Wheel Hereos 100 - Details

Untitled by bluemoonrising at Garmin Connect - Details

I picked a hot day for my first long run!

The Blog has been a bit slow this year, perhaps reflecting the fact that a number of us rode L2P last year and are being a little more relaxed about our preparations this year.  I can't speak for the other riders but my training so far this time has been not quite at the same tempo, and after my ride on Sunday I fear my approach this year has been somewhat complacent - more on that later.

There has been plenty of email chatter about what group to ride in and the only advice I can give based on my experience last year is that G4 averaged approx 15.5mph over the 3 days and for me was pretty comfortable. Bear in mind that 15.5mph in a pelaton of 80 -100 riders is very much easier than riding at that speed on your own.  It looks as though they may have upped the group speeds a tad this year but I am sticking with G4 and may edge up a group depending how I feel.  Last year I was reluctant to commit to a faster group as I wasn't sure how my body would stand up to the stress of 3 long days in the saddle.  There are a few difficult hilly sections on each day but I know what to expect now so if I feel comfortable I may be bold and move up.   It is actually not easy to change groups during the day as you run the risk of shortening your lunch break which is an important recovery time.

After last years ride I invested in a new bike, a Specialized Tarmac which has improved my speed and is much more comfortable than my old Trek despite the fact that the geometry is fairly racy.  Those of you who know me may be surprised to learn that my old bike was too big for me (I'm 6'5") but it was and that made for a very uncomfortable ride. The new steed is smaller and I feel much more comfortable on it and more in control of it at speed, helped by some brilliant new Mavic tyres.

So what have I been doing since last year?

Well having bought my new bike I was kindly invited to go on a training ride in November around the Surrey Hills with Sky ProTeam riders Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift.  Now those of you who know your cycling will appreciate that these guys are serious!  I can best describe the experience by saying "I have made better decisions".  These guys were hardly drawing breath and I was struggling to hang on to the back of the peleton as we tackled some of Surrey's finest - Box Hill etc.  After just 30 miles I was absolutely shattered and returned to the hotel a broken man realising that a new bike might be nice but it is no substitute for proper training.

I am like many riders a fair weather cyclist but in an attempt to get a head start on my training I started to cycle into work a few times from late February.  For me this is a 24 mile round trip and for safety reasons I generally choose to ride down the canal tow path.  In pitch dark and with a muddy tow path the safer option proved to be the road which brings its own challenges, impatient rush hour drivers and me falling off on two occasions having got my feet stuck in the clips.

Riding into work does make a massive improvement to ones fitness but the reality is that I have not been able to do it often enough as the heavy rainfall has made the canal trip too dangerous and life is  too precious to be cycling through B'ham traffic.  My cycling has therefore mainly been confined to weekend rides, generally on my own, south from my home and into the glorious Warwickshire and the North Cotswolds countryside. I have a nice 50 mile circuit which I will tackle a few times over the holiday weekend and see if I can pick up my speed a bit.

I did a 75 mile sportive in March and felt reasonably comfortable although the speed was quite slow.  Having been out of cycling action for a few weeks and missing the London Revolution that I had planned as my big pre-L2P training event I was desperate to find a good ride so that i could get some miles in the bank. 

This brings me back to my ride last Sunday - The Wheel Heroes 100 that I rode in my new LLR/BD kit.  I did the same ride last year but the difference on Sunday, other than some subtle route changes, was the temperature that averaged 26 degrees and max'd out at 33!  I was fine for the first 40 miles until we hit the hills and then the combination of a lack of training and the heat kicked in to devastating effect and my average speed dropped massively. Thankfully the organisers had put on place excellent refreshment facilities and after a lengthy breather at 75 miles I was able to finish reasonably strongly.

It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience but valuable miles are in the bank and I hope to add to these over the weekend if the weather allows me to get out.  I just need to find one more long run out before L2P and I should be in reasonable shape - not as good as I had hoped when I committed to ride again but enough to get me through.

New auction prize: train with Sonia O'Sullivan!

We're delighted to have Sonia on our 2012 team. Her crowning achievement was a gold medal in the 5000 m at the 1995 World Athletics Championships. She won silver medals in the 5000 m at the 2000 Olympic Games and in the 1500 m at the 1993 World Championships. Sonia has also won three European Championship gold medals and two World Cross-Country Championship gold medals.

