How i cycled 550miles from the Isle of Wight to Edinburgh in 6 days with NO training!

It had been a idea of mine to do a long distance bike ride for about 6 months, i was inspired by a legend called Chris Mark and his cycling adventure 'Miles for a memory'. (www.milesforamemory.com) 

He was in the process of cycling 20,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina while aiming to raise £20,000 for the charity 'Wishes for Kids'.  WOW

I felt it was the least i could possibly do after all he was doing. His ride was for a great cause in memory of his sister who was hit by a car while riding her bicycle. I followed his progress on Facebook and couldn't take my eyes off his journey.  Reading the story made me appreciate that i was able to ride a bicycle, therefore it was time for me to undertake my own challenge, Nowhere near the scale of Chris's mind you.

I finished my job on a Tuesday in Amsterdam, flew home to the isle of wight,  bought a bike, set it up, and 5 days later i set off for Edinburgh, i'd never rode a bike with 'clip-in' shoes before so that was a interesting start !! Once the technique was mastered there was no stopping me.

I used the ride to broaden my knowledge of myself and cycling. As a fitness and lifestyle guru i wanted to learn how i could complete the ride without any cycling training. Eating properly, breathing correctly, drinking the right amounts of water, different cycling techniques to preserve energy and decrease the overuse of certain muscles, what to do before i set of in the morning, what to do when i got off the bike in the evenings, how to recover as quick as possible. Everyday was a school day.  

I averaged 90 miles each day with a longest day of 133 miles. 

On reaching Edinburgh Castle i was instantly grateful to be able to have taken part in the ride and see all the beauty that Great Britain has to offer.

My words on the Ride..... create your own challenge, make your own decisions, don't let inspirational moments reach you and pass you by, use them to your advantage and have your own stories to tell !!

#thetimeisnow