perhaps a consequence of Lyndsay being nine months pregnant, lots of snacks!

Hmmmmm. Snacks.









So far so good! A whole weekend of cycling without ice, getting massively lost or falling over. Winner! I even remarked to Stevie as I left their house after two hours of eating and chatting to cycle the 15 miles home... “Nothing bad has happened this weekend. What am I going to write about in the blog? I think people sponsor me more when I’ve done something stupid.”

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I did, surprise surprise, speak too soon and as I merrily cycled home through Clapton my rear wheel started to feel funny. Of course! A Puncture! Brilliant! Oh, look! A puncture that has also ripped my tyre making it really difficult/impossible to fix on my own. And it’s five o’clock so the nearest bike shop has shut. And I’m 10 miles from home! Yay!

After a brief sit on a bench as I weighed up my options and swore quietly at the hubris which got me there, I realised that thankfully I had brought with me my trust tool kit of cycling.

Namely:
My oyster card
My Bank card
My phone (with GPS)

The phone was utilised to search for the phone number of the nearest Evans, surely they would be open til 6pm? A swift phone call confirmed that yes, yes they are, and my damsel in distress act convinced them to fix it even though their mechanics were all busy.

The oyster card got me and my bike on the train from London Fields to Liverpool Street.

The bank card paid for a new tyre and inner tube.

And my bike then got me home.

Phew.

So, last week I cycled 88 miles, went to one spin class, spent an hour doing weights and travelled two miles on a train whilst muttering to myself. This week has been quiet so far, BUT, excitingly, Frank and I will be re-united this weekend and will be going training together. I know you just can’t wait to find out what disasters be-fall us as we speed around the bonnie Borders. Stay tuned to find out!

Thanks so much to everyone who has sponsored us so far! Your generosity has been amazing and so far we have raised enough money to send over 1000 books to libraries in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Good work!

www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

World Book Day - a book review!

Happy World Book Day everyone! To mark this happy occasion, my update today won't actually be about training but about a book! Exciting. And apt!To mark World Book Day, school students around the UK are writing book reviews and sharing them on our new book review site so, here is my very own review:

Of this book!



Now, I love my cycling and I also love Talking Heads quite a lot. So it was a no brainer for my chum Euan when he saw this book written by Talking Heads lead singer/head honcho David Byrne. It may as well have been called 'BUY THIS FOR LESLEY NOW' David Byrne is a silver haired, eccentric genius who was not only in one of my favourite bands but also made one of my favourite films - True Stories. He is one of these people who has an idea and then just goes ahead and does something about it, no matter how bonkers the idea may seem to normal human beings. Like turning a building into a musical instrument, writing a disco album which is based on the life of Imelda Marcos or designing a bike rack shaped like a shoe.







As well as being generally brilliant, David Byrne is also massively into cycling (perhaps the two are related!?). He cycles everywhere he goes and has a folding mountain bike that travels with him around the world. Much to the chagrin of some of the posh hotels he stays in! This book is organised around some of the cities that he has cycled around including London, New York, Manila, San Francisco and Berlin but it is certainly not really just about cycling. It is basically a series of short essays about the world, how it works, how it doesn't work and the nature of human beings - all sparked off by his experiences cycling around cities, the people he meets and the things he sees while doing so. It is all at once a travel diary, a piece of cycling propoganda, a philosophical musing, a history lesson and a thoroughly entertaining read. A cycle to the Stasi museum in Berlin for example morphs into a discussion about identity, self-delusion and belonging - taking in censorship, Zimbabwe and religion along the way. Cycling in San Francisco, he visits an exhibition which features artists who are mentally or psychologically challenged which then sets him off thinking about what makes people 'outsiders' and how we value art.

At the heart of the book though are his views on cycling and cities, and how we should live together in urban spaces. He is fascinated by urban design and his views on how cycling brings people together, forces human interaction and creates a better quality of life for city dwellers is pretty persuasive. But then he is preaching to the converted with me!

On a more whimsical note, here are some of his designs for bike racks in New York...






Reading and cycling. Brilliant. But not at the same time, obviously.

Anyway, next post will be back to the training!

Lesley xx

p.s not too late to sponsor us by the way - www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Training update #4: Cycling in the rain

So, week six of the training for London to Paris. and depending on which training plan I'm following I should either be cycling 50 miles a week plus at least 45 mins in the gym OR between 70 and 80 miles a week. Hmmmm.

