Training for the Prudential
RideLondon-Surrey 100 took a bit of a knock this week. On Saturday (4th)
I had a minor crash which has caused a bit of damage to me and the bike. Then
on Tuesday I was literally about to go out the door and picked up my phone to
find a message that said a close friend had taken his own life.
Pam and I spent the rest of the evening in
a state of shock. Training was off, Wednesday wasn’t much better and after a
day at work we just went out for tea as we weren’t even motivated to cook. I
finally got out on Thursday and had only gone two miles when the gear shifter
came lose and I couldn’t brake or change gear. So Friday the bike went into
dock. A big thank you to Shrewsbury Cyclelife ( http://www.shrewsburycycles.co.uk )
for turning the bike around so quickly.
Friday night saw us meeting an old friend
for mutual support, sharing of memories of a lost friend and lots of alcohol to
try and reason out what happened. Hence Saturday’s training ride with a
hangover and on the old heavy bike was hard work. Average speed of 10mph was a
disgrace, but at least I was out there.
On a plus – sponsorship money is now
starting to appear and I hope we can make a difference to the dogs and cats at
Grinshill. Apologies for all those Facebook messages and emails, but we do need
to raise enough to make the Just Giving fees worthwhile.
