It’s November and these days that means one thing……..Movember. I remember 2 years ago when the boys at my local skate shop City Surf started growing moustaches and i thought “why the fuck are you all rocking ropey moustaches” to which they answered “were supporting Movember”. I remember thinking that sounds like fun so agreed to do it the following year with Dainton in 2010. It was a good laugh and at the same time we raised some cash for a good cause whilst the 2 of us looked like right dodgy geezers compleate with a furry top lip.

This year however myself and my brother Trigg decided to do it but add another challenge into the game. We decided to run 30 half marathons in the 30 days of Movember and on the last day we were to rock the 118-118 outfits and run round Cardiff City centre like it. Now, it all sounds like a good idea when you sit there over a pint talking of it but when you actually put it into practice of your daily lives you then utter the words “what have i said” and believe you me the two of us did it on a few occasions.

3 days before we were to start our mission i had to go to Ireland to enter the Dublin full marathon, something i booked a few months before and a marathon i didn’t want to pull out of as i wanted to visit friends i haven’t seen in a while plus we were hooking up with a load of the Ibiza Irish crew for a little reunion so i flew out on the Saturday with Swanseas finest Doyle. I flew on the Saturday so i could have my party that night with all the Irish peeps and rest on the Sunday ready for the marathon on the Monday……………but!!!!!!!!!!!. I was once again kidding myself as i knew that wasn’t going to happen at all. We did the usual and ended up going to Zulu tattoo to see Sean and when that happens its fucking fireworks all the way. Sean’s a south African Tattooist and a top top man who can out party anyone i know so it was danger hanging out with him when i knew i had a full marathon to run but i love hanging out with him man he’s a train wreck and i love it. I had our welsh train wreck with me Doyley along with all the Irish clan and the party went right off. One thing led to another and the lack of sleep was a major factor but everyone had fun.

Sunday night the night before the marathon and im trying to fill my body with pasta and drinking as much water as possible so i don’t collapse on mile 5 of dehydration, i’m surrounded by everyone glugging magners and bulmers so i decided to get some sleep as i was up at 6 ready to get to the start line in time. I made it and i’m ready to run although a bit tired but i’ve been worse and i was on my mission to beat my marathon time of 4 hours and 21 mins. I started well and i was feeling good considering but as i hit 20 miles i hit a brick wall and i was in agony but kept trucking. I managed at one point to catch up with the 4 hour pacemakers and got exited at the thought of finishing it in 4 hours, that lasted about 20 mins until i hit that brick wall, then i just watched those pacemaker balloons disappear into the distance. As i got about 2 miles away from the finish the heavens opened and when i say rain i mean a monsoon which soaked me from head to toe. I crossed the line in 4 hours and 10 mins beating my time by 11 mins which i was really happy about. the only problem was i then went into shock and started shaking uncontrollably with cold due to the weather but i couldn’t find Ciara & Sean. It was that moment in life when you just want the floor to swallow you up and be done with it, i was that bad. I managed to find Ciara and Sean (Buttsy & Doyle were boozing at a local pub) and they both took me to a skate shop (forgotten the name) and Sean bought me a whole new outfit i.e shoes, jeans, t’shirt, hoodie etc and i felt like a new man. thanks so much to Ciara, Sean and the skate shop for looking after me it means a lot. From the skate shop we then went to Zulu for some hot soup then i jumped into the taxi with Doyle and made our way to the airport and jumped onto the plane, destination Cardiff.

We land in Cardiff and my legs have gone as stiff as a board and i’m just wiped out with tiredness but i couldn’t rest yet as Daint, Aid and our dj Rob were on their way to pick me up from the airport to head to Bournemouth for a PvsD gig. To make matters worse the tour van was having a service so i had to squeeze 3 of us in the back of a car after running 26 miles and sleeping about 5 hours in 3 days hahaha “Sleep when you’re dead”. Arrive in Bournemouth feeling like a 60 year old, tip a litre of vodka down my neck, get on stage, go mental, sit in car and party in it for the journey home. As myself and Doyle get to my house at 7am we carried on drinking for a bit till my body shut down………BED.

I wake the next day to a phone call off Trigg reminding me that today we start our 30 half marathons in 30 days for Movember and i really didn’t want to entertain it as i was finding it hard to even walk down my stairs after the onslaught of Dublin but i said i would do it and thats what we set out to do so i stretched as much as i could and went running. Before hitting the road mind i went to the shop to buy a load of ice as i knew when i came in from my 13 miles i would definitely need an ice bath to rid my legs of the lactic acid build up in my legs, something i knew i would have to do for at least a week before my legs could get back to anything resembling normality. If there is anyone out there that enjoys running marathons you’ll understand and know what i’m talking about. I get in from my first half marathon and i’m in agony but then i jumped into the ice bath for 15 mins until my manhood looked something like a button mushroom.

I have to take my hat off to Trigg as he has a full time teaching job and a family so he had to fit in his runs in with his busy schedule every day, not an easy task at all. for the first week of running we were averaging just over 2 hours but as the weeks went by we got quicker and quicker and you would think it’d get easier but it didn’t. It’s quite a novelty to start with which makes it quite exiting but after 2 weeks of running half marathons every day it becomes quit hard dedicating at least 2 hours a day to running especially when your nike plus mileometer has packed in (this happened to Trigg) and you have to do the same course day in day out as you know that run adds up to 13 miles. I was lucky as my nike plus GPS watch worked apart from a few occasions when i forgot to charge it etc. As we counted down the days and logged in our miles then so our moustaches got bigger and bigger, Trigg going for the Handlebar and myself going for the bum fluff top lip one due to not being able to grow a manly beard. Some days were better than others but some days we just didn’t want to go out at all due to partying the night before and the lack of sleep but as soon as you get your arse off the sofa and started running then your adrenalin would kick in and you were off. Due to my gigging schedule i found myself running around roath park lake at silly times in the night and once i woke at 4am to get one run over and done with as i was off to skegness at 7am for a gig with a 2pm stage time. Seeing party heads walking home whilst i was running felt rather strange let me tell you and i’m sure they looked at me and thought “what the fuck is that weirdo doing at this time running”. Come the 29th of November we had ran 29 half marathons with a distance of 377 miles and quite a few pounds in weight lost but the next day was to be our last.

Day 30 and we had our 118-118 outfits ready and out we went on the streets of Cardiff to the sound of car horns beeping and tooting and shouts of “i’ve got your number”. We put a few smiles on peoples faces that day which was nice and we arrived back at Triggs house after running 390 miles in 30 days, mission compleate.

All in all we managed to raise close to £800 for mens health. thanks to all that donated and supported us it means a lot. If you haven’t donated but would like to you can here www.mobro.co/pritchards

the 2 of us are now working on our next challenge for 2012 so keep eye’s peeled as its a monster.

pritch

SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD

Sunday October 16th was the date for this years Cardiff half marathon. I first entered this marathon when i was just 15 years old and the reason i did????? All because my mother said that if myself and my brother entered she’d buy us top of the range Hi-Tec silver shadows. Take it from me Silver Shadows at the time were the dogs bollox and considering we were relatively poor and didn’t have much the thought of going to school in these trainers blew me away. Like most things back then you had to earn what you wanted and to run the Cardiff half for a pair of trainers was a good deal in my eye’s. My mother kept her promise and i started training in my silver shadows. The day came and i ran it in 2:08.36 and those were the days before the onslaught of partying, my quickest time for a half marathon is 1:37.00 which i achieved this year at silverstone.

