Tour d'Ecosse Day 1 Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre Sat 2nd July 2016

Day 1 Arran 95km 1200m ascent Ferries 2 Islands 1

Grand Depart at Ardrossan on CalMac

After a whistle stop visit with my parents in Penrith last night, arriving 11.30pm and departing at 7.30am, we drove for 2 1/2 hours to Ardrossan to abandon the car, wobble round the car park with panniers on road bikes for the first time. Very worryingly the 11.05am departures on were on amber alert for wind.

We purchased our first CalMac Hopscotch Ticket #5 Arran and Kintyre (covering today's two ferries Ardrossan-Brodick and Lochranza - Claonaig) and our bikes are lashed down and we're first in the coffee queue.

Arran looms up shrouded in black cloud.

The strong wind is supposed to be westerly but a bit West by Nor West. Route finding was easy, signs out of the port were 'North' or 'South'! South we headed on our three quarters of the island tour, straight uphill. Ooph. All I can say was I was a snail all day. Our panniers are around 10kg , 5 in each.This is our plan, a moderate warm up day in miles and lumpiness.

Brief respite from rain for Nakd Bar number 1 of the holiday.

We brought down the tone of Blackwaterfoot Golf Club but they had great cake and a sign saying 'open to all'.

We pushed on and the terrain was flatter but the north westerly kept our speed right down, but the views were great.

Finally the road turned towards Lochranza and we had a tailwind at last. The last ferry was 18.30 so we thought fish and chips first, but there is no chippy in Lochranza! We joined the throngs in the only pub so to keep us going we ordered cheesy chips which we would abandon if too slow. The one portion did arrive in plenty of time and kept us going, we could have eaten there.

The crossing Lochranza-Claonaig was 30 mins. Not far now...
Up n over the Mull of Kintyre 10km to our B&B Bluebell Cottage which looked ropey from the outside but perfect as a one night stay. Very clean and contemporary as built specifically for business.

After dumping our panniers at B&B we then had to go to Tarbert for food, it was 8pm and we hadn't eaten properly all day. Tarbert has a good chippy, so good. Hauled our weary bones back to Bluebell Cottage knowing Kennacraig ferry terminal was 500m downhill in the morning.

Touring Tips in Scotland

1 Plan meals/food We added 15km to our day through bad planning

2 Arm and leg warmers are essential, to keep warm and to cover up against midges!

3 Golf clubs seem to often welcome passers by, great home cooked cakes.

Tour d'Ecosse quick links:

Planning
Day 1 Isle of Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre
Day 2 Inner Hebrides: Isles of Islay and Jura
Day 3 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Jura-Tayvallich to Oban
Day 4 Oban to Outer Hebrides: Barra and Vatersay
Day 5 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Barra Eriskay South Uist Benbecula Grimsay North Uist Beneray and Harris
Day 6 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Harris and Lewis to Callanish Stones
Day 7 Outer Hebrides: Butt of Ness to Stornoway and Ullapool
Day 8 Ullapool to Gairloch
Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula
Day 10 Bealach na Bà from Applecross to Plockton
Day 11 Plockton to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale
Day 12 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale to Ardnamurchan
Day 13 Ardnamurchan to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull to Oban to Loch Melfort
Day 14 Loch Melfort to Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Day 15 Tarbert Loch Fyne to Ardrossan THE END!

Tour d'Ecosse 2016 Planning

We are nearly there. Our 'Grand Depart' is on Saturday 2nd July from Ardrossan, where we will hopefully return two weeks later after:
15 islands 14 nights 13 ferries 12(000)m ascent
11 islands 10(00)km 9 B&Bs 8 shoes
7 Puffins 6 pairs cycling shorts 5 seals 4 hostels
3 spare inner tubes  2 hearts 1 dream.

Well the puffins and seals are hopeful!

Meanwhile a 1000km south of Ardrossan the Tour de France kicks off in Brittany!

We have detailed routes for every day which roughly adds up to this whole (this map includes ferry kilometres). I have the nerdiest of nerdy spreadsheets with all route details, ferry times, accommodation details and places of interest, based on the excellent Cycling in the Herbrides guide by Richard Barrett and published by Cicerone Press.

