A cog in the wheel....

Had plans to work out at the gym today, but conference calls and functions at the Inn got in the way of my work-out regimen. Have to make up for it on Thursday. Since rain is forecasted all day Thursday, I will probably spend quite some time at the gym.

A Learning Day......

There's a reason in life why we train for things...today I learned quite a bit about cycling. I chose to cycle the Natchez Trace beginning at about mile marker 100 in Ridgeland. I headed south on the Trace soon to find out I was cycling into a 12-15 mile headwind. I did 5 miles and doubled back to where I started. Along the way I felt very good about becoming proficent on shifting gears, keeping my cadence and especially about my aerobic capabilities. I never felt winded all day. As I approached mile 13, heading now north on the Trace, I started to feel my upper and lower body get sluggish and stayed that way through the remainder of my 20.2 mile ride. I also learned that when going uphill, if you sit back in the saddle, you can gain more momentum and speed without feeling under duress. Traffic along the Trace was pretty steady, so I learned to stay close to the line and not waiver too much. The road was very smooth except for one small pothole along the way. Another lesson to always keep eyes on the road in front to avoid obstacles in the way. I hydrated well for the ride, but realized I had not fueled up beforehand (biking on an empty stomach) and did not bring any fuel (snacks) for after the race. Will not allow that to happen again. Completed the 20.2 miles in 1 hour 39 minutes. Averaged 12.2 mph climbing 1289 ft in elevation up and 1296ft elevation down. I burned 599 calories and had a maximum speed of 19.7 mph. Two hours later, I'm now feeling tired and a little sluggish. Will probably take it a little easier on Wednesday. More tomorrow...

Do you know a good B & B in the UK?

Worked out tonight at St. Dominic's Club. Spent 20 minutes on the bicycle doing 4.86 miles. Burned 120 calories at 101 rpm and got my heart rate up to 135 bpm. After cycling I did weight training on several stations lifting 14,820 lbs.

While on my adventure in the U.K., I plan to stay at B & B's and/or small Inns along my route. If anyone has any recommendations given my route, please do not hesitate to let me know. To date I have not booked any accomodations, but plan to do so before leaving for England.

Waiting on my bike shoes to arrive from Minnesota. Should be in this week.

Tomorrow I'm back on the bike probably trying out the Natchez Trace.....stay tuned!

Welcome to my blog! I hope to share with you the ups and downs of preparing, training, fundraising and  completing a 1,000 mile bicycle adventure from Land's End (England) to John O'Groats (Scotland) this May/June to benefit the Simon Sharp Eagle Fund.
So you may ask.....why is he doing this. Well, when I was visiting the UK two years ago, my brother-in-law Richard Stephens indicated he was training for LEJOG (Land's End to John O'Groats) otherwise known in England as the "End to End." I told him that I was interested in joining him on this journey. I contacted Richard recently and he has had recent health issues. I'm not sure if he will make the trip in May, but hope that he will be able to join me.
Regardless, I see this as a bucket list life changing event. I also thought it would be a perfect way to support the charities that we support in honor of my son, Simon, whom we lost five years ago to leukemia. I intend to pay for all expenses associated with the trip, so that ALL donations can go towards the charities. (Boy Scouts of America-Andrew Jackson Council) and (Blair E. Batson Children's Cancer Clinic in Jackson, MS). Hope to get the donation page up soon!!

So, having recently acquired my Surly Long Haul Trucker bike (and all the gear), I started training today for the trip. I'm anticipating training six days a week between now and the middle of May, to build the endurance necessary to complete the ride, (and hopefully also to enjoy it). I'm doing a combination of aerobic bike riding and weight lifting at the gym with long distance (in the saddle) bike riding. Depending on the weather and my work schedule, I plan to alternate these schedules. When I figure out how to load the info, you can check out my daily workout on my training page. Today, I cycled 10 miles in one hour, 4 mins.
at an ave. time of 6:24/mile, with 495 ft of elevations and burning 275 calories. Felt a little winded on the elevations, but no luckily no chafing and was pretty comfortable in the saddle.

Having grown up in the UK, I did some cycling when I was 10-14 yrs old. I remember cycling Exmoor in Devon and staying in a Youth Hostel. I learned all the words to American Pie by listening to a Juke Box all night. I am still able to sing the song from memory even today.

Stay tuned for future posts. Feel free to ask questions about my journey!