Here is your chance to bid on a training day with Olympic athlete, middle-distance runner and all-round champion Sonia O’Sullivan.

The training schedule starts at Lensbury Club in Teddington and includes a run to Richmond Park or St. Mary's track dependent on winner’s capacity and training requirement.

Sonia is flexible on distance and speed depending on level of ability.

A gym session followed by gentle swim to warm down.

Lunch with Sonia and the chance to talk about her training and racing over the years, and why she still loves running and fitness.

Drinks and snacks between sessions.

Plus the chance for photos and a signed book for Sonia’s training partner for the day to take home.

Kindly donated by Sonia O'Sullivan

Terms and conditions: Transport to Teddington not included.

Bid for this prize now!

Fundraising for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research

Garry Richardson, Jill Douglas, Ian Burrows (Brewin Dolphin), Mike Gatting and Paul Sargent (Brewin Dolphin). 

The evening raised over £10,000 for the charity.

The amazing charity raffle!

As part of our fundraising efforts for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research we're selling raffle tickets with some fabulous prizes. To purchase tickets, please email tabitha.wrathall@brewin.co.uk.

TOP PRIZE: Jersey Ultimate Experience

Return flights to Jersey courtesy of British Airways.

Two nights accommodation at the The Royal Yacht Hotel, which is a new, modern, luxury Jersey hotel situated in St.Helier. http://www.theroyalyacht.com/

Friday Lunch or dinner for two at Quayside Bistro, situated in the heart of St.Helier, whom caters for all. http://www.libertysjersey.co.uk/quayside-bistro

Saturday Dinner for two at the Oysterbox restaurant situated in one of the most beautiful places in the Island, St.Brelades Bay. www.oysterbox.co.uk/

Sunday Lunch at The Atlantic Hotel, Michelin Starred restaurant which is set in six acres of private grounds adjoining La Moye championship golf course. http://www.theatlantichotel.com/

Luxury car supplied by Jackson’s the premier car dealer in Jersey for either the Saturday or Sunday.

Hire Car for the weekend supplied by Avis.

Opportunity to do as many activities as you wish from the list below:

The activities will need to be agreed in advance once dates are confirmed and are subject to availability.

A round of golf for 2 at La Moye Golf Club the number 1 course in the Island. Located in St Brelade in the south west of the Island, the golfer is presented with stunning views inland of the western parishes and seaward of St Ouen’s Bay and the sister Channel Islands of Guernsey, Sark, Herm and Jethou. The Course which was established in 1902 has previously been a venue on the PGA European Tour, with such notable winners Tony Jacklin, Ian Woosnam, Bernard Gallagher, Howard Clark, Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance and since 1996 now features in the European PGA Seniors Tour. www.lamoyegolfclub.co.uk/ 

A tour and tasting for two at the La Mare Wine Estate, followed by a Jersey Cream Tea. Set in the peaceful grounds of a traditional 18th century granite farmhouse, La Mare Wine Estate is a working 25 acre domain, committed to creating the very best wines, ciders and spirits, along with hand-made preserves and chocolates. Unique to Jersey, La Mare is the perfect location to spend the day. http://www.lamarewineestate.com/

A private visit to St Ouen’s Manor the ancestral home of the de Carteret family. The family traces itself back to the year 1000, and family members are recorded as having served with William during the Norman Conquest.
The earliest records of the house date from 1135 and, uniquely in the Channel Islands, the house has been handed down from father to son ever since then. The owner of the house is known as the Seigneur de St Ouen and to this day is the first of the Seigneurs to pay homage to the reigning Monarch whenever he or she visits the Island. The Manor features on the reverse of the Jersey £20 note. http://www.stouensmanor.com

 

Kindly arranged by Stuart Sangan, Head of Office, Brewin Dolphin Jersey

Terms and conditions: Booking is non-transferable

Other prizes include:

·          10 tickets to the next Saracens match at Wembley

·          Case of wine from Berry Bros 

·          Debrett's The Queen - The Diamond Jubilee book

·          1 hour private tuition at Urban Golf, Smithfield Street, London

·          Bespoke Perfumery Gift Certificate from Royal perfumers, Floris - worth £150

·          Debrett's Guide For The Modern Gentleman book

·          All Black shirt signed by Kiwi legends Zinzan Brooke and Sean Fitzpatrick