Basically we have to ride Plan A otherwise Plan B takes effect. A bit like the referendum, we don't really have a Plan B other than we can get a train from Oban, Kyle or Mallaig back to Glasgow and Ardrossan if disaster strikes. Between us we have a heart condition and a knee replacement so we are only carrying the minimum, which rules out camping, and we have to have accommodation booked or run the risk of hypothermia! Cal Mac ferry timetable rules the plan. if we miss a ferry we're up the loch without a paddle.

For instance, on Sunday, we cannot get from Arran to Islay without wasting the whole day, any other day of the week is fine. We have to be off Arran on Saturday by 18.30 ferry, so a B&B is booked on Kintyre peninsula that night. We cannot get a ferry from Islay to Oban as that only runs on a Saturday and a Wednesday, we tried reversing the route or starting in Oban, but no option has us on Islay on the right day without wasting time, so we are getting the Jura Passenger Ferry to Tayvallich from Jura, and riding up to Oban (as the ferry is not on Ride w GPS it would not let me route that way so the above is not quite accurate)

Travelling light.....

Oh, and we're supposedly going over Bealach na Baa from Applecross. The highest road pass in the UK.

It will be wet, it will be windy, there will be midges. We can't wait. I had better go and finish stuffing all that lot into panniers before we shoot up to Penrith tomorrow night to stay with my parents for 6 hours and head for the 11.05 am ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick on Saturday.

Weather forecast for Saturday, Lightening/storm at 11am and heavy rain with sunny intervals and a stiff westerly all afternoon.

Tour d'Ecosse quick links:

Planning
Day 1 Isle of Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre
Day 2 Inner Hebrides: Isles of Islay and Jura
Day 3 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Jura-Tayvallich to Oban
Day 4 Oban to Outer Hebrides: Barra and Vatersay
Day 5 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Barra Eriskay South Uist Benbecula Grimsay North Uist Beneray and Harris
Day 6 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Harris and Lewis to Callanish Stones
Day 7 Outer Hebrides: Butt of Ness to Stornoway and Ullapool
Day 8 Ullapool to Gairloch
Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula
Day 10 Bealach na Bà from Applecross to Plockton
Day 11 Plockton to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale
Day 12 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale to Ardnamurchan
Day 13 Ardnamurchan to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull to Oban to Loch Melfort
Day 14 Loch Melfort to Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Day 15 Tarbert Loch Fyne to Ardrossan THE END!

January and February 2016 Audacious Audax - Jack and Grace Cotton Audax and Flapjack Audax

The audax, pronounced "or-dax" as opposed to "oh-dax", is not a cycling race, nor is it a cycling sportive (these have higher entry fees, generally commercial or for charity and will provide mechanical and broom wagon support, feed stations and physical route marking) It took me quite a while to work out the audax, more of a philosophy than anything else. From the Audax UK website "Audax" is Latin for 'bold', and was first used in the context of endurance sports towards the end of the 19th century." An organiser designs a course, with checkpoints that are generally welcoming cafés, village halls and pubs that put on suitable food." Really it's all about the cake, and beans on toast! Generally events are 200-600km or even 1000km. The audaxer needs to complete the audax in the specified time that is usually measured at around 15km/h. However, stopping and break down times need to be allowed for so really you need to ride around 20 km/h. They are relaxed, audaxers are a friendly bunch and not turning up with the latest kit or team clothing is the norm. There are also many "beginner" audax (plural of audax is also audax) of around 100km. Extra "points" are scored for audax with more than 1000m ascent too. There is the fun of getting your brevet card stamped and answering questions at various points to make sure you didn't shave off a few km or miss a hill out! After all, you are only cheating yourself.

I kicked off with the Jack and Grace Cotton Audax on Saturday 23rd January 2016. Last year was horrendous apparently. Ice rink, and many fell and at least one friend broke bones. Many were very wary but weather was a dry and balmy for January, temperatures almost in double figures.

I knew some members of my club (BRCC) were riding, and their friends but I decided to drive up to Aztec West as I hadn't done enough miles to cycle up to North Bristol and back and guarantee to get round the 100km, like most did. I had had a new Garmin GPS for Christmas so route finding on my own was to be a test to see if I could be properly self sufficient.