I'll be honest, last week was a pretty difficult one mainly due to all of the rain. I mostly chickened out of cycling outside and relied on spin classes at the gym at Brockwell Lido. Spin classes are pretty high intensity so i figured they would count a bit! There are lots of different people who run the spin classes all of whom have a different style which at least keeps it interesting. '6.45am on a Monday morning man' is extremely sweet and generally chuffed that anyone has made it there at that time in the morning. He doesn't shout at us too much, I think partly because like us he is still trying to wake up. Still, he works us pretty hard and a banging remix of "smack your B***h up by the prodigy at that time of the morning is sure to wake you up. Then there is 'super fit and super enthusiastic Wednesday evening lady' who likes to call us all 'team' and makes us pretend we're racing her up some horrendous hills.She's of the shouting variety which I didn't think I'd like but she sure does keep you going. I wish I had her energy! The masterplan was to go out for a proper ride on Saturday but instead I decided to spend much of Saturday drinking tea, watching Dr Who episodes on BBC Iplayer (other online TV players are available) and plotting my inevitable marriage to David Tennant (whether he likes/knows about it). The punishment for this laziness was that I had to instead go cycling on Sunday. Sunday. The weather on sunday was, as Andrew Marr described it on his eponymous TV show as I ate my porridge, "unutterably disgusting", and I hummed and hawed for some time before biting the bullet and heading out into the wind and rain. Thankfully, just the week before I had received two items in the post which make the experience much more bearable! Looky!


A rather attracive SealSkinz Skull cap. Wind and water proof! With wee holes where your ears are so you can still hear. Fancy. NOT to be worn on its own at any time if you want to retain any kind of style.







And these bad boys, which I think are my favourite things in the world right now. Granted, they are a pair of socks and cost £25 but they are waterproof AND thermal. YEAH! Since I've started cycling again one of my major issues has been getting completely numb toes within about two minutes of getting on my bike despite usually wearing at least three pairs of socks. Not aided by the fact that my cycling shoes have handy vents. Great for the summer. Not great for the chilly winter! These socks are AMAZING.

So, despite it chucking it down and blowing a gale, after two hours on my bike on Sunday I still had toasty warm and dry feet and head. The rest of me was soaking and freezing mind you but small victories....

Now that I know that I won't come to a soggy and cold end if I go out cycling in the rain I have NO excuse and this week I'm on a serious mission. One spin class down and planning a proper ride on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. You can give me a good row if I don't.

Anyway, thanks for reading! And don't forget to sponsor us! Every £10 donated will help Book Aid International to send five books to libraries in Africa, like the one at Petit Dan and Sarah Orphanage in Cameroon....

“Our library has been so useful for the children in our school, but also for people in the surrounding area. We have many children’s books but you have given us especially good books in higher education topics such as linguistics and biology.... This has given us the opportunity to reach out to many more people. We thank you very very much for this programme to support libraries like ours, because it is so widely used” Ms. Jeanne Veronique Atsam, Director

Thanks!

Lesley

p.s Frank is still in house moving mode but he's moved to the bonny Borders and will have many fantastic and scenic roads to train on. He'll no doubt update us all soon!

Training update #3 (part 2): Lost in London

While Frank was trying to cope with freezing temperatures up in Scotland, I decided to go out for a cycle around south London on a beautiful Saturday morning. Yet again, disaster (okay, more like mild misfortune) struck within ten minutes when I realised my front gear shifter was broken. Ach well, 4 gears for a flat urban cycle should be fine I figured (they quickly became two as the rear shifter got upset as well!) Two minutes later I was busy enjoying the sunshine when I realised it was in fact not as warm as the sun and my toasty warm cycling gear would imply and that black ice was still possible. Unfortunately I realised a little late and found myself sliding over some ice once more and onto my side. I basically added a bruise just under the bruise I managed to get myself last week.

Jings.

Still, onwards and upwards and I jumped back on my bike and continued my wee trip around South London upon which I discovered the following things:

1. There aren't wombles at Wimbledon Common just wombling free. I think you have to actually search for them. Or they've been locked up.

2. There are some amazing huge houses on Kingston Hill. Which you can ogle as you pass and some lovely villagey bits in Wimbledon, Putney and Kingston. I think quite a bit of money and/or a pram to push and clothes from Boden are a pre-requisite for living in these places though.