·          Ranulph Fiennes signed book

·          Frank Gardener signed book

·          Zinzan Brooke signed book

·          Alastair Campbell signed book

·          Cricket bat signed by the Sussex CCC team including England's Matt Prior, Luke Wright and Michael Yardy  Kindly donated by Brewin Dolphin, Brighton
·          Framed photograph of the England Rugby World Cup Winners 2003, signed by former England captain, Martin Johnson  Kindly donated by Peel Hunt
·          Cricket bat signed by Mark Ramprakash  Kindly donated by Peel Hunt

·          4 x Twenty20 tickets to watch Sussex v Surrey on 8th July at Hove. Match tickets include access to members area ( no hospitality) Kindly donated by Brewin Dolphin, Brighton

·          LLR Cycling Kit - Including a Specialized S-Works Prevail Helmet, Universal Brake Kit, Replacement Brake Pads, Replacement gear cables, Shimano SPD cleats, Replacement chain, Bar and Rim Tape, Lights, Waterbottle, Overshoes and an Allen key tool. All of this comes to nearly £300 worth of kit!

·          More to be added!

winner!

The incredible charity auction!

As part of our fundraising push for the London-Paris 2012 cycle challenge, we are running an online auction with some fantastic prizes on offer. You can find details of these items and place bids for them below, the auction will be open until 6.45pm on Wednesday 13 June so be sure to place your bid by then.
Brewin Dolphin are helping us to beat blood cancers as sponsors to the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research London-Paris Team. Fifteen finely-tuned, lycra-clad athletes are riding 520km over three days and hoping to beat the £120,000 total the team raised last year. Find out more about the event.
Please note that to bid on any of the items you will need to create a 32auctions account, which will only take a minute. Good luck and happy bidding!

Lot 1
Ultimate Arsenal FC Fan Experience

A trip behind the scenes at Sky Sports with John Salako (2 Guests)
An Arsenal Experience Tour with Arsenal Legend Lee Dixon (4 Guests)
PLUS - Ball signed by the current Arsenal Team 2011/12 season
PLUS - An Arsenal shirt signed by the 2011/12 squad
Kindly donated by Lee Dixon, John Salako, the League Managers' Association and Arsenal Football Club.
www.arsenal.com
Terms and conditions: The date for the Arsenal tour is to be confirmed once 2012/2013 fixtures become available.
Bid for this prize now!

Lot 2
Westminster Calling!

A unique opportunity to have your next Press Release written by Former Director of Communications for Number 10, Alastair Campbell.
Alastair will also include the winner as a character in his next novel.
PLUS - a year's subscription to The Spectator.
Kindly donated by Alastair Campbell and The Spectator.
www.spectator.co.uk
www.alastaircampbell.org
Terms and conditions: Please note this prize is non-transferable and subject to availability.
Bid for this prize now!

Lot 3
The Grove with Rugby Legend, Zinzan Brooke

The opportunity for you and two guests to enjoy a round of golf with New Zealand rugby legend Zinzan Brooke on The Grove's championship course. PLUS four ground passes to the IRISH OPEN at Royal Portrush on Thursday 28th June 2012.
The prize includes 1 x 4 ball for 18 holes at the Grove's championship course with full access to the practice facilities before you and your guests tee off.
Kindly donated by Sportingclass and The Grove.
www.sportingclass.co.uk
www.thegrove.co.uk
Terms and conditions: Please note that all additional costs to be covered by the auction winner. Food and beverages are not included. Please note booking is subject to availability and the passes for the Irish Open are non-transferable.
Bid for this prize now!

Lot 4
Exclusive Monaco Formula1 Grand Prix Weekend, May 2013

You and a guest can enjoy all the action and glamour of the Monaco Formula1 Grand Prix weekend next year on 24th to 27th May 2013. This exclusive auction item includes the following : Return flights from London to Nice. 3 x nights accommodation in a central hotel in Nice. Full hospitality on both the practise day and the race day - including breakfast and lunch with complimentary bar. Access to balcony to view the practise day and race, where you will be up close to the action throughout the weekend.
Kindly donated by Bespoke Events
www.bespokeevents.co.uk.
Terms and conditions: Please note transfers are not included.
Reserve: £4,000
Bid for this prize now!