I unloaded my bike, and went to check in and get my brevet card. My phone rang and it turns out Pete and Andre had just arrived, and I went along with them, initially on the main road north but quickly ducking off to the quiet lanes of South Gloucestershire. Through Olveston and the first control (aka quiz question) was at Littleton.  Through Berkeley where there is a fabulous tea shop that was hard to ride past but our stop for refreshments was at the pub in Epney that had efficiently made several choices of rolls and steaming mugs of tea and coffee. Pete and I were a little slower than the others and Pete entertained me saying where all the black ice was last year, who fell off where and stories of the other years he had ridden the Jack and Grace.

Then we looped back down towards Stonehouse, skirting Gloucester, and up and down the vicious lumpy bits on the edge of the Cotswolds through Stichcombe and . The Farmer's Table at Tortworth was tea and cake stop and we had just 20km more to go when disaster struck. Poor Pete had two punctures in quick succession and we used both inner tubes and gas cannisters we were carrying. Unfortunately the tyre exploded in Pete's face and the shock was horrible. Fortunately Pete was unharmed and only a little deafer than before but he had to abandon and we phoned Andre who kindly came to pick him up whilst I went on to find the Old Swan at Almondsbury for my final stamp and then got a  little lost in the urban jungle of Aztec West to find the car at the starting point. A great day out, great company, thanks Pete,sorry it ended a bit rubbish for you!

Pete mending his second puncture, seconds later his tyre  exploded. Thankfully he survived to tell the tale.

Sat 23rd January 100km Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial Audax 104km to blow away the winter cobwebs from North Bristol and the Severn Vale

COMPLETED 109km Ascent 906m Fiona


Given that Audax is all about the cake and some cycling to burn off the calories, and given the awesome stories I had heard the next 100km several of us entered was The Flapjack Audax on Sunday 14th February 2016 that started from Chippenham and was a big loop round the southern Cotswolds. Again we were very fortunate with the weather. Andre kindly gave Pete and I a lift and we arrived in Chippenham to start at 9am. We headed off into the wolds and rewarded with refreshments of flapjack and cake at Brinkworth at only 28km. Today was bad luck day for Andre, his gearing gave up the ghost, pretty bad as it had just come back from a full service. Fortunately he and his bike got a lift back to the start and Pete and I continued planning to catch the train home later.

We clocked up Kemble and then Siddington and I must have been annoying as we used to live in the area, but I didn't know the cycling back lanes and connections to familiar places in an unfamiliar direction. Crossing roads I did know Id realise where I was every now and then. My sense of direction is awful! Thank goodness for Pete's directional instincts. Again he had ridden the event before so had many interesting tales of years gone past. Spectacular scenery of course and we rocked up in Sherston for the perfect audax meal of beans on toast. The organisation is incredible, all volunteers. We had paid an entry fee of £7 I think that included route and free refreshments aka masses of cake and flapjack and beans on toast. On reaching a control we had our card stamped and were given a raffle ticket and before we found a bench seat our beans on toast was delivered by a smiling waiter. More tea and flapjack. Perfect fuel.

Audax Lunch Beans on Toast Perfect!

The last bit of the route was idyllic, if a little hilly. I have never been to Castle Coombe before. after a little bit more sweat and the odd rude word we came into the finish to be met by Andre. The heroic guy had driven back home and then driven back out to give us a lift home so we didn't have to wait for chugging Sunday Train services. What a guy!

Sun 14th February 100km Flapjack Audax Circular route looping north from Chippenham in Wilts through the Cotswolds, eating more cake than calories burned!

COMPLETED 102km Ascent 631m Fiona


Question is am I prepared for The Big One. 150km Gospel Pass Audax in March, rumour has it that it usually snows on this one being the highest road pass in Wales.

Heart Research UK I heart Cycling Donation page

I heart cycling 2016 challenge

I am a wuss, I was refining ideas in my head about this challenge over Christmas but wanted to be well under way before going public! The only failure I hate is myself failing.

Blog posts/progress will be linked here once written!

UPDATE 1/1/2017 I Heart Cycling 2016 Challenge successfully completed!

The Plan......

