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Back in the saddle with sadly a heavier load

04 March 2015

My name is Adrian and it’s 90 days since my last post…

Yes my friends it is 90 whole days since I last sat down to share my progress toward our September challenge. Christmas has been and gone, the nights are once again getting lighter and snow drops, daffodils and nesting birds are heralding the first signs of spring.

Although my fingers have been light on their contribution toward my London to Paris preparation – thankfully, as you can see from the 19 rides and 336 miles completed since my last blog, my legs have recently been a little more active although it would be misleading to say it has been without interruption.

After an enthusiastic start late December and January were pretty barren months in terms of getting out on the bike. A good dose of man flu, Christmas, a new puppy and a holiday all conspired to keep me off the bike – oh and it was wet and cold! As I have noted before it is very easy to get out of an exercise regime and sometimes very hard to get back into it – but back in it I now am and with even greater motivation than before.

When I first signed up to do this ride I did it primarily to get fit and in doing so raise much needed funds for a very worthwhile cause. I had no personal connection to the hospice, thankfully no friends or family had needed its services and I, like I imagine most of us, would be very happy for it to stay that way but sadly that’s not the way life goes is it.

Since Christmas my beautiful big sister Catherine has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. At just 53 years old she has been told she potentially only has  months to live. While she and we, her family and friends, will not take this awful news lying down, and not give up without a fight, it has brought into even sharper focus how necessary facilities like St Elizabeth are not just in Suffolk but all over the country.

Catherine lives in Devon and therefore, should the time and need arise, will not benefit directly from our combined efforts for St Elizabeth however I truly hope that in the hilly lanes of Devon similarly Lycra clad over weight middle aged men will be peddling out the miles supporting the facilities on her doorstep.

When, as concerned bystanders, we can do little to truly influence the outcome of life and death fights such as that which Catherine faces this is something we can do. I know our ride, however insignificant in the grand scheme of things, will make a difference for so many be they sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, friends or total strangers.

Please support our ride. Please support the Hospice.

You can support St Elizabeth Hospice by sponsoring my challenge by clicking here