Cycling Update - huzzah!

For those who would like to know why I'm doing this Cycle Challenge, I refer you to my post here. It's partly as a spur for me to start exercise, but also because I'm trying to raise money for a good cause.

Well, huzzah for me, I say. Yesterday was my first outing with the Cycle Club. Bizarrely I was a little nervous - what if they go too fast? What if I need to stop for a drink? What if we go up hills (looking at the scenery round herethat's a given!) and I can't do it? What if..? What if...?

(this is Mr D with a view of the scenery round here. It's not very flattering of Mr D, but it shows the not-flat nature of the paysage!)

 

I went out with the 3rd group - the "Slow" group. There was me, Odette, Monique and Paul. I was the youngest at 51, Paul the oldest at 30 years my senior (I hope I'm that fit at 81). "We'll do about 25, maybe 30 kilometres", Odette said. Having managed 27 on Wednesday I thought I could manage that, with a bit of support.

So off we go. I find that in fact, they didn't go too fast - it was more the opposite, particularly on the flat bits. If I needed to stop for a drink, I did - but most of the time I kept going, until we all stopped for a drink, a breather and a chat. We did go up hills - but Paul encouraged me to breathe properly, they kept saying "Don't be afraid to mouliner" (that is, to use the Granny gears), they waited at the top, and on the final hill back into St just Odette cycled with me, encouraging me all the way. And I managed it. All FORTY ONE KILOMETRES!!!! That's more than a week's target in one ride!

OK, I admit I couldn't move yesterday evening, and Cantonese Beef in oyster sauce turned into sausage, beans and frozen potato mix, because I couldn't face cooking anything, and I didn't sleep too well last night due to cramp, bad back and  leg ache. BUT Goodness Gracious Me! I'm proud of myself!  Today's not too bad although my back's still a little sore, but gosh. Clever me!

I have some more Thank Yous to say to people for more sponsorship:

Thank You to Flausa from Ship Of Fools. She's sponsored me for my cycling and I sponsored her for her Edinburgh Moon Walk. 

Merci beaucoup à Floss from Troc, Broc et Recup' for a cheque received this week, as well as my friends Mary & Ted back in the UK. I really appreciate your support.

Date	Distance cycled	Distance to go	Money raised	Money to go
19.03.11	64	936	248€*	752€
26.03.11	126.5	873.5	314€*	686€
03.04.11	184	816	377€*	623€

*£ to € conversions are rounded to the nearest €

I'm only 1.5 kilometres behind the target total for this week. I can't quite believe it!

Go, Fat Dormouse, go!!!

P.S. And I've lost almost another kilo this week...Big Smiles.