Virgin Money Giving I heart Cycling Donation page

I have set myself the challenge of completing a cycling challenge every month in 2016. The highlight will be Prudential Ride London 100 on 31st July for which I obtained a ballot place. All money raised is going to Heart Research UK towards an Aortic Dissection Masterclass to train cardiac surgeons in the specific skills required to save lives, each one costs £25k to train 20 surgeons over two days. I'm meeting all the costs of events, donated money will not be paying for expensive "charity places" at events I am taking part in.

As most of our friends and family know my husband Steve had a totally out of the blue Type A Aortic Dissection on 5th Jan 2015. From first mild symptoms to theatre for successful life saving surgery, by a crack cardiac squad at Bristol Heart Institute, was 7 hours. We didn't know what an aortic dissection was then either. We now know most sufferers are not so lucky as it is a hard to diagnose and rare condition that is nearly always fatal if left undiagnosed. Even if diagnosed few cardiac surgeons have the skill or experience to do the complicated aortic arch graft technique that Steve had. He was 49 years old, fit and healthy with no health concerns at all.

It doesn't stop there. Steve is riding with me on some of the challenges and Audax when the weather warms up although he is let off the longer and steeper ones as he prefers golf really!

January

Sat 23rd January 100km Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial Audax 104km to blow away the winter cobwebs from North Bristol and the Severn Vale REPORT HERE

COMPLETED 109km Ascent 906m Fiona


February

Sun 14th February 100km Flapjack Audax Circular route looping north from Chippenham in Wilts through the Cotswolds, eating more cake than calories burned! REPORT HERE

COMPLETED 102km Ascent 631m Fiona


March

Sat 12th March 150km Gospel Pass Audax Starting and finishing in Chepstow including an ascent of the iconic Gospel Pass from Hay on Wye, the steep side, highest road pass in Wales. REPORT HERE!

COMPLETED 161km Ascent 1978m Fiona


April

Sun 3rd April 115km 1000m Barry's Bristol Bash Audax A circular tour of Bristol eating cake! REPORT HERE

COMPLETED Fiona and Steve 117km Ascent 1100m


May

Sun 15th May 50 mile/80km Britsh Heart Foundation Cotswold Ride A circular ride round North Cotswolds starting Cheltenham Race Course.

COMPLETED 80km Ascent 850m Fiona and Steve


June

Fortnight Late June/Early July Tour d'Ecosse 1000km 10000m Scottish Circular Tour of Inner and Outer Hebrides and Highlands from Ardrossan. Not camping!

Blog write up starts here

COMPLETED 1200km Ascent 15000m Fiona and Steve

July

Sun 31st July Prudential Ride London 100 miles/ 160km The iconic London and Surrey Hills closed road event. The legacy from London 2012 Olympics

COMPLETED 159km Ascent 1200m Fiona


August

Tues 30th August Jolly Red Gran Fondo to Isle Brewers  160km 1350m ascent August ran away for me and I didn't do my planned ride until almost the end of the month. If I didn't succeed my year of Gran Fondos would end here. I planned myself a solo adventure to test my navigational skills and solo adventuring ability to a friend's tapestry design business in the absolute middle of the Somerset Levels, a lot of riding in previously uncharted territory. It was very hot, I got very lost several times but I did it. I did run out of time despite the light evenings on the way back and for the first time ever called out the cavelry for a lift home as I would have needed lights and had none with me. Loved it and learnt a lot.

COMPLETED 139km Ascent 1250m Fiona


September

Tues 27th September Chewing Cheddar  120km 1200m ascent

Another last minute ride, only 115km required this time but I was on holiday for half the month so another solo adventure, repeating a figure of 8 ride I did earlier in the year, with no café stop. The rain started before the ascent of Cheddar Gorge. My navigational and solo riding abilities are improving and I am loving it.

COMPLETED 120km Ascent 1220m Fiona


October

Sat 1st October Tasty Cheddar Audax  100km 1200m ascent

COMPLETED 120km Ascent 1350m Fiona and Steve

November

Sunday 6th November BRCC Jelly Legs Fondo  100km 1000m ascent

COMPLETED 104km Ascent 1188m Fiona


December

Sunday 11th December BRCC Rocky Mountain Fondo  100km 1000m ