With only 2 days to go before I roll out of Celtic Park on Grace my training is officially incomplete!
The demands of work have severely limited opportunities to get out on the road and put the miles in. This means one particular part of my anatomy isn´t ready for the punishment it´s about to receive 😬.
Diet went well, physical training at home helped a lot and being alcohol free for 14 days before the trip and the whole trip will significantly aid in day to day recovery.
I feel good, I feel fit and I´m looking forward to the challenge but I know I will suffer from a sore backside because of a lack of hours in the saddle recently.
The best bib shorts and lots of chamois cream will hopefully help 🤞
Here are some statistics from my training in 2023 ...........
Total Distance 680 km
Total Rides 8
Longest Ride 136.1 km
Most elevation 1,450 m
Meters Climbed 7,621 m
Time in the Saddle 34 hours 50 minutes
Weight Loss 15 kg
During the 8 months I trained for Glasgow to Lisbon I learned an enormous amount about ALL things cycling.
The technique of climbing and descending, group riding, road safety, cycling etiquette.
Road Bike maintenance & repair as well as the importance of the correct clothing.
Nutrition - fueling long rides and how to recover quickly and repeat.
All of that will help me get this job done 💪
I arrived at Edinburgh airport in the early hours of Thursday morning and dropped Grace off at the appropriately named Greenrig Cycles in Falkirk to be rebuilt, serviced and prepared for the challenge.
At 3pm this afternoon I received a call from Mark at Greenrig to inform that Grace´s rear wheel was not fit for purpose and on the brink of collapsing.
6 years and over 20,000km had taken it´s toll and the structural integrity of the rim was compromised. After a frantic search and many phone calls a donor wheel has been located in Glasgow.
I will collect it in the morning, take it to Greenrig and Mark will perform the transplant around midday 🚲.
It´s getting very real now 😬 the Whsapp group chat is full of pictures of people arriving in Glasgow from all over.
We will all get together on Friday evening for an informal dinner with the support crew from another appropriately named business Greenrock Adventure.
Carb loading and an early night is the plan as we rendezvous at Celtic Park very early on Saturday morning to set off at 08.30h.
Remember I´m doing this for charity.
The work that The Celtic FC Foundation does is heart warming and amazing.
If you would like to know how the money raised will be used then please visit their website here
I will post a Blog after every day so that you can follow me on this epic journey 🚵🚵🚵
💚 Thank you to everyone who has donated so far and for all the good luck messages 💚