Shoes, support and static cycling!

I hope you all have had a good summer and are now nice and relaxed. I’m far from relaxed at the moment as each day the ride gets closer and closer and I am really starting to get nervous now.

I’ve upped my training quite a bit from July and August and am pushing harder now. Saying that, I haven’t been on my bike for over a week as I have lost my shoes. Well, not literally, but they’ve gone away to have special insoles fitted to distribute my body weight evenly over the whole sole of the shoe. It won’t make me go faster but will hopefully really help on the long rides - with my left leg being shorter by 4cms I’m looking everywhere for some help on that one!

For the last week I have been in the gym building muscle, not just for my legs but all over.

My weight is steady at the moment between 69/70 kgs. I still have a little bit of a belly hanging round but I am sure I will drop it soon. And I’m going to have to wax my legs soon! I keep putting it off as I’m really not looking forward to it but putting on lotions and having massages are becoming a pain with the hairs. It doesn’t do anything for me when in Lycra either!!

I have had a press release over here in Mallorca and been in a few newspapers, which was quite exciting. I didn’t think anyone had really read it but most people I talk to now know what I am doing and give me a few words of support.

I have an event coming up in October to raise awareness for BenSmiles and the charities. This is to also help promote the official opening of Dave Bladen’s new company Viva Sports Events, which is doing fitness breaks and holidays in Mallorca. So, the event – 500 Miles For BenSmiles. I will be riding my bike on a roller system (check it out on Youtube, the Emotion roller system, cool piece of kit) for 500 miles (806 kms) nonstop. It should take me about 40 - 45 hours. I will stop every 2 hours for 5 minutes, going on the same rules as the Guinness World Records for world’s longest static bike record. I’m not going for the record, I just thought it would be a good guideline for the press and public to see. (I say I’m not going for it, for now, but ....! We’ll see how I feel after the ride. Who knows?)

I speak to a lot of people about what we are doing and some people either don’t care or don’t understand and I must admit that gets me down. I sometimes feel my efforts are a little worthless, but then I hear a few stories or read something on our website about what people are doing and it really does lift my spirits.

Claire has just told me about a woman in her Slimming World group who has lost loads of weight and just bought a bike so she can do a 50 km ride next year with me and to raise money for the charity. The bike shop was so impressed with her that if she does the 50 km ride next year he will give her money back to go towards the charity. This story is very cool, and although I don’t see these things and only hear them, it does make every effort worth it. I suppose this phase of training, training, training with still months to go for the BIG one is a bit testing mentally for me, and patience is most definitely not one of my virtues. Wonder what is?

People ask me:

How am I going to ride 200 kms every day for 6 weeks ?

How am I going to ride this bike on a roller for 2 days nonstop?

The answer is I don’t know! But I do know I will - and there’s not much that’s going to stop me. Why? Because I really want to.

Thanks to everyone who has shown genuine support and kept up to date with the website and what’s happening. Your website messages and your Facebook support help more than you could ever know.

All my love and thanks,

Ben

Yeah baby, yeah – Dave’s training blog

Brr brr, brr brr……….I picked up the phone! It was late last Saturday night, it was Ben – his tone soft but with authority: ’I’ve got my mojo back, it’s time! Tomorrow at 10.00’

* * * * *

The day came. I was hot, flushed and excited, yet had a tinge of embarrassment as the senorita, unstable on her knees, gazed up at me with my nuts in her hand. My BIKE nuts thank you, what were you thinking?
Ben was in fits of laughter, we’d only peddled for 1km and my pedal and crank completely came off the bike and was left dangling off the end of my shoe. I thanked the old lady for picking up my nuts and we ‘limped’ back to the garage for repairs. It took some time and Ben was getting agitated: ‘Come on Einstein’! He was bored and wanted to be back on the bike.

It’s been tough for Ben recently – not just the sheer heat and volume of work on top of the training schedule, but the realisation of the task ahead. I always knew this event was 50% about training the body, 50% training the mind. With an event with such a long lead in time you have to be mentally tough because it’s an emotional rollercoaster. Ben is strapped into a rollercoaster that keeps going round and round in a continuous loop. He’s done the first loop – reaching the top after the amazing buzz of completing the 312, in fact he went round about 15 exciting corkscrews with the press and adulation he received. But when that dies down and it all goes quiet, you’re on your own, peddling for hour after hour, sweat, discomfort and isolation. Think about it: it’s tough, it’s mentally very tough and this is one of the hardest parts of Ben’s ride. I don’t think anyone can begin to imagine, it is THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE.

Ben's re-found his Mojo!!

I was so happy to hear he felt his mojo had come back, good on yer fella! This month was a massive hurdle you jumped over without realising.

So, back to the cycling, the pressure’s been on to reach the volume of km’s to keep on track with the schedule and Ben’s put in some impressive rides recently. Last weekend he completed two strong 80km rides in consecutive days at a good pace – around the 20km an hour mark – our target for the actual event. I rode with Ben on Sunday for 23km, the first time since May. How things have changed as he was training me, giving me technical tips on big descents. He’s come a long way in a very short time, he’s learning everyday and loving the technology behind the training and sharing his new found knowledge. I know that’s a fantastic part of the experience for him.

We’re back in the gym this week working on lower body strength, a really gruelling session on Monday after those big weekend rides. The legs were sore but was he complaining? Not at all! He‘s a bit sadistic – if he feels no pain he doesn’t believe there’s any gain.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you – no pain, no gain is a well used gym motto and was used by Jane Fonda who was the first celebrity actress to promote fitness videos. For those that can remember she used to wear hot pants, figure hugging tops and a sweatband – very eighties! Has anyone noticed Ben’s current attire cycling around Mallorca…? Hmmm… at the least the sweatband’s not pink, well for now… yeah baby, yeah!