Lot 5
Exclusive cycling trip to Majorca with the legendary Stephen Roche

This prize is for two people for three nights at the Triple Crown winner Stephen Roche's cycling camp, staying at the Ponent Mar Hotel in Palma, Majorca.
This exclusive prize includes a ride and dinner with Roche himself, half board hotel accommodation, cycle hire and a Stephen Roche 25th anniversary limited edition cycling jersey for both riders and a signed autobiography (being published in June 2012).
Kindly donated by Stephen Roche
www.stephenroche.com
Terms and conditions: Please note that flights and transfers are not included.  Dinner and hosted ride with Stephen Roche subject to his availability. This prize is non-transferable.
Reserve: £600
Bid for this prize now!

Lot 6
Private Garden consultation with RHS Gold Award winner Chelsea Flower Show designer, Cleve West

This is the perfect gift for any keen gardener who is looking to gain some expert design advice on their garden. Cleve West has built a reputation for innovative garden design, from private havens to award winning show gardens. As part of this fantastic prize, Cleve will meet you at the Brewin Dolphin London office for a private two hour consultation to discuss your garden and design requirements. As part of the consultation, Cleve will produce some bespoke design ideas with recommended plant and flower lists, in order for you to transform your garden.
Kindly donated by Cleve West Landscape Design
www.clevewest.com
Terms and conditions: Please note the date and timing of the consultation are subject to availability. This prize is non-transferable and must be redeemed by the successful auction winner only.
Bid for this prize now!

First Sportive of 2012

Not wishing to repeat too much from last year I have been waiting for something to write about but conscious that those who did the L2P last year should pass on experiences etc..

Yesterday I completed my first sportive of 2012 in Bristol known as the Mario Cipollini Grand Fondo. Four of us from Jersey went over on the Saturday and had the opportunity to join 100 others for the pre-ride gala dinner with the Italian legend. Despite not being fluent in English we were all able to enjoy his stories and engage in the passion he has for cycling. The event organisation was terrific and to a similar standard of of the Hot Chilli L2P of last year which sets the benchmark. I was fortunate to have pre ride massage before breakfast which is something i missed out on last year during the L2P. Book very early to have any chance before and after the ride! Peter was the master last year at being top of the list. The early bird etc. I stuck to my usual routine of having a full bottle of SIS PSP22 Fuel before breakfast. This achieves two things. Plenty of liquid in case you have problems drinking on a bike (you will learn but better to be prepared) and secondly according to the SIS marketing the powder provides everything to charge the batteries. The team captains are aware that many riders take on more fluid than normal before the ride so there is always a stop after the first hour! For the newer team members you will be provided with sachets at the start of the event but it is worth trying different flavours before hand to make sure they agree with you. Zpvit is a good alternative (Chain Reaction) stock both. Its important that you try different energy bars etc to see what's good for you. When riding I tend to eat bananas (easy to peal and eat quickly) together with the Zipvit energy chews. Gels are great but variety is important and flavours are very personal.

Being a UK Sportive there is no official mass start as the roads are not closed, however all the cyclists are keen to start as early as possible. Two hundred yards down the road Ian from our group had a full blow out in the back tyre. Better early on as he had spare wheels back in the car. There were support vehicles just as there will be in L2P but it was quicker to go back. Having been close to the lead out groups we were now firmly at the back. The ride was split into 3 with feed stops at 40km and 80km and refreshments at the finish 115km. Although not as long as an L2P stage the climbing partly made up for it at 1650m. The first stage was relatively flat, cold and windy but at a a nice steady pace. Not so part two! The rain came and with it Burrington Combe and the Cheddar Gorge. Not ideal after a feed station so the food intake was low despite numerous temptations. Cycling in rain uphill is not enjoyable but coming down the other side at speed isn't either! In France if it rains you will be obliged to wear a yellow top (what runners use or similar) so might be worth trying to borrow one in advance rather than the last minute panic we had last year.

The second feed stop was unbelievable as we had a choice of so much food. Unfortunately one of our group had cramp and as we were all soaked through and cold, and two of us had a plane to catch, we decided to press on. The sun came out briefly and we began to warm up but with 20km to go the heavens opened up once more. The light was so low I could barley see but as i use prescription sunglasses I had no choice but to carry on. Having started at just after 9 we arrived back at about 14:15. Average moving pace just over 27km which is acceptable in view of the conditions.