3. A couple of gears makes Kingston Hill, or any hill in fact, quite hard work

4. Cycling along the A3 is not fun.

5. There is no other city I'd rather be on a lovely, crisp and sunny day than London.

I had planned to take lots of photos on my cycle this time round and if I had you would you have seen horses on Wimbledon Common (no wombles though, curses!), kids playing football on Clapham Common, mist on Tooting Bec Common and some fancy big houses by Richmond Park. Unfortnately I didn't stop much and when I did it was to consult the GPS on my phone as I was lost again.

Oh, that reminds me

6. London is big and very easy to get lost in.

In the past five weeks I've cycled a total of 200 miles, danced for 15 hours, spent 6 hours in the gym and 14 hours doing physio exercises. Eek! I need to be able to cycle 280 miles in 4 days and there are only 10 weeks to go. Must step it up from here on in!

Thanks again if you've already sponsored us. If not, visit our justgiving page and sponsor us now! Every £10 that is donated will help Book Aid International to send 5 more brand new books to libraries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Here is a lovely quote from a refugee in Kenya about why books are important to her:

“My adventure with books has been on for as long as I can remember! I have cultivated passion for reading and become an ardent reader. Reading has changed a lot of aspects of my life. Inspirational books of brave people facing extraordinary challenges, give me an idea about how to improve a way of doing things, a reminder to treat the people we love better than we did the day before..."


Thanks!

Lesley xx

Training update #3: The other Pinder speaks

Afternoon all.

Well, seeing as Lesley has updated the Blog on a semi-regular basis thought it was about time I rambled a bit...Training has been non-existent so I will tell you about work and trying to move house instead!!

Ok, maybe I won't as it'll bore you to death. Weather up here has been well sort of, em, crap really. Loads of snow and if no snow loads of ice so have managed a couple of 40k road rides in the last month. Mountain biking hasn't happened period and new mountain bike is feeling very neglected. if work goes to plan i'll be off this Thursday (25th) and will get a day at Glentress for some mountain biking. Will see if it's any less icey from when Les was there!

Road ride on Sunday was ok, 40k but water bottle froze which gives you an idea of how cold it was, as it wasn't caused by my speed!! Fingers crossed weather improves. Less than 3 months to go!! Yikes.

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored us so far, if you haven't you know what to do or Les and I will stalk you in spandex (I worried that some of you might like that!!) www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

In a while croc!!

Frank (eldest and most sensible Pinder!!)

Training update #2 - Ultimate cycling faux pas

Went out cycling with Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club yesterday and tested out my new fancy road pedals.

It didn't go well.

Within one minute of getting on my bike I managed to keel over whilst attempting to clip in to the pedals. In front of the whole club. It wasn't a spectacular fall - more a slow motion topple on to the kerb. I ended up like a beetle on its back desperately trying to get up.

Any cyclists reading this will no doubt appreciate the horror.

Imagine the most embarrassed you've ever been. Multiply that by 10. And add lycra.

Can't write any more as I am still getting flashbacks.

Still, hopefully it will all be worth it when we make it to Paris this May. Thanks to lots of lovely friends and family, Frank and I have raised over £1,000 so far! Just £2,000 to go! All of which will be helping to send books to libraries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sponsor us here! www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

Here's a film about how and why Book Aid International do what they do.

Behind the Scenes at Book Aid International from Book Aid International on Vimeo.

Training update #1 - Glorious glentress

I'm pretty much a diehard road cyclist but this weekend I was up in the bonnie Borders visiting my folks (and to watch the rugby - the less said about that the better) so I thought it would be quite frankly rude not to make the most of the amazing mountain biking that the "Best area in the Scotland"* has to offer.

*according to me.

So, I donned my ninja black lycra as standard, borrowed by Dad's mountain bike (a 60th present from the Pinder siblings) and headed up to Glentress. Glentress is part of the 7stanes network of mountain biking routes in the south of Scotland and is pretty much one of the best mountain biking ranges in the UK, nay the whole of Europe. You should go! And pop in for an icecream in Innerliethen when you're done.

Anyway, Scottish Borders tourism speel over...

I decided to take the slightly less hardcore blue route for my first foray "off road." Basically you cycle up hill for a good hour or so and the prospect of flinging yourself back down with joyful abandon is pretty much the only thing that keeps you going. Imagine my horror when I got pretty much close to the top to find:

1. ice
2. Snow
3. fog

All at the same time! Mountain bikes are not so much fun when you have to get off and push believe me, and cycling downhill with your legs stretched out like very rubbish and ineffectual skis is not a good look. Thankully, despite a very full carpark, there weren't many other cyclists near me so I managed to traverse the snowy slopes with some dignity. And about half way down the snow dispersed so a good amount of "wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" was enjoyed. Still a bit of a chicken with the banked corners but managed a few jumps and didn't fall on my face once. BONUS!


