June 14th Blog Update.

The Following is taken from my blog: http://gazzasblogs.blogspot.com/



Here we are, 4 weeks today I will be on the biggest challenge of my life, I cant believe it has come so very close so quick, Scary really.

So how has this week’s commuting gone ?

Monday:

Felt awful, Really wasn't sure just what was wrong with me though, I rode into work at a half decent pace and set about my day, After about 15 Mins I knew I couldn't carry on so asked to leave at lunch time and take some leave for the afternoon, My request was granted so at lunch I got changed and headed home, The sun was out but WOW there was one SEVER headwind that made me feel so much worse, The good news was I still managed to commute the full distance of 14 miles.

I got home, Took a shower and with silence in the house I proceeded to fall asleep (2pm) I woke up around 7pm got up for an hour or so and then went back to bed until 7am.

Anyone who knows me know that I normally sleep around 6 hours max a night so that amount of sleep for me was unprecedented.

Tuesday:

Seems that the monster sleep had the effected needed as I was feeling a million times better on Tuesday, Even if not 100%.

Ground out the miles not wanting to push too hard.

On the way home myself I decided I was ready to push myself for at least 120 Seconds, Myself and Joby had been talking about goals and decided we needed to know what our Devils Hill time was, So as I hot the speed sign I got out of the saddle and held on as I pushed the Trek hard, 1 Mins 59.8 Seconds was the result, Not great and a way behind Joby’s Time but I was happy with my first timed effort.

Wednesday:

After hearing about Joby’s morning incident on twitter I was determined to get out of work on time to ride with him along Hyde Road to at least take his mind of what by the sounds of it was a pretty nasty incident, Alas it was not to be (or so I thought) No matter how hard I pushed I just couldn't get an eyeball on him, I worked out he must have been 3-5 mins in front of me at most, However by the time I got to the lights at Denton Crown Point I still couldn't see him, The road ahead was straight and long and he was nowhere to be seen, At the end of the road it falls away into the start of Devils Hill, I set off from the lights and decided to take it down a few steps to save myself for Devils Hill, 30 seconds later who appears at the side of me ? It was my old muccka Joby, He had suffered an incident just yards behind me while I was sat at the lights, We chatted while holding a steady 15.5MPH I knew to stay with him at Devils Hill I had to go early and go hard, So that's what I did, With the Trek being so new there are some Gremlins with the gears and I cant selected the highest gear, This was another factor in going a little early, 3 quarters of the way up Devils Hill I was so I could sense Joby getting ready to pass but he never emerged, I got to the top and was shocked when I looked behind to see he was quite a way back, I slowed and waited for him to catch before we parted to make sure he was ok, His chain had slipped and he had to stop, So I got that one by default, With all the excitement I had forgot to time myself, I know I was quicker but had no idea by what.

Thursday:

I had twittered with Joby Wednesday evening it it seemed we would be around 5 mins apart on the morning commute, Great I thought, Ride the first leg conversing myself knowing Joby would be gunning me down, In the same way I would be him if roles were reversed, However it was not to be, I slept in and was about 20 mins BEHIND him, Sorry mate.

Friday:

Today was the day that mine and Joby’s start time should have meant that we would be commuting together, I got to the top of Devils hill at 6.53, It was Sunny, I couldn't see Joby so I decided to stop and put my sunglasses on, I gave it another 30 seconds and he was no where to be seen so decided that as I felt so fresh I was gonna chase him down (by this point assuming he was actually in front of me) and set back off like a Rocket ship, Never did see him but Made it into work in just 20 Mins. Twittering away I seemed Joby was again just behind me as I turned off

Joby left work early so I had nothing to challenge me but myself, With an Ironman burning at the front of my mind I pushed on and pushed hard, I had used all my energy by the time I hit Devils Hill, By the top I felt like I was going to die, The PAIN ouch, but I knew this was NOTHING to what an Ironman would be like, I sucked it up and decided to go though Hyde and climb Market Street, Something I didn't have to do as it adds another climb and more distance but it was about pushing the limits, Once at the drop I dropped down to home and reached for a drink, I was so tired I had to try 3 times before I could actually take a drink but it was all worth it as I had set a new PB of 55 Mins for 14.7 Miles, Meaning the way home was 35 Mins, Not my best so I know that a Sub 50 Min can be done, Its just a case of when, not if now.

Phew that ride report was an epic on its own, without anything else but there is more to come yet:

Weight:

The Good News, Well Better News is that I have this week lost 2.5 LBS, For someone of my size it should really be better but as the saying goes, a loss is a loss.

Media and Bike Week:

A couple of weeks ago a Newspaper that Ran me as there front story a few months ago contacted me to do a short follow up, Well I had totally forgot about it until I went shopping today, I though OHHH I wonder, Picked up the paper and flicked though  only to find this below, I think it would explain the spike in visitor numbers yesterday.

This week being Bike Week I have been asked to do a lot of Media work, Anyone who knows me will know who I work for and that sentence will make more sense, So although I am in negotiation with some I do have a confirmed  video shoot on Friday of next week, There should also be something On Wednesday too but at this stage I am unable to say more.

I will leave this update here as otherwise there would be just way too much to post, Keep an eye out in the following week for more updates.

4 weeks today I should be in Blackpool, Let’s hope all goes well.

http://www.justgiving.com/gb155