My next Sportive is the London Revolution May 19/20th. I know Steve will be riding but it would be great if anyone else from the L2P team could join us.

Hope you are all putting in the miles, as time spent now will ensure that you enjoy the experience. If you can ride in a group you will benefit not only from understanding the etiquette of the peleton, but you will find your average speed will gain about 2kph from riding on your own.

My training so far

Hi Everyone

All of a sudden it's April so I thought it was about time that I made a post to share my training experience so far. First of all I'd like to say I'm a newbie cyclist and hadn't owned a road bike until signing up to L2P - so I've pretty much been learning / making things up as I go along.

Since signing up I've been making spin classes a regular part of my week (6:45am on Mondays and Fridays) - if anyone hasn't tried them I would definitely recommend it for when you can't get out on the bike for real. I've also been doing a long ride (weather permitting) every weekend through the winter. One of my best purchases so far have definitely been my bib tights - I don't think I'd have made through the winter without them. They have, however, been renamed as my 'mankini' by my friends. I’d definitely like to upgrade my wheels next so any tips / suggestions would be much appreciated.

More recently I've been going out for Sunday rides with my local triathlon club and completed my first ever triathlon a few weeks ago. Despite a bit of a mishap in the transition area (it took me a while to find my bike!) I absolutely loved it and am definitely hoping to build a few more into training for L2P.  

It was fantastic to meet Geoff and all the team in London back in November. It really helped me to understand the great work Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research are doing and provided great motivation for training over the winter. Everyone who completed L2P last year spoke so highly of the organisation from HotChillee as well. It was a great surprise to receive a training jersey in the post from them recently. It’s also the right size so I’m hoping that’s a good sign for when the LLR kit arrives!

Happy training to you all.

Rob Harper

Looking forward to following the L2P 2012 team

Glad the blog is back in use and I can start following you guys in the lead up to L2P 2012. I really am go to miss the event this year but wish you all every success in your training.

For all the first timers in the team you are going to love it - a really memorable time, meeting great people, wonderful cycling and very professionally managed from start to finish.

If anyone is ever in the South of the country and wants to meet up for a training ride then please let me know. I need all the time in the saddle I can get as I have my own challenge this year:

http://journeytoironmanaustria.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy training!

Hello team!

Very excited to think that in 101 days we will be arriving in Paris - bring on the champers!  Hope everyone's training is going well.  I have been along to the first 2 HotChillee training rides, if anyone has the chance to get along to one I would highly recommend it - they are fab.  I stayed safe in Group 4 for the first ride then stepped up to Group 3 for the second... could keep up on the flats but really need to work on hills!  I'm doing LEJOG at the end of this month so I am hoping that once I have conquered Cornwall and Devon, and the Scottish highlands, I should be ready for anything...

I notice our justgiving fundraising page is looking a bit sparse, let's spread the word and get the donations flooding in! www.justgiving.com/250years

Training and Diet

I took part in the L2P last year which was a great step into the unknown for me having never cycled or taken part in an endurance event before. one of my big concerns was eating bfore, during and after each day. We have a nutritionis who comes into the office, primarily to sell his gear so I would pay little attention to any actual products he mentions, but I asked him for his advice on nutrition for L2P and he trew in his tuppence worth on training. His thoughts are below.



First of all, always train in a way that replicates the movements of your chosen sporting event. For example, it’s not much use to you doing leg extension and flexion in the gym on the machines, because this does not replicate the movements of cycling. Instead, you would be better doing weighted squats and single leg squats. This is because a squat is much more similar to the cycling movements that take place in your legs. Obviously, spending a lot of time on the bike itself is the best replication.


You also want to replicate the intensities of your sport. So cycling involves lots of repetitions of varying intensities. If you are doing strength work – do several sets (4 or 5) of 20-30 repetitions. Any more repetitions than this and you might as well do cardio. Any less and it doesn’t represent the endurance nature of your sport. London to Paris is a long distance event, so obviously you need to get used to being on the bike for many hours. I strongly recommend choosing a gear that allows you to peddle at at least 85 rpm because grinding the peddles will only tire you out after the first 10-20 miles. Gradually build up your mileage between now and the event and make sure you factor in plenty of recovery time especially between intense training sessions.

