Welcome to the Cycle The Lights fundraising website | HOME | Simon Curtis raising money for Ovarian Cancer on a 6,000 mile journey visiting every on-shore lighthouse around mainland Britain

Welcome to the Cycle The Lights fundraising website | HOME | Simon Curtis raising money for Ovarian Cancer on a 6,000 mile journey visiting every on-shore lighthouse around mainland Britain

mmm maybe it's because I'm on days....

Just thinking whether feeling this good is actually to do with being on days and off nights after 4 years???

Back to nights soon though :-( bugger.

One thing I've noticed recently I've been saying the word 'twat' rather a lot.

I accosted a high school yobo playing havoc on the roads on his way home (surrounded by lots of people) and proceeded to call him a 'twat'. Bad move.

He called me a 'pussy' lots of times. But I wasn't the one who had a leather purse round my neck!!

I find myself saying the word all the time. It's like I have 'twat tourettes' Including calling myself one.

Twat twat twat twat twat repeat as necessary.

Will power

A day off training today. My knees are sore :-(

I’m doing more admin. Crikey this fundraising lark is a full time job! And what a fab job it is. I’m very nervous but excited at the same time.

I’ll feel better when I have reached the £1000 mark I think.

There are good and bad things about being at home all day:

going out to shops and spending too much money.

going out to shops and getting bargains for cycling in!

watching crap tv.

watching crap tv!!

eating too much.

having to fight the urge to sleep!!

Being cold :-(

drinking too much tea and avoiding water!

One fantastic thing about all this exercise is I sleep so well now. I rarely dream these days and that is fantastic. My dreams could sometimes be quite disturbing. I wake up before the alarm too :-*

Not done that for years!!!

I got 2 freebies today too, think I’ll buy a lottery ticket later and maybe………well you never know. Good things come in 3’s eh??

I’m too tired to type!

I’m not giving myself a minutes rest. Sunday I ran the race for life. Now, running for me is a mean feat. I’m no runner. I’m overweight, lots! Have dodgy knees and it just does not come naturally to me at all! Still I trained hard for it and ran virtually all of it except the uphill bit!!  It was a brilliant event and I was really proud to be part of it.

Then, on Monday morning at silly o’clock 7a.m I was at a spinning class! Must remember to take my bucket next time because I was nearly sick! Although I did better this time it was still really hard work and my heart rate was going mental. It’s good for me, it’s good for me and repeat.

I could hardly do anything yesterday and fought all day not to go back to bed. I was well ready by 10 p.m and that’s really unusual for me! Never before midnight normally.

Today, I was determined to get some miles in on the bike so made myself go on it to the hairdressers and then head out for a couple of hours. I chose a hard route to help with training on hills and although the hills were a killer they felt really good and of course bombing down them is wonderful.

The weather as usual was bloomin’ changeable so I was kitted up for rain and when the sun came out I was sweating! Again all good for me. Except I had a new hydration pouch and the water in it tasted of dettle!! yuk.

Pee’ing in a field next to a well used road wasn’t too pleasant either but what is a girl to do? Is that the done thing to do? Or are you supposed to wait to find a toilet? Not sure.

But it was a bit of a struggle trying to get 4 layers up sweaty legs without showing off my derriere too much!! Lucky I wasn’t caught out.

I made my way back home along a disused railway track that Sustrans which is beautiful through the South Derbyshire countryside. I even saw a woodpecker, which was amazing !

The flat path however was not so amazing. It’s a great track but flat and constant peddling after such a hard slog was hard work. Thank goodness the scenery took my mind off it. Going through the gates along the trail gave me a welcome break though :-)

The end of the railway track meets the busy main road to Mickleover and back to cars racing about everywhere.

I use the iphone walkmeter app to monitor my route, which is ace but gobbles the battery so arrived home in time to charge it up again.

It gives you a detailed map of where you have been, time, calories burnt and average speed. I could do with a cycle computer. I shall have to speak to Santa!

Itinerary for Kenya

Day 1, overnight London to Nairobi

 

Day 2. Transfer to hotel in Nyeri (4 hours) then bike fitting and short 5 k ride to Baden Powell's grave (good job I work nights and can stay awake all day and night and day!!!) Stay awake for dinner that night to hear about the ride...yeah right. I'll be asleep in the soup!!!!

Day 3. 98 km cycle.
long steady climb with downhill stretches. after 83 km’s we reach the equator for the first time.

day 4. 57 km.
some uphill climbing. Leaving Nyahururu and head into Subukia Valley. After 14k we stop at a view point over the valley (2550m). From there into Subukia town and then through vast tea plantations. After lunch transfer 140 km to Kabarnet on the edge of the Kerio Valley. Overnight at Hotel Kabernet built by President Moi.

day 5. The most challenging day! 93kms. Climbing the Elgeyo escarpment. 8 km downhill (steep). Around 28 km's we start a 26km climb on windy roads through the forest to the top of the Rift valley. After lunch a gentler ride downhill.

day 6 Eldoret to Kakamega 98ks or 110s if it's been raining. Up to lunch time we cycle on very hilly tarmac roads which undulate through plantations and farms. Some steeper hills when we reach Kapaset. After we cycle on a dirt track past small farms and villages and into rainforest towards Kakamega.

If it's been raining (which is likely) we will cycle on the busy main road for 62km's. Then 34 km along a smaller road entering the Kakamega Forest reserve.

Day 7. Kakamega-Kisumu 53 k
Mainly downhill with some steep climbs. Heading towards Lake Victoria.

End of ride.

day 8 transfer to Nakuru. free time to relax with option of a game drive.

day9. Nakuru to Nairobi.
In the afternoon we will visit Nairobi national park and visit an elephant orphanage. in the evening a night out to the Carnivore barbeque pit and to the Simba Saloon.
Day 9 back to London and reality.

Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi, Kenya