Preparations for 100 mile cycle challenge

Steve and Pete at the start of the Devon Demon
Back last autumn shortly after I retired, my son Pete challenged me to a sponsored cycle ride. I think he felt I needed the challenge of something new to prepare for and  motivation to take more exercise! I agreed to the 100 mile Nello which is organised by a cancer charity local to Exeter. In order to have wider appeal than just the area around Exeter we decided to go for a charity which has a national brief. We have chosen Cancer Research UK for the great work it is doing in researching the causes of cancer to help find new ways of treatment and cure. My wife Sue had breast cancer 18 months ago which brings the reality of cancer closer to home and Pete is an oncology consultant so this charity also fitted well with his interests.
Agreeing to something when it is still far off in the future is one thing, preparing for the event as it comes ever closer is another. I have been trying to up my muscle tone and stamina over the winter using an indoor cycle trainer and now need to get out on the road to get some serious miles under my belt. Hence the outing this Saturday (29 April) to Exeter racecourse to take part in the Devon Demon. Demon is a good name for it as it has over 5000ft of climbing over the beautiful Dartmoor landscape  We completed the 50 miles circuit in 5hours 24 mins which included nearly an hour of stops! They laid on some great feeding stations to make sure we kept up our sugar levels and met our hydration requirements. The sponsored ride is twice the distance, but thankfully not twice the climb. If you want to sponsor us you can go to our justgiving.com web page.Sponsor me for The Nello

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