Balance and agility is very important on a bike. You may be dodging potholes or water-bottles and your core strength is essential. Probably one of the best balance exercises you could do is to try to balance on your knees on a stability ball (the exercise balls that look like a beach ball). You may need to start by holding on to a rail or something, but over time, you should be able to balance for 60 seconds un-aided. Do three sets.


Vibration is also something that you have to cope with on a bike. The imperfections on the road surface will transfer through your bike and be absorbed by your muscles. The more you can absorb these vibrations, the longer you will last. If you have access to a Powerplate, these are a great way of training for vibrational strength. You can use the Powerplate as a platform from which to do your squats and core exercises.



Your shoulders and triceps and forearms are holding the weight of your upper-body for long periods of time. So press-ups and dips are also good exercises to strengthen this area. Again, you can do these on a Powerplate for extra effectiveness.



Now for your nutrition. First of all, you must balance your blood sugar levels and get plenty of vitamins and minerals. This is a daily requirement, regardless of your sport. Next, specific to your sport, you need to make sure you get the right fuel before, during and after:



Before: Eat foods rich in lean proteins and complex carbohydrates – but give your body a couple of hours to digest it properly. Just before your exercise (within 10-20 minutes), have something like a banana or a pear to give you some simple healthy sugars.



During: Your training is going to be at a moderate to hard intensity for quite a long period. This means you need a mixture of carbohydrates, water and a little protein. Too much protein will be difficult to digest, but a little bit will help you get through the training without feeling starving and lethargic at the end. There are some excellent sports drinks on the market and also some very crap ones. The best sports drink I can recommend (although I would say this because I now sell it), but I honestly do think it is the dog’s danglies - is Prolong by Herbalife.

Here is the link… http://theboosthealth.com/herbalife-24-prolong.aspx I would just point out though, that I am showing you the most elite products on the market – so they’re not cheap. If you want me to give you some cheap options, just send me an email.

Being on a bike is quite advantageous in some ways, because your stomach can cope with digesting more food than it can, say if you were running. I tend to chop up a couple of protein snack bars in to bite-size chunks and put them in an open food bag. I can then snack on these while I ride, combining them with my sports drink.



After: Once you have finished your training, you have about 30 minutes before your metabolic window begins to close. This basically means that the best time to get nutrients back in to your muscles is within 30 minutes of finishing. Get this right and you will recover in half the time. Again, you need lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, plus a small amount of simple carbohydrates to get your energy levels quickly back up. You can do this with whole foods, but you will not recover as quickly as you would if you use a recovery shake.

I hope this helps some of the newer cyclists.

A word from our team captain, Geoff Thomas

 

I’m delighted to be Captain of the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Team again this year. It’s a great honour to lead our red jerseyed riders to Paris and so much fun to be involved in this fantastic event.

It’s a cause very close to my heart and I’ve been involved with the charity since my recovery from chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2005. I’m thrilled that all the fundraising from our team this year goes to a project which I have championed. The Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) will link 13 hospitals around the country, giving patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma access to new treatments sooner, drastically improving their chances of survival.

I’m also pleased our team sponsor, Brewin Dolphin are back on board. We have 16 keen riders from Brewin offices across the UK and they’re fully behind the cause again and committed to raising even more than they did last year.

They will be joining a few of my celebrity friends, Football Manager Aidy Boothroyd, Rugby Player Paddy Johns, TV Gardner Diarmuid Gavin and Sky Sports Presenter Jill Douglas are all part of Team LLR. Not to mention John Salako who is aiming to make it to the start line after injury cruelly ruled him out of last year’s event.

Last year the team raised a massive £120,000 and we’re just as committed as our friends from Brewin Dolphin to beating that total this time around. This fundraising makes a huge difference to our patients. Patients like Harvey Bennett who has recovered from being diagnosed with lymphoma in May 2011 to join us in June. Like Nick Gordon, who rides this year after beating cancer twice. Like Harry Boxall who will be training in Jersey after undergoing treatment for Lymphoma. Some pretty impressive efforts which benefit every one of the 30,000 people a year diagnosed with a blood cancer in the UK. Our riders and fundraisers are helping to save the lives of all these patients, young and old, from all over the country. From grandchildren to grandparents, sons to sisters, not to mention the odd ex-footballer. I may not pick up the yellow jersey on The London–Paris 2012 but I’ll be very proud to wear a red one along the way. You can too by joining our team and helping to beat blood cancers.