15 YEARS OF AGE, ROCKING MY SILVER SHADOWS HAHA

Over 15 years later and i decided to run the Cardiff half again getting a time of 1:42.00 which i was more than happy with considering it was my first time back after all those years. Ever since i’ve entered the marathon every year and for the last 3 of them i haven’t been sober for one. The problem is that the marathon always falls in the middle of the students freshers party’s so myself and Daint are booked for gigs. I remember we had a gig in Plymouth 3 years ago on the saturday night and after drinking a whole bottle of Jack Daniels and partying in the van all the way home by the time i got to bed i only had 2 hours sleep and had to go and run. 2 years ago we weren’t booked for a gig but did the mistake of going for a quiet beer in Cardiff which ended up being one big house party. I went straight from the party into my house to change and got to the start line humming of booze pissed as a fart with no sleep. My mother came down to support me and couldn’t believe the mess i was in so i had a clip across the head, in her words “your never to old for a slap”. 2 hours and 20 min’s later i could see the finish but like hell was i feeling well. I don’t know if it was the excitement of seeing the finish or just the pure fact i was marinated in booze but i puked all over the place just 20 meters from the finish line. Everyone thought i did it on purpose but believe me i didnt.

After 2 years of putting myself through hell doing the marathon you’d think i’d learn my lesson but ooooooooooh nooooooooo turnip features here decided that if i went out for a drink friday i could chill saturday night before the race………….WRONG. I went out then ended up at a house party in which i stayed at for the whole of friday night, saturday day and night until it was time to run the marathon on the sunday with not even a wink of sleep. I was in all manner of trouble and in one fucking state let me tell you. If i thought the clip around my ear hole off my mother was something last year then this year (2010) i had a right belt and in front of everyone. I started and surprisingly didn’t feel to bad but it went in waves, one min i’d be fine the next felt like shit. All in all it was a tough marathon so i didn’t half have a shock when i saw the finish line and my time was 1 hour 50 min, 8 mins from my best time ever at the Cardiff half. I think that was the point when i decided i was Batman haha.

Anyway, it’s 2011 and ive decided to do the Cardiff half once again and i promised myself this year that i wouldn’t go out which was a hard decision considering it was the Wales vs France rugby world cup match. For once i managed to stay which was a good bet really as this year i decided to do it in full fire man outfit. As some of you may know i’ve done a lot on the treadmill dressed in full fire kit compleate with oxogen tank over my shoulders for the Atlantic Dash boys and Ty-Hafan hospice but this time i decided to wear the steel toecap boots and not trainers. All in all the outfit came to about 40 kilos and as i arrived ready for the start i could really feel the weight. 5 minute’s before the gun goes and the clouds clear and the sun comes out, normally it would be welcome but for once with what i was wearing it wasn’t. 2 miles into the run and im in a state, my brother trigg who is running with me (if it wasn’t for my bro i don’t think i would have finished, he really did look after me and kept me hydrated as i was loosing a lot of fluid and over heating) took one look at me and said “your fucked aren’t you??” to which i replied “yes” and all he did was laugh. I saw the funny side too but all i could think about was “fuck, i have another 10 miles to go”. The boots made one hell of a difference and the blisters at the end proved it. Even though it took me by surprise i loved it. It really made crossing that line with a time of 3 hours and 29 minutes feel even better. I woke on monday and my legs felt foreign along with my hamstrings which still are screwed today. I better start my recovery as im off to Dublin next weekend to do the dublin full marathon for the first time and looking forward to it.

The Cardiff Half marathon will be on channel 4 at 7am on November 27th and S4C this saturday at 6.25pm

It’s been a long 9 months since i decided that i was going to do the IRONMAN challenge. Nov/Dec to be precise when my friend Buttsy e mailed me the youtube link about Rick & Dick hoyt. I’ve dreamt of doing the Ironman for many years but wasn’t in no fit state to do it really so it was just something that was put into the back of my mind but it was always there knocking. A lot of people have said why all this keep fit?? why marathons?? Why Ironman??. The answer to that is simple, i saw myself going down a road that was slowly fucking me up and i started bloating out, looking pale and generally looked ill from doing to much of everything. Don’t get me wrong, the reason i looked like that is because i was having the time of my life and grabbing life by the balls and draining it of what i could get, but at the same time it wasn’t doing me any favors. I was basically grabbing all the “bad” bits of life and not clutching some of the good. I remember seeing old footage from Sanchez and decided to do something about it so i joined a gym about 4 years ago. i’ve been a skateboarder all my life so have always been physically fit & looked healthy so when you see yourself in that state its a bit of a shock.

WITH MY GOODIE BAG

I’m a man who really loves a good party so i didn’t want to give that up completely so i found a balance in life where i could do the both train and party and it seems to work well. I did my second cardiff half marathon in 2007 (my first one was when i was 15 years old) and so i carried on doing them every year after that plus i will do it again this year but i’m thinking of running it backwards this year to make it more of a challenge for me. After doing 3 cardiff half marathons i really wanted to do a full 26.2 mile marathon and the samaritains helped me get a place in the virgin london marathon in 2010. In 2009 my friend matthew ryan said he was going to run the length of the country from john o’groats to lands end at the end of may 2010 so i asked if i could join him and he kindly agreed. To run 900 miles i had a lot of training to do so it was perfect timing for me to run the London marathon a month before we headed up to john o’groats to run the country. I found running the london marathon tough but i managed it with a time of 4 hours and 22 mins. Running John O’Groats to lands end took us 30 days with an average of 34 miles a day to compleate.

PARKING MY BIKE UP FOR THE NIGHT

After all that running i was now physically fit enough to do something bigger plus i wanted to set myself a challenge for 2011 and thats when Buttsy sent me that youtube vid of Dick & Rick Hoyt doing the Ironman and it inspired me that much i decided to sign up. If a father can swim, cycle and push his disabled son all that distance then there is hoe for me. The Ironman was now in my sights and i was exited. I literally picked up my computer and typed ironman into google and the first one to come up was the bolton ironman for july 31st so i clicked on the web site, out with my bank card and i booked it. After booking it i decided to call around to see if anyone was interested in joining me to put a SWYD team together and the following people said yes………my brother trigg, Alex Symonds and Nathan Allen. We decided to do it for Ty-Hafan hospice which is a great south Wales charity that looks after life limited children and their family’s. Myself and Alex went to visit the hospice a few weeks ago to see the work they do for these children and it really is amazing and not only do they help the children but they are there for the family too. It was nice to meet some of the children and have a chat to the familys to whilst we were at the hospice. It really hits home when you visit these places and realise how lucky you are and how much they rely on donations to keep this great work up hence doing such events like Ironman. Dont forget you can still donate at www.justgiving.com/swyd-ironman and you can visit Ty-Hafan’s web site here www.tyhafan.org

ME AND ALEX AT TY-HAFAN

Team sorted and all we had to do now was put the training in. We had 9 months to do as much as we could and i knew that the closer it got to the summer for me the less training i could put in due to work/gigs etc as its a busy time of year. I also had to get all the equipment to do this challenge but luckily i had a phone call of Olympic gold medalist Geraint Thomas’s agent Gayle saying that Geraint heard that i was doing the Ironman and he wanted to help being a Cardiff boy himself. All our worry’s were put aside as Gayle sorted everything out when it came to all things “bike”. Fair play she was absolutely brilliant and we are very grateful of her help. From having nothing to having the best of everything and it helped a great deal and to top it off we got to spend a day riding with Geraint Thomas and got to meet all the guy’s who sponsored us and had a great day.

