A Year's Progress

We've come along way in a year, Amanda and myself......

Just over a year ago, we cycled a sportive event called the Hampshire Hilly Hundred - Amanda to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society and me, to help her along the way and provide support.
Amanda found it very tough and completed the 98 (or so) miles in a little under 8 hours.

Yesterday we did the route again (starting from home to increase the miles a little bit), as training for next weeks Dragon Ride in Wales, where Amanda is set to complete 75 miles and I will complete 126 miles, as further training towards the Etape Du Tour in July.

I got home from work and we hit the road at around 10am, heading towards Twyford to intercept the route and soon ran into the first hill of the day - White's Hill, leading to Owslebury. We have cycled this a few times since but vividly remember how much of a shock this hill was when we first did it last year. Turning of the main road, not long after the waterworks building, the road narrows to a single track and works its way through woodland before suddenly steepening from nowhere and reaching 17%. It's not long but tricky if you are not expecting it. We both found it considerably easier than in last May though.

We have also come along way in terms of our knowledge of how our bodies will react and the kind of nutrition we need to have in order to keep going - Jelly babies seem to be the best discovery. Plenty of instant energy, easy to digest and you can take them in small amounts, and most importantly, regularly. With a good breakfast, plenty of water and an electrolyte drink to aid hydration and prevent cramping we managed our nutrition throughout the day.
Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill are not as challenging as they once were and once over them we headed northwards and on towards the top section of the route on the far side of the M3.
At 50 miles in we stopped at Overton to refresh our supplies (not the same scenes of desperation eating ( see earlier post) that greeted my solo trip past here in December).
We timed our most sustained eating for the 3 or four miles immediately before Watership Down but in truth this hill has lost most of it's reputation. It consists of two steep sections with a flat run in between. It was so tough last year because it comes 62 miles in and we were a good deal less fit back then ( we were also both 10 pounds heavier).
As we approached Farley Mount, with around 90 miles on the clock, I realised that if we took the most direct route home from here we would not reach the 100 mile mark.
I indicated to Amanda that we would need to go all the way back to Twyford and then home to make sure we went over the ton. She was now becoming very tired and fortunately for me, could not catch me up to strangle me.
We arrived home more than an hour quicker than the year before and did five miles more. Our average speed was 2 mph faster and I certainly had a good bit more in the tank, which was a welcome confidence boost.
Onwards to Wales now for the Dragon Ride, which I am really looking forward to as Wales is a place I hardly know and I will hopefully have some pics and video to give a flavour of the day.....

The Reasons for the Charity Fundraising

I would like to explain the reasons for my decision to try and raise money for charity while doing the Etape.
Firstly, and I think most importantly, it is not one of these events where I have to raise a certain amount of money to put towards the cost of the trip. We are funding the total cost ourselves so all the money that I raise will go direct to the charities involved.
I have chosen to raise funds for two charities that are close to both of our hearts.......

Parkinson's UK is my favourite charity as the disease runs in the paternal side of my family and most recently caused the death of Charles Henry Hawkes, the elder brother of my Dad. "Charlie" had Parkinson's Disease for 20 years before it claimed his life, and anyone who had seen a sufferer of this cruel condition will know how how awful it is for all concerned.

My second charity is The Alzheimer's Society as this is my wife Amanda's charity of choice.... Her reasons are simple as her Dad, John Simpson has recently been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, a condition which The Alzheimer's Society also offers support and research for.
Vascular Dementia is the U.K's second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's itself, and as her family tries to come to terms with this most difficult of conditions, it seems the least that we can do to try and raise funds for them.

Although Amanda will not be riding the Etape herself she will be accompanying me on much of the training and fitness work that I will need to do, as well as supporting me on the trip (probably doing most of the driving).

If you are reading this with interest and would like to sponsor me, please click the relevent links on the right hand side of the page.

Or Here http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Parkinsons-UK

http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Alzheimers


Thanks in advance