Geoff Thomas

Team LLR Captain

www.leukaemialymphomaresearch.com

New year, new race!

Following the success of last year’s London-Paris, Brewin Dolphin is delighted to field a team of sixteen riders for the London to Paris 2012 Cycle Ride in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research is the only UK charity solely dedicated to research into blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Its life-saving research is focused on finding causes, improving diagnosis and treatments, and running groundbreaking clinical trials for all blood cancer patients.

As part of the Beating Blood Cancers team, in association with Geoff Thomas, our riders are from offices across the Brewin Dolphin Group and have local hospitals involved in the clinical trials which are to be funded by the proceeds from the race this year.

Geoff Thomas is an ex-Crystal Palace and England player who was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in 2003. Unlike many who do not survive this illness, Geoff battled back to health thanks to a life saving bone marrow transplant from his sister. Since recovering from his illness, Geoff has dedicated his life to raising money to fund blood cancer treatment.

Please visit our new JustGiving page and show your support for this brilliant charity.

Post L2P Adventures

I'm not sure if anybody besides me and David keep checking the blog but thought I would add my experiences since L2P 2011 - almost 6 months ago!!!

Well, since the big adventure i've been keeping up the riding (bar a couple of breaks for exams and such like) and purchased a new carbon steed shortly after - it took all my strength to persuade the other half that this was a worthy "investment", but somehow I managed it! I also joined Leeds Mercury cycling club which has been fantastic for getting the miles in, learning some new routes and getting to know a few people on the local scene. This has since developed into a North Leeds racing team, Slipstream Bikes, and i'm hoping to start racing come the new year when the temperaturs get above freezing again. Other than L2P 2012 , racing is the only real goal and i'm hoping it will stand me in good stead in the quest for the pave of Paris.

I hope everyone is fighting fit and training for next year....

New Personal Blog: Journey to Ironman Austria

A few of my friends and family, who are possibly looking into getting into the fine sport of triathlon, have asked me to write a Blog tracking my journey to become an Ironman finisher (Austria: July 2012).

I am not sure if I will be any good at it, however like most things I am willing to have a go (Tri Hard Dave!). So for anyone that is interested the link is as follows:

http://journeytoironmanaustria.blogspot.com/

At this stage it only provides a bit of background but the intention is to build a picture for when I start my proper training.

During the coming weeks and months I would love to get some bike training with the Brewin Dolphin L2P 2012 team. Please keep the 'Blood, Sweat and Gears' blog up to date with you own training and details of events you are planning to complete.

A lap around Jersey with Stuart and the boys

I was very fortunate to be invited to spend a couple of days in Jersey, which involved not only a day sailing with some of the Brewin Dolphin Jersey team and their clients but a fantastic bike ride around the Island. Good old Stuart had arranged for me to borrow a very nice carbon beauty from the local bike shop (Trek Madone with Dura Ace) so all I needed were my pedals, shoes, helmet and most importantly the Brewin Dolphin L2P2011 club colours.

I was surprised by the turn out on the Saturday morning ride - must have been a good 30 riders - most were very experienced so the 60km+ route was quite a fast pace. I now understand why Stuart was probably the most prepared for the L2P event!

If any of the L2P2012 team get a chance to visit Jersey there is certainly some great cycling there, especially for such a small Island.

Thanks Stuart!

Training post L2P2011

And I'm back!

Thought I would post a blog post-L2P2011 to let you know what I am doing in the way of training.

With a few triathlon events planned for July (Olympic distance), August (Sprint distance) and September (Half-Ironman distance) my training is a bit more tri-specific - more runs off the bike (called brick sessions), interval training and some open water swimming.

Generally trying to cycle into work at least a couple of times a week (56km round trip), pool swim for 1.5 hours on Wednesday evening and 1 hour on Saturday morning, lake swim on Sunday evening, plus a couple of run sessions (intervals, hill training, some longer distances) during the week.

Unfortunately not really done a long cycle ride since our epic three days during L2P - need to get a sportive or two in the diary.

Love to hear what the rest of the guys are doing - hope those bikes are getting some use and the Brewin Dolphin cycle kit is not buried in the bottom of the drawer!

L2P2011: Garmin Downloads

Finally got round to adding my Garmin files of the L2P2011 to 'Blood, Sweat and Gears' - no heart rate data, just distance, speed and cadence. Lap 1 of day 3 was in Group 3, otherwise I was riding in Group 4. The map for day 1 is missing, which is a bit disappointing - technical problem!