THE 4 OF US THE NIGHT BEFORE

My weakest part of the Ironman would be the bike part as i haven’t really ridden bikes for long distances before. I was fine when it came to swimming and running but i really needed to put the hours in on the bike which is why i decided to ride from John O’Groats to Lands End with Alex. I don’t think i could have got better training than riding 1,125 miles from the top of the country to the bottom. With as much training under my belt as i could do the summer came and it was party/work/gig time for me so i spent the month before ironman in Ibiza, Magaluf, Kavos, Portugal and various nightclubs over the Uk. It’s not really a good idea to be drinking heavily staying up all night and all hours before doing an ironman but i had no choice. When i say that of course i had choice, i could have not drank did my work and gone to bed early but that just aint me and at the end of the day the event is called IRONMAN not playschool. Its the challenge i set myself and i was gonna do it properly. You will never know what your body/mind is capable of doing unless you push it as far as you can go, its there to be punished. Pain is temporay.

THE LAKE

July 30th and its the day before the big day, it was only 3 days ago that i was in Magaluf doing a PVSD gig with Daint in which i ended up at the BCM mansion naked pool party drinking like some kind of fool and missing my plane knowing in my mind i had a big task ahead of me but thats just typical of me, fun first worry second.

Myself and my brother drive up at 6am as we had to register by 1am. Nathan came up the day before and went to what they call the pasta party to meet up with a few people and check out the course in time for the big day. Alex was coming up with his mother the same day as myself and Trigg. We arrived at 9am checked into our hotel and headed down to sign in and set our bike up in the bike parking bit and put our running shoes up in the school ready for the marathon. If you have never done a triathlon before it can be very confusing trust me. If it wasn’t for nathan myself & Trigg would have been lost but then if it wasn’t for me and Trigg alex would have been lost, team effort right there. When you sign in you receive 3 colored bags, blue was for you bike stuff i.e bike shoes, socks, nutrition etc. Red is for your running gear and white is for the clothes you came in. You leave these bags in the designated areas so on the day its all set up and ready to rock. So as you can imaging if its your first triathlon it can get quite confusing but it does work like clockwork.

5pm and we all have to go to bolton Fc’s football ground for a de-brief of what was to happen on ironman day. 1,500 athlete’s more than half of us were first time ironman entrants so i goes to show how popular this event is getting. After hearing the rules it was time to head back to our hotel fill up with food, preferably pasta but myself and my Trigg had a huge mixed grill.  I was fast asleep by 8pm as we had to be up at 2.30am to get sorted before the lake start.

1,500 IRONMEN ATHLETES AWAITING DE-BRIEF

My alarm goes off and it just seems really weird to me being up at 2.30am on a sunday morning when normally i’m just getting stuck into clubbing at this time but i can tell you now that the thought of clubbing was far far away in my thoughts, i’ve spent 9 months thinking and training for this day and my stomach is doing summersaults with butterflies. I’ve got everything ready and i sit there on my bed eating some pasta filling up on carbs until Trigg knocks on the door and off we went to catch our bus to the lake and bike start. We arrive and its quite a chilly morning and all i can think about is bobbing up and down in that cold lake for half an hour before the start pistol goes. The place is full to the brim with Ironmen contestants getting last min things sorted, wetsuits getting put on and all walking in the direction of the lake. Myself, Trigg, alex and Nathan wait for as long as possible before we hit the water to save loosing energy treading water before the start and generally hold off from entering that lake till the last minute then all of a sudden we hear loud clapping off everyone and its team true spirit coming through the crowd. Team true spirit are a team made up of amputee soldiers who have been injured in duty fighting for our country in afghanistan. One of the team Joe is a double amputee and has lost his both legs and is being carried on the shoulders of one of his team mates. Seeing this puts me into quite an emotional state, fair play to him and his team all refusing to give up no matter what the situation and there’s us worrying about getting into a cold lake???? sort it out. After seeing this that lake and my attitude quickly changed and in i went, stop being a fart after all this is Ironman not a ballet class. It should be a lesson to all of you out there reading this and saying to yourselfs “i could never do ironman” if Joe can do it with his both legs missing im sure you could too. if you put your mind to anything you CAN do it. Our bodys are here to be pushed to their limits, if you never push your body you’ll never know what you are capable of.

GOT IT. OH YEH

Im in and quite surprised at how warmish the water is. There are now 1,500 people bobbing up and down in a lake waiting to go and BANG off we all went. It was swimming carnage, fighting for a decent place whilst a hand hits one foot another hits your other foot and the someones foot kicks you in the face its like a swimming rugby scrum. After about a mile of swimming it calms down a little but you still have to be careful and especially careful of the ones doing breast stroke because one of their feet in your face will break your nose or give you a shinning black eye. I’m really enjoying the swim and daydreaming away then i see the swim finish in the distance and get grabbed out of the pool ready for my bike. I’m a bit all over the shop after coming out of the lake hence the sheer amount of helpers making sure you don’t fall over fucking yourself on your way to the bike.

Wetsuit off and grab all my bike stuff from my blue bag and replace it with my wetsuit. I have my tri suit on underneath my wetsuit which was made for us by www.maxgear.co.uk so all i had to do was put my bike shoe’s on and helmet and grab my bike and hit the road for my 112 mile bike ride. Before i jump on my bike i hear this woman shouting and screaming at the top of her voice and i look up and its my mother who has come up with my father and little brother who i live with to give me some support. Talking of support i couldn’t believe how many Sanchez fans came and supported me it was unreal and very nice of you all, thank you it really did help.

DONT FORGET YOUR SUNCREAM NEXT TIME TRIGG

The bike started off really well but i knew deep down that once i put some miles in it was going to hurt. I’ve heard a lot about “the hill” and i was waiting to hit that thing up and before i knew it there it was in the distance this great big, steep juicy hill that i had to get to the top of. You have to do the bike course 3 times so i knew attacking the hill first time round would be fine but come second and definitely third time would be close to finishing me off and i wasn’t wrong. I hit the 80 mile mark pretty comfortably but i started slowing up and feeling every bit of this ironman, i’m in agony and in need of food. I’ve eaten so many bananas from the feeding stations i feel like a monkey and sipped energy drinks whilst keeping up my hydration with water but i’m feeling it all. I start eating raisins, flapjacks that i have on my bike, energy bars but i try to keep all my nutrition from natural sources as i cant be doing with shoving all that sweet shit into my system and feeling sick. The flapjacks work and i get a welcomed boost but it doesn’t last for long and i’m struggling again. My mind is racing with thoughts of “am i going to do this”, “what if i dont” “how am i gonna run 26 miles after this” blah blah blah then i hit “The Hill” for my 3rd lap and i almost never entertained it. Time for some kick arse shouting and talking to myself time because there is no way am i getting off my bike to walk “The Hill” the shouting works and i get to the top of that hill, before i know it i break down tears strolling down my face and pure adrenaline pumping around my body, reminders of why i’m doing this challenge racing through my mind, there are many personal reasons. The whole situation gave me a huge boost to finish those last few miles of the bike and into the school for the marathon.