Here is a picture of the spooky fog at Glentress. I was told that the views were amazing. I didn't see any. No photies of the snow either as my phone ran out of batteries! Which is slightly alarming when your front tyre decides to explode in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully my bike repair skills are better than I thought and it turns out a Skoda key is a splendid replacement for tyre levers. (don't tell my dad that though...)


One cheese and ham toastie and a splendid cup of tea greeted me at the end of the ride along with some great eavesdropping of some phenomenally geeky mountain bike chat. I think if I didn't live in Londons, not renowned for its mountain biking, and if I actually had a mountain bike, I'd be hooked... but thankfully the road has not lost this cyclist yet! Lucky road.

Back onto the road this weekend with Dulwich Paragon Cycling Club...more of them later!

Coming up soon....some rambling from my brother Frank!

And just to remind you, I'm doing all this cycling malarky for a very good cause - Book Aid International.

You can sponsor me and my brother to cycle from London to Paris here:

www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders

All of the money raised will be helping to send books to libraries in some of the poorest countries in the world. One of the libraries we support is in Mathare Slum in Nairobi. You can watch a wee film about this amazing library and its members here:

Mathare North Community Library from Book Aid International on Vimeo.

Well, after nearly two years of hectoring people to run marathons, jump out of planes and climb mountains for Book Aid International, I figured it was about time I should really put myself on the line and do something stupid/dangerous/energetic to help raise money and change lives through books.

So I'm cycling from London to Paris this May. 280 miles (or thereabouts) over four days.

Jings

and indeed Crivvens.

But, FEAR NOT! I shan't be doing such a thing on my own. Oh no. I've managed to hoodwink someone else to take part in this cycle with me. Who would be so easily persuaded? So stupid? So prone to ridiculous behaviour? Or probably drunk when I asked?

Why, my big brother Frank of course!

So, the two of us, clad in lycra (and I hope to goodness I look better in it than he does) shall be pedalling our way like a pair of complete eejits all the way to Paris this May. And we'd love it if you could sponsor us at www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders.

It's not a race of course. It's purely for the joy of it and to raise money for Book Aid International...But, you know, just in case you fancied putting money on one of us to finish it quicker (and if you're clever, that would be me), here are the vital stats:

Name: Lesley Pinder

Age: 29 and 9 months

Cycling history: sporadic and road based. A number of disastrous cycling incidents including 5 punctures in one ride in the middle of nowhere in Spain.
Injuries: Broke collar bone in bike/bike/tarmac based collision
Special powers: Wears a lot of black cycling gear so resembles a ninja (without the martial arts skills)

Favourite cycling moment: Cycled "the Mast" on Lemnos in Greece. Albeit, slower than "Rocket Roy" could run it but that is by the by.
Weaknesses: Eats too many cupcakes. Likes wine.

(piccie courtesy of Seb Bourgoin)

Name: Frank Pinder
Age: 39 and 6 months (that's a LOT older than Lesley)
Injuries: Mainly to the head. Which explains a lot.
Cycling history: Inexplicibly started cycling despite the lack of engine. Branched out to triathalons from mountain biking due to spandex fetish. Quite fit and has trained lots. Annoyingly.
Special powers: Does not suffer from hangovers.
Favourite Cycling Moment: Throwing himself down an alp in the mega avalanche. (note: this is downhill so doesn't count as hard work or anything)
Weaknesses: Oldness. Likes guinness








So, there are our riders! I'll be updating this blog every week or so running up to the big cycle in May to prove that we're working for our sponsorship and I promise I will make it as entertaining as possible! Which may seem like a contradiction in terms when talking about a blog about cycling training but I'll endeavour to keep you interested!

All that remains is to remind you why we're doing this in the first place - to help send books to some of the poorest countries in the world. I really believe in the power of books and in the work of Book Aid International - otherwise I wouldn't be saying "bye bye" to wine and weekend relaxing and "hello" to lycra and weekend training rides for the next few months!

Watch this film to find out why books are so important. And then sponsor us at www.justgiving.com/pedallingpinders!

Ta

Lesley xx

Books change lives from Book Aid International on Vimeo.