Day1 : http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96433879 (unfortunately map details missing)

Day 2: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96433874

Day 3: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96433855

Peter Land: Going the distance

Wed 22^nd June

Fiddled – put extra bottled cage on bike, checked allen keys in toolkit, etc. Got together a huge carrier bag of Isotonic drink powders, high carb gu, high energy bars etc., dismantled bike to pack it in the car and set off. My 12 year old son said he wished he’d done the training so he could do the ride for me – so do I!

The check in is impressive. All big banners, booming motivational music, motor bikes, cameras, cars and logos. Just like Glastonbury really, without that pungent smell. Met up with my team mates and watched the video of the 2010 run again and wondered again why the cycling scenes are shot in slow motion. I reckon it’s because it makes it look more glamorous, more magical and less like hard work. The pasta dinner is disappointing, might need all the food in that carrier bag to get through until tomorrow!

Thur 23^rd June

D(eparture) day and we’re off in the cool early morning down into south west London. Don’t know what to expect so just sit about the middle of the pack and wait for the pain to kick in, which surprisingly it doesn’t. So I move up a bit and begin to enjoy myself, chatting to my new best mates Will (Carling) and Lee (Dixon) and many of the other 80 or so in our speed group. One other chap needs a stockbroker but I didn’t have my business cards with me (didn’t really have anywhere to put them), so I’ll just have to hope he’s in my hotel tonight. In fact I hope I’m in my hotel tonight as the day wears on. The highlights are ‘comfort breaks’, normally in field entrances, but the required operation is difficult to negotiate in bib shorts, wish the bib was a bit lower at the front. Worse for the girls though, you certainly get to know your fellow cyclists quite well on these trips. One highlight is the pace, felt really comfortable at 17mph, another is the leg massage in the hotel; one lowlight is that it takes as long to get from Dover to Calais as it did from London to Dover and the other is that we lunched in a lovely English country pub, where instead of a pint of best I drank a lemon flavoured electrolyte drink. Yuck.

Fri 24^th June

A lie in until 6am today and then off from Calais into the gentle French hills. Gentle but very long, I discover as we seem to go up for miles at a time and by the afternoon I am exhausted. The encouragement from colleagues is brilliant and I am determined not to drop to a slower group, jump in the ‘white van of shame’, or accept a push from Dave, our bullying ride captain, so I persevere but it is so very tough. Highlights today? I can’t remember one during the day except Stephen Jones’ explanation of exactly where he is sore, but a gentle stroll along the canal in Amiens in the early evening helped me recover some good humour. Mrs Land declares she is proud of me, so even she is coming round to this cycling lark.

Sat 25^th June

We’re told we have a very tough 25 miles to start, then a long grind to a late lunch at about 80 miles, before we are to assemble as one group of 350 for the final 25 miles or so into Paris. In fact the morning is very long but by now I’m used to the pattern; focus on the next mile, the next hour, the next comfort break – oh a steep hill, damn it, the next mile, the next hour – hurray, another comfort break – the next hour, and so on. Eventually we pull into a sports complex on the edge of a town and all the hard work is done, apparently. We wait a long time for Group 5 to catch up and then form up as one big pelaton to move into Paris, through streets blocked off to other traffic and around a corner to see the Arc de Triomphe ahead. Between it and me there is only about half a mile, but half a mile of cobbles – please don’t let me puncture here, in front of these cheering crowds – but then the jarring stops and I’m through, down to the finish and Sasha to greet us with the champagne.

The rest of the evening passes in a blur. My feelings are a mixture of pleasure, pain and regret that it’s all over. I’ve had some real laughs with these people and I don’t want it to end; I don’t of course know if my key will still fit the door lock at home, either.

Sun 26^th June.

The big homecoming and my front door key does still fit. I’m forgiven as it was for charity, after all. The bike isn’t on ebay…yet, as I’ve agreed to do a ride to Cambridge, just a quick 70 miles or so. Maybe after that, but only if I get a very good offer as I am now rather attached to her, I mean attached to it. And of course I’ve got all the gear now, and so many happy memories, and new friends. The consensus is that we should all do it again so I’m going to have to work on a way to drop that casually into a conversation with Mrs Land……