Getting off a bike after 112 miles can be quite a comical scene, your legs have had it and as soon as you put your feet on the floor it becomes very alien and i wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people just collapsed. I waddle into the school gym hall resembling the walk of John Wayne whilst my arse looks like dale Wintons had a go on it, find my bag and slowly but surely put my trainers on and stretch whilst filling myself up with a mixture of seeds and nuts for energy. I hit the road and i’m not really running properly i’m just shuffling from side to side for about 4 miles until i then get a good pace on. Running through very affluent districts of Bolton admiring the lovely houses and getting some great support from the locals who are all out on their front lawns cheering us all along. I do like running it’s great and a perfect time for me to go into my own little world and daydream away which i’m very good at. There are no headphones allowed which i totally agree with as there are streets lined with supporters so why would you want music?? plus you get to chat to many of the contestants on your travels. All was going well then my arse/stomach started talking to me and gave me the nod that it wanted a great release but there was nowhere to go. I’m holding it in for as long as possible but its now painful and i’m close to shitting myself. I’m too scared to fart just incase but then in the distance i see some portaloos and i ran in and released, the feeling was great but there was no toilet paper so up with my tri suit and off i went.

Like the bike course the run is the same, you have to run the same circuit 3 times receiving a band at the top which you put on your wrist. As soon as you have 3 bands you can make your way to the finish line. 20 miles into the run and all i can tell myself is “one foot in front of the other and dont give up” i cant explain the pain i’m feeling by now but in a weird way its enjoyable. I received my 3rd band and i knew i was literally half an hour away from being crowned ironman and the excitement was unreal. All that training and i was almost there. I cant explain the feeling my body was going through but i was liking it a lot, i had a spring in my step a smile on my face that no one could have wiped off if they tried. I came into Bolton city centre and the closer i got to the city hall where the finish line was the more my adrenalin was pumping, i could see my Mam, Dad, 2 brothers Aled and Trigg (Trigg had finished with a great time of 12.43min which is amazing considering a few years ago he never did any form of exercise) nathan allen (finished in 10.17min and was 73rd which is unbelievable) all shouting for me then over the microphone i heard the words i’ve been waiting to hear when i first decided to do this challenge and they were “MATHEW PRITCHARD, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN” i went mental then crossed the line to receive my medal which now takes pride of place in my living room.

4 HAPPY IRONMEN

To sum up my ironman experience it was one of the most life challenging things i’ve ever done and something i’ll never forget. From start to finish i enjoyed every minute of it. will i be doing another??? of course i will, i cant wait to do it again.

thanks to the following people who made it possible. my brother Trigg, Alex Symonds, Nathan Allen, Gayle from seren pr, Geraint Thomas, Todays Cyclist, Maxgear, Dolan bikes. and anyone i forgot your all ace.

THE MEDAL

My next challenge is called ‘One man, one mission, one party’. starting in john o’groats i want to rollerskate to lands end, run from lands end to Dover, row the channel, Skateboard from Calais to Paris and then cycle from Paris to Barcelona and jump on the ferry to Ibiza and party.

Go and set yourself a goal next year and suprise yourself’s. it’s a lot of fun

Pritchard

Sleep when you’re dead

AT JOHN O'GROATS ABOUT TO SET OFF

LAST YEAR I DECIDED TO JOIN MY FRIEND MATHEW RYAN RUN FROM JOHN O’GROATS TO LANDS END. ITS SOMETHING IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO SO WHEN HE TOLD ME HE WAS DOING IT TO RAISE MONEY FOR A LITTLE GIRL TO HAVE A MUCH NEEDED OPERATION IN THE U.S I ASKED IF I COULD JOIN HIM TO WHICH HE AGREED. AFTER A WHILE WE THEN HAD ANOTHER MEMBER TO OUR TEAM LEO SHARP, A SKATEBOARD PHOTOGRAPHER THAT WE’VE KNOWN FOR A VERY LONG TIME. BY THE TIME WE DID THE OFF WE HAD A GREAT TEAM OF 5 PEOPLE. 3 RUNNERS A FILMER AND LEO’S PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND WHO WAS COOKING OUR FOOD AND GENERALLY LOOKING AFTER OUR LIVING QUARTERS I.E THE CAMPER VAN. IT TOOK US 30 DAYS TO COMPLEATE RUNNING AN AVERAGE OF 34 MILES A DAY. THE FULL STORY IS ON THIS SITE IF YOU WISH TO READ THE FULL GOINGS ON.

DRIVING TO JOHN O'GROATS THROUGH LOCK NESS AT SUNRISE

THIS YEAR HOWEVER I DECIDED TO DO IT ALL AGAIN BUT THIS TIME BY BIKE. IN DECEMBER 2010 I SIGNED UP FOR THE BOLTON IRONMAN SOMETHING WHICH IVE WANTED TO DO FOR YEARS SO A LOT OF TRAINING NEEDED TO BE DONE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO RIDING A BIKE. IVE NEVER RIDDEN A BIKE FOR LONG DISTANCES EVER SO THE EXPERIENCE FOR ME IS A NEW ONE SO THAT WAS MY MAIN AIM TO GET AS MUCH CYCLING EXPERIENCE UNDER MY BELT BEFORE I ATTEMPTED IRONMAN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER GERAINT THOMAS FIND OUT THAT I WAS DOING IRONMAN AND AGREED TO HELP ME WITH MY RIDDING. HIS AGENT PHONED ME UP AND WE WENT FROM THERE. THANKS TO GERAINT AND GAYLE FROM SEREN PR THAT ALL MY CYCLING WORRIES WENT OUT THE WINDOW AS THE AMOUNT OF HELP WITH ADVICE AND CYCLING PRODUCT THAT CAME MY WAY ALONG WITH MY FELLOW IRONMEN WAS UNBELIEVABLE. NOT ONLY DID WE RECIVE GOLD MEDAL WINNING ADVICE BUT WE ALSO RECEIVED SOME OF THE BEST QUALITY BIKES FOR THE IRONMAN CHALLENGE WE COULD ASK FOR. DOLAN BIKES WERE NICE ENOUGH TO DONATE 4 OF THEIR BEST BIKES FOR OUR IRONMAN CHALLENGE. THESE THINGS AS YOU CAN IMAGING DONT HAVE A CHEAP PRICE TAG AND AT £3,500 A PEICE ITS WALLET BREAKING.

NOW THAT WE HAD THE BIKES I THOUGHT THE BEST WAY TO GET THE BEST TRAINING FOR OUR IRONMAN CHALLENGE IS TO CYCLE THE 900 MILES FROM JOHN O’GROATS TO LANDS END AND IT WAS ANOTHER GREAT WAY OF RAISING FUNDS FOR OUR CHOSEN CHARITY THIS YEAR TY-HAFAN www.tyhafan.org . I ASKED ALEX SYMONDS IF HE WANTED TO JOIN ME AND HE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE. CONSIDERING HE’S OFF SEASON FROM HIS ICE HOCKEY HE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO DO THE J.O.G.L.E. I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT IF THE 4 OF US (MY BROTHER TRIGG AND NATHAN) COULD HAVE DONE IT BUT TRIGG & NATHAN HAD WORK COMMITMENTS. THIS RIDE WAS VERY LAST MINUTE AS I HAD TO FIND AT LEAST 10 DAYS IN MY DIARY WHERE I DIDNT HAVE GIGS ETC TO DO IT PLUS WE THEN HAD TO FIND A VAN AND SOMEONE TO DRIVE THE SUPPORT VEHICLE. 3 DAYS BEFORE THE OFF DANIEL SYMONDS (ALEX’S TWIN BRO) AGREED TO GET THE TIME OFF WORK TO HELP US OUT WHICH WAS A GOD SEND AS WITHOUT A DRIVER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. WELL, WE COULD HAVE DONE IT WITH A BACK PACK AND TENTS ON OUR BACK BUT TRUST ME, AFTER DOING IT WITH A HUGE SUPPORT VAN IT WAS HARD ENOUGH. THE THOUGHT OF DOING IT WITH TENTS IS SOUL DESTROYING. NOW THAT DAN AGREED TO DRIVE ALL WE NEEDED WAS A BIG VAN AND WE WERE LUCKY THAT TRADE CENTRE WALES CAME TO OUR RESCUE AND DONATED A HUGE VAN WHICH WAS NOT ONLY BIG ENOUGH FOR OUR BIKES BUT ALSO BIG ENOUGH TO SLEEP IN IF NEED BE. OK, ITS NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE BUT ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN SLEEPING IN A TENT AFTER A LONG DAYS RIDDING AND SWEATING WHICH WE WERE TO FIND OUT AT A LATER DATE.

OUR VAN/HOUSE FOR 8 DAYS

WE STARTED ON THE SUNDAY SO I WENT OUT FOR A FAMILY SUNDAY LUNCH THEN WENT TO PICK UP OUR VAN AND MADE OUR WAY TO JOHN O’GROATS AT AROUND 6PM. WE WERE STARTING OUR RIDE MONDAY BUT WE STILL HAD A 12 HOUR DRIVE BEFORE WE EVEN ARRIVED AT JOHN O’GROATS. THE RIDE UP WAS QUITE INTERESTING AND THE 3 OF US TOOK IT IN TURNS TO DRIVE UP. BY THE TIME IT WAS 3AM WE WERE ALL REALLY TIRED BUT WE HAD TO KEEP TRUCKING AS IF I DIDNT START ON THE MONDAY I WOULDN’T FINISH THE RIDE IN TIME TO MAKE IT FOR THIS YEARS GUMBALL RALLY. THE AVERAGE TIME FOR DOING J.O.G.L.E IS 11 – 13 DAYS BUT WE ONLY HAD 9 DAYS TO DO IT INN SO TIME WAS REALLY TICKING. WE EVENTUALLY ARRIVED AT JOHN O’GROATS AT AROUND 7AM AND DECIDED TO GET A FEW HOURS SLEEP IN THE BACK OF THE VAN BEFORE WE SET OFF ON OUR ADVENTURE DOWN THE COUNTRY.

ENERGY FOOD THAT CAME INN HANDY EXEPT THE HP SAUCE

IT WAS GREAT BEING AT JOHN O’GROATS AGAIN AS IT BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES FROM WHEN I WAS HERE LAST YEAR ALL READY TO RUN THE COUNTRY. I TOOK IT ALL IN AND HAD A FEW MOMENTS TO MYSELF TO REMEMBER THE TASK THAT I HAD IN FRONT OF ME THIS TIME AND THE DISTANCE I HAD TO COMPLEATE BEFORE I COULD SAY ‘IVE CYCLED THE COUNTRY”. I LOVE A CHALLENGE AND I LOVE PUTTING MY BODY AND MIND THROUGH A GOOD GRUELING CHALLENGE TOO, IT MAKES YOU FEEL ALIVE AND EVERY DAY BRINGS MANY HURDLES. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT SOME DAYS WILL MAKE YOU THINK “WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING” AND “IM IN SO MUCH PAIN IS THIS WORTH IT” BUT ITS THOSE KIND OF DAYS WHICH GIVE YOU THAT SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT AND JOY WHEN YOU FINALLY REACH THAT FINAL POST. HEY, NOTHING IN LIFE IS EASY ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO SUCH CHALLENGES. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN BECAUSE WITHOUT THE “PAINFUL” DAYS YOU WONT GET YOUR “EUPHORIC” DAYS. IT’S LIKE A YO-YO SOME DAYS YOUR UP AND SOME YOUR DOWN BUT THATS PART AND PARCEL OF WHAT YOUR MIND HAS TO GO THROUGH TO ACHIVE THAT GOAL YOU SET YOURSELF. I FIND DAY DREAMING IS A VERY GOOD WAY TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF CHALLENGE AND BELIVE ME IVE BEEN GOOD AT DAY DREAMING SINCE THE MOMENT I POPPED OUT OF MY MOTHER MANY YEARS AGO, I KNOW THAT FOR SURE AS MY SCHOOL REPORT ALWAYS SAID IT. WHEN YOU REALIZE ‘WHY’ YOUR DOING THESE CHALLENGES FOR PEOPLE FAR LESS LUCKY THAN YOURSELF THATS WHEN THINGS LIKE MOANING YOUR IN AGONY REALLY COME INTO PLAY, WHAT YOUR GOING THROUGH IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET ON WITH IT.

ENJOYING A BEER AT ONE OF OUR STOP OFFS

THE 3 OF US WENT INTO THE CAFE NEXT TO THE START LINE AND FILLED UP ALONG WITH SIGNING THE BIG BOOK THAT MANY OVER THE YEARS HAVE SIGNED ALONG WITH JAMES CRACKNEL WHO ALSO HAD A PHOTO UP ON THE WALL ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS. I HAVE NOTHING BUT ADMIRATION FOR THAT GUY HE TRUELY IS A GREAT ROLL MODEL FOR MANY PEOPLE AND WHAT HE’S ACCOMPLISHED IN LIFE IS NOTHING BUT AW INSPIRING. HE’S SOMEONE I DEFINITELY LOOK UP TOO AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAS GIVEN ME THE INSPIRATION TO DO THESE KIND OF CHALLENGES.

BOOK SIGNED AND ON OUR BIKES WE GO FOR OUR 900 MILE TRIP TO LANDS END. MOST CYCLISTS START AT LANDS END AS THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE WIND BLOWS IN A NORTHERLY SO YOU HAVE THE WIND BEHIND YOU BUT I DIDNT WANT TO FINISH ALL THE WAY UP NORTH TO COME ALL THE WAY BACK WHEN I FINISHED. DRIVING HOME FROM LANDS END IS FAR EASIER. MIND YOU, A FEW DAYS INN AND I WISHED I STARTED AT LANDS END BECAUSE OUR HEAD WIND WAS TERRIBLE ALMOST EVERY DAY WE RODE HAHAHA DICK HEAD. THE RIDE FROM JOHN O’GROATS ALL THE WAY TO INVERNESS (IF THE WEATHER IS NICE) IS AMAZING AS ITS ALL COASTAL ALL THE WAY AND THE ROADS ARE GENERALLY QUIET. ACTUALLY, RIDING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF SCOTLAND ITSELF IS JUST BEAUTIFUL AS THE SCENERY IS SECOND TO NONE. MILES OF FIELDS AND LOVELY SNOW TOPPED MOUNTAINS IS VERY SOOTHING AND PLEASING TO THE EYE MAKING THE RIDE SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. THERE ARE MANY PLACES I RIDE THOROUGH THAT COME INTO MY MIND FROM WHEN I RAN IT LAST YEAR AND MOST OF THEM I ONLY REMEMBER AS THEY WERE PLACES WHERE I FELT AGONY AND EVEN PASS THE PLACE WHERE I HAD  A NATURE SHIT HAHAHA. THERE ARE A LOT OF SHEEP ON OUR TRAVELS AND I GUARANTEE YOU NOW THAT WHEN YOU DO THESE THINGS YOU FIND YOURSELF TALKING TO THE BUGGERS. MIMICKING THEIR NOISES BBBBBAAAAAHHHHH AND MOOOOOO WHEN PASSING COWS THEN COCKLE DOODLE DOOO WHEN YOU SEE A LOAD OF CHICKENS AND KWACK KWACK WHEN YOU PASS THE ODD DUCK HAHA IM BEING FUCKING SERIOUS. HEARING SYMONDS DOING THE SAME WAS MAKING ME LAUGH.

WHAT A PLACE TO FALL ASLEEP

OUR FIRST DAYS RIDDING WE MANAGED 120 MILES OF CYCLING AND FELT GOOD SO WE FOUND A HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT AND GOT SOME DECENT FOOD INSIDE OF US. WE ACTUALLY WENT TO A BELLA PASTA AND I REMEMBER EATING A STARTER, 2 MAIN MEALS AND A MASSIVE DESSERT. WHEN RIDING SUCH DISTANCES YOU REALLY NEED TO FUEL YOUR BODY BECAUSE IF YOU DONT YOU AINT GOING ANYWHERE FAST AT ALL. EVERY DAY WE’D HAVE A VAN FULL OF NUTS, RAISINS, BANANAS, CEREAL BARS AND OF COURSE OUR GLADIATOR NUTRITION PRODUCTS KINDLY DONATED TO US BY THE GUY’S AT GLADIATOR WHICH CAME IN VERY HANDY.

GLADIATOR NURTITION

TODAY WE WAKE IN AGONY. OUR ARSE’S ARE AS TENDER AS AN ABERDEEN ANGUS STEAK AND THE THOUGHT OF PLONKING OUR ARSES ONTO OUR SOLID BIKE SEATS WAS FAR FROM APPEALING BUT WE HAD NO CHOICE AS WE HAD ANOTHER 120 MILE RIDE TODAY. THE BOTH OF US SAT DOWN AND ALL YOU COULD HEAR WERE MOANS & GROANS SO FUNNY. AFTER A WHILE YOU GOT USED TO IT AND WE WERE OFF. IT WAS WINDY AS HELL TODAY AND IT CONSTANTLY KEPT SMACKING US IN THE FACE. IF YOU CYCLE QUITE A BIT YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHAT IM ON ABOUT. WHEN YOUR TRYING TO GAIN MILES BUT ALL THE WIND IS DOING IS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PUSH YOU BACK ALL DAY LONG IT DRIVES YOU CRAZY. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT PISSED ME OFF THAT MUCH I WAS SHOUTING & SWEARING AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE TO THE WIND AS THOUGH HE WAS MY WORST ENEMY, BELIVE ME TODAY HE WAS. WE MANAGED THE 120 MILES AND AGAIN SETTLED INTO A HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT. AFTER RIDING ALL DAY THERE IS NOTHING MORE WELCOMING THAN A NICE HOT SHOWER, IT IS COMPLEATE PARADISE.

WE ARE HEADING FOR FORT WILLIAM WHICH WILL TAKE US THROUGH LOCKNESS. FORT WILLIAM WAS 140 MILES AWAY SO WE HAD A LONG DAY AHEAD BUT IT WAS TO BE OUR BEST DAY RIDING. ONCE AGAIN WE JUMPED ONTO OUR SEATS AND THE GROANS STARTED HAHA. AS WE RODE WE STOPPED FOR A WHILE TO GET SOME LUNCH INSIDE US THEN AS WE SET OFF DAN PHONED US TO SAY THE VAN HAD BROKEN DOWN AND WOULDN’T START. TO TOP IT OFF IT STARTED RAINING SO ALL WE WANTED TO DO IS GET GOING SO MYSELF AND ALEX JUST CARRIED ON RIDING WHILE DAN WAITED TO BE RESCUED. HE SAT IN THE VAN FOR 5 HOURS UNTILL IT GOT FIXED WITH LIMITED PHONE BATTERY AND NO STEREO PLUS THE WINDOW WAS OPEN AND NO POWER TO DO IT UP AND IT WAS PISSING IT DOWN HAHA, POOR SOD. ME AND ALEX HAD A LONG DAY AHEAD BUT WE WAITED IN A MORRISONS CAFE FOR HIM. WE STAYED IN THAT CAFE FOR HOURS AND I CANT BELIVE NO ONE TOLD US TO MOVE ON. IN THE END HE TURNED UP BUT BY NOW IT WAS LATE BUT WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP RIDING OUR BIKES TILL WE FINISHED OUR 140 MILES. IT WAS HEADS DOWN AND OFF WE WENT. WE GOT TO LOCHNESS JUST BEFORE IT WAS GETTING DARK AND IT WAS STUNNING. THE ROADS WERE EMPTY AND BEST OF ALL REALLY SMOOTH, IT WAS SILENT AND THE SCENERY WAS SHOCKINGLY AMAZING. THE 2 OF US COULDN’T STOP SMILING AND ITS DAYS LIKE THESE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING WORTH WHILE. WE WERE ON A MISSION AND GOING AT A REALLY QUICK PACE WHISTLING, SHOUTING AND LOVING EVERY MIN OF IT. IT WAS NOW SO DARK THAT WE COULDN’T SEE IN FRONT OF US SO DAN PUT ON THE FULL BEAMS AND GUIDED US ALL THE WAY, TOP MAN. WE CYCLED ALL THE WAY UP TILL 2AM AND FINISHED 140 MILES. WE WERE SOAKED THROUGH AND TONIGHT WE HAD TO SLEEP IN THE BACK OF THE VAN AS THERE WERE NO HOTELS OPEN HERE AT THIS TIME. WE DIDNT EVEN BOTHER GETTING OUR CLOTHES OFF AND FELL ASLEEP IN WET CLOTHES.

AAAAAAHHHHHH THE COMFORT OF THE HILTON

TODAY WE WAKE FREEZING, STIFF AS A BOARD AND STILL WET. FILL UP WITHA FULL SCOTTISH BREAKY AND HIT THE ROAD. BY NOW I WAS GETTING BAD PILES AND OUR UNDERCARRIAGES I.E GOOCH’S WERE IN A RIGHT STATE, AGONY. PLUS SYMONDS KNEE WAS PLAYING UP BIG TIME FROM REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY. HOW THESE TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLIST MANAGE IS BEYOND ME. ANYWAY, DESTINATION GLASGOW AND WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE WORST RIDE OF OUR TRIP. FROM THE BEST DAY WE HAD TO THE WORST AND WHEN I SAY WORST I MEAN TERRIBLE. IT STARTED OFF QUITE PLEASANT THEN WE HIT HUGE MOUNTAINS, STEEP CLIMBS AND THEN THE WEATHER CAME INN. IT STARTED OFF WITH DRIZZLE AND THEN AN ALMIGHTY STORM. WE WERE IN THE BACK END OF NOWHERE STUCK IN THE MOORS OF SCOTLAND FREEZING COLD TO THE BONE AND THE WIND WAS HOWLING ALONG WITH HUGE LORRIES SCREAMING PAST US AT SPEED. TODAY OF ANY DAY I WAS CLOSE TO TEARS. I CANT EXPLAIN IN WRITING HOW HORRIBLE IT WAS AND DANGEROUS. I COULDN’T FEEL MY HANDS OR FEET BUT WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP PEDDLING FOR GLASGOW. IN THE END IT BECOME THAT DANGEROUS AS WE WERE ALMOST KNOCKED OFF OUR BIKES BY THE WIND AND LORRIES WE HAD TO CALL IT A DAY. WE JUMPED INTO THE VAN AND DROVE TO GLASGOW TO GET A HOTEL. THANK FUCK DAN WORKS FOR THE HILTON HOTEL CHAIN AS HE RANG UP AND SORTED US OUT A DELUX SUITE FOR THE NIGHT, NICE ONE DAN AND HILTON HOTELS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR THAT COLD THAT YOU CAN STOP SHIVERING??? WELL, THAT WAS ME AND SYMONDS ALL THE WAY TO GLASGOW. I THINK WE HAD MINOR HYPOTHERMIA AND ALL WE WANTED WAS A HOT SHOWER. AS SOON AS WE CHECKED INN I RAN TO THE SHOWER AND MUST HAVE STAYED IN IT FOR HALF AN HOUR BUT STILL I WAS SHAKING. FOOD AND BED READY FOR ANOTHER DAY OF CYCLING.

A BIG MILES STONE

BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED AND AT LEAST TODAY THE WEATHER WAS A BIT KINDER. WE WERE HEADING TO CARLISLE TODAY AND LEAVING SCOTLAND AND CROSSING THE BOARDER TO ENGLAND. WHEN WE ARRIVE IN CARLISLE I HAVE A FRIEND WHO OWNS A HOTEL AND HE HAS AGREED TO PUT US UP FREE OF CHARGE FOR THE NIGHT WHICH WAS NICE OF HIM. A GOOD DAY RIDING AND ONCE AGAIN A GREAT DAY OF SUPPORT FROM OUR SUPPORT DRIVER DAN. FAIR PLAY TO DAN HE’S BEEN ON POINT EVERY DAY AND IS NEVER FAR AWAY FROM US IF WE EVER NEED ANYTHING. ALWAYS HAS A VAN FULL OF FOOD, WATER & GENERAL REFRESHMENTS FOR US WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED AT LEAST EVER HOUR OF EVERY DAY. WE ARRIVE AT OUR HOTEL AND GET GREETED BY NEIL WHO SHOWS US TO OUR ROOMS. HE SAID “ITS THE RADIO 1 WEEKENDER STARTING TONIGHT DO YOU FANCY GOING OUT TO ONE OF THE PARTY’S??” WE LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER AS THOUGHT TO SAY “SHALL WE” BUT WE KNEW DEEP DOWN WE NEEDED TO SLEEP BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE WOULD HAVE LOVED A NIGHT OUT SO WE SAID “FUCK IT” AND HEADED INTO CARLISLE FOR A CURRY THEN HIT UP WALKABOUT FOR A FEW BEV’S AND THEN OFF TO ‘THE WALL’ NIGHTCLUB AND CONTINUED TO GET ABSOLUTELY PISSED AS FARTS HAHA (SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD).

KISSY SELLOUT

FIRST DAY OF OUR TRIP AND WE WAKE UP WITH HANGOVERS KNOWING WE HAD ANOTHER 120 MILES OF CYCLING IN FRONT OF US. NO TIME TO HANG AROUND AND WERE OFF. BEFORE WE HIT THE ROAD MIND NEIL SAID THAT THE RADIO 1 WEEKEND REALLY KICKS OFF TONIGHT AS ITS FRIDAY AND ALL THE RADIO 1 DJ’S WERE IN TOWN TO PARTY, DID WE FANCY DRIVING BACK UP AFTER WE FINISHED TO DO IT ALL AGAIN. WE AGREED, ANYTHING FOR A PARTY. RIDING WITH A HANGOVER WASNT TO BAD REALLY AS I THINK WE SWEATED MOST OF IT OUT BUT WE DID TAKE ON MORE WATER THAN USUAL WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE AS WE WERE DEHYDRATED. WE WERE RIDING THROUGH THE LAKE DISTRICT TODAY AND ONTO PRESTON SO WE HAD QUITE A FEW STEEP CLIMBS TO HIT UP BUT AGAIN HAD GREAT SCENERY TO GO WITH IT. WE GOT TO PRESTON THEN DROVE ALL THE WAY BACK TO CARLISLE READY TO PARTY AGAIN.

WITH WALES VERY OWN JEN LONG

WE ARRIVE IN CARLISLE AND NEIL HAS GOT US A FREE STAY AT THE IBIS HOTEL SO WE CHECK INN CLEAN UP AND HIT THE TOWN. IT REALLY DOES HELP KNOWING PEOPLE AND THE SAYING “ITS NOT WHAT YOU KNOW ITS WHO YOU KNOW” REALLY CAME INTO PLAY TONIGHT AS WE HIT UP NANDOS AND WERE GREETED WITH FREE EVERYTHING. AS MUCH BOOZE AND CHICKEN WE COULD HANDLE THANKS TO NEIL’S DJ MATE (SORRY FORGOT NAME ALREADY) AND NANDOS FOR THAT IT WAS ACE. AFTER FOOD WE HEADED OFF TO WALKABOUT BAR FOR PRE CLUB DRINKS. FUNNILY ENOUGH I WAS HERE WITH DAINT A FEW MONTHS AGO TO DO A GIG SO THE MANAGER SORTED US RIGHT OUT TOO WITH A HUGE BOTTLE OF VODKA. NORMALLY I’D BE IN MY ELEMENT, DONT GET ME WRONG I STILL WAS BUT IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD I KNEW WE WERE HERE TO CYCLE THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND NOT TO PARTY BUT HOW CAN YOU SAY “NO”??? WE DIDNT AND GOT BANG ON IT. FROM WALKABOUT WE WENT TO THE VIP IN THE CLUB AND TOOK OUR SEAT AND WELCOMED WITH ANOTHER BOTTLE OF VODKA HAHA CHRIST ON A BIKE……..ERRR I WILL BE TOMORROW. ALL THE RADIO 1 HEADS WERE THERE I.E ANNIE MAC, CALVIN HARRIS, KISSY SELLOUT ETC SO WE SAID OUR HELLOS AND GOT ON WITH SOME SERIOUS PARTYING & DANCING. 4AM AND WE WERE STILL AT IT THEN WE MADE FRIENDS WITH A HELLS ANGEL DUDE WHO’S SON WAS ONE OF THE DOORMEN AT WALKABOUT. THEY CALLED A LOCK INN AT HIS PUB SO OFF WE WENT AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT WE WERE BEHIND THE BAR DRINKING TILL 9AM AND IN ONE HELL OF A STATE. THIS IS WHEN I SLAPPED MYSELF ACROSS THE FACE AND HAD A WORD WITH MYSELF AND GOT THE HELL OUT OF THERE BEFORE WE WERE TO FUCKED TO CYCLE.

HELLS ANGEL

IT’S 12PM AND I’VE ONLY HAD 3 HOURS SLEEP PLUS WE HAVE TO GET TO PRESTON AND START CYCLING AND LET ME TELL YOU, THAT WAS THE LAST THING I WANTED TO DO. WE ARRIVE IN PRESTON AND REALIZE WE HAD A 165 MILE BIKE RIDE TO BRISTOL IF WE WERE TO MAKE OUR FINISH IN TIME. TODAY WAS GONNA BE A VERY LONG DAY INDEED, WE STARTED OFF A BIT GROGGY BUT AS SOON AS WE HIT THE A49 GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH WALES WE WERE ON TOP FORM AND HAD A GOOD DAYS RIDING. WE SPENT AT LEAST 15 HOURS ON OUR BIKES TODAY AND OUR ARSE’S WERE AS SORE AS DALE WINTONS ON HIS HOLIDAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. 165 MILES IN ONE DAY IS ONE HELL OF A FEAT BUT DOING IT WITH A HANGOVER AND 3 HOURS SLEEP IS SOMETHING ELSE HAHA “SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD”.

DANIEL SYMONDS GETTING READY TO LEAVE THE TRAVEL TAVERN AND DRIVE THE SUPPORT VAN HAHA

WE WAKE TODAY IN AGONY AFTER YESTERDAYS MISSION BUT TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY AND WE WERE HEADING JUST PAST EXETER TO HIT THE A30 WHICH WILL BE OUR FINAL ROAD TO THE FINISH. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEN YOU’VE COME ALL THIS WAY AND YOU CAN SMELL THAT FINISH LINE IT DOESNT MAKE YOUR MISSION MUCH EASIER AT ALL, IF ANYTHING IT MAKES IT WORSE. ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS CROSSING THAT LINE BUT WHAT YOU KEEP FORGETTING IS THAT ITS STILL A LONG LONG WAY A WAY. ITS A MIXTURE OF EXCITEMENT, TIREDNESS AND PURE EXHAUSTION AND ALL YOU WANT IS TO CROSS THAT LINE AND ENJOY A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE AND FEEL THE GLORY OF WHAT YOU HAVE JUST ACHIEVED BUT FIRST YOU MUST PUT JUST AS MUCH EFFORT INN ON THESE LAST FEW MILES. TODAY I GOT LOST IN THE PICH BLACK ON THE DUEL CARRIAGEWAY ON MY OWN AS I TOOK A WRONG TURN, A 30 MILE WRONG TURN AT THAT. WE GOT COMMUNICATIONS WRONG WITH DAN AND I MUST HAVE TOLD HIM I WAS ON THE WRONG MOTORWAY (OBVIOUSLY). IT REALLY IS PITCH BLACK AND MY LIGHTS DONT WORK AND ITS REALLY SKETCHY. CARS ARE BEEPING ME AND SCREAMING PAST ME AT SPEED AND IM JUST LIKE A SITTING DUCK, TO TOP IT OFF MY BATTERY IS LOW ON MY PHONE SO I GET OFF MY BIKE AND STAND IN THE HARD SHOULDER. IM FUCKING SHITTING MYSELF AS ITS SO QUIET, DARK AND THE BUSHES BEHIND ME ARE RUSTLING. THE ONLY NOISE IS WHEN A CAR SPEEDS PAST, GOD KNOWS WHAT THEY WERE THINKING OF ME STOOD THERE FREEZING IN MY COLD SWEAT, I MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE A MURDERER OR SOMETHING. IT WAS ALL GOING ON IN MY MIND “WHAT IF THEY DONT FIND ME?, WHAT IF MY BATTERY DOES??” BUT THEN COMING OVER THE HILL WITH LIGHTS FLASHING WAS THE TERRIBLE TWINS DAN & ALEX LAUGHING LIKE FUCK AT ME HAHA. I WAS SAFE BUT IT WAS LATE AND WE MANAGED TO FIND A PUB THAT HAD ROOMS FOR THE NIGHT. THE PUB WAS ABOUT 300 YEARS OLD AND FUCKING FREEZING PLUS MY SHOWER DIDNT WORK. I LEAPED INTO BED AND IT WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF I SAW A BLOODY GHOST.

TODAY IS OUR FINAL DAY BUT WE STILL HAD AT LEAST ANOTHER 100 MILES TO GO BEFORE WE COULD SAY WE CYCLED THE COUNTRY. THE A30 IS SO UNFORGIVING AND GOEAS ON AND ON AND ON WITH PLENTY OF STEEP HILLS TO CLIMB. WE ENTER PENZANCE AND THERE WAS A SIGN THAT SAID 15 MILES TO LANDS END AND MYSELF AND ALEX JUST CHIRPED UP AND HAD A BIT OF A SPRING IN OUR STEP. WE HAD ALMOST CYCLED THE WHOLE OF THE UK AND IT FELT GREAT. I KNEW FROM LAST YEARS EXPERIENCE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 15 MILES WE STILL HAD A BIT OF A MISSION ON OUR HANDS AS WHEN YOU GET 5 MILES FROM THE FINISH THERE ARE HILLS EVERY FUCKING WHERE BUT ITS ACE AS IT ADDS TO THE EXCITEMENT OF FINISHING.

1 MILE TO GO AND THE 2 OF US ARE SINGING, LAUGHING AND GENERALLY BUZZING LOOKING BACK AT WHAT WE HAVE JUST ACHIEVED IT’S THEN WE SAW THAT WHITE FINISH LINE IN THE DISTANCE AND OVER WE WENT. 8 DAYS AND 1,125 MILES (SHOULD HAVE BEEN 900 BUT WE WERE SHIT AT READING MAPS HA) HIGH FIVES ALL ROUND AND LISA ROGERS (BIG BREAKFAST PRESENTER, SCRAP HEAP CHALLENGE ETC) CAME TO WELCOME US WITH A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE WHICH WAS NICE OF HER.  WE WENT TO THE SIGN AND GOT OUR PIC TAKEN THEN HEADED OFF TO WATCH CARDIFF CITY PLAY IN THE PLAY OFFS WITH LISA AND HER DAD IN PENZANCE. CARDIFF LOST SO WE HEADED HOME GUTTED BUT DELIGHTED AT WHAT WE HAD JUST BEEN THROUGH.

8 DAYS 1,125 MILES AND FINISHED

THANKS TO ALEX FOR RIDING IT ALL WITH ME AND DAN FOR BEING AN AMAZING SUPPORT DRIVER AND SORTING FOOD, HOTELS ETC I HAD THE BEST TIME. THANKS TO ALL THAT PUT US UP AND HELPED OUT ON OUR TRAVELS AND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THAT DONATED TO OUR CHARITY TY-HAFAN HOSPICE. YOU CAN STILL DONATE HERE www.justgiving.com/swyd-ironman . I’LL BE DOING IT ALL AGAIN NEXT YEAR BUT THIS TIME WITH A DIFFERENT MODE OF TRANSPORT. ALL WILL BE REVEALED SOON.

CLICK THE LINK TO CHECK OUT THE BBC SPORT WALES FOOTAGE OF OUR IRONMAN TRAINING BIKE RIDE WITH GERAINT THOMAS MBE

http://youtu.be/Cc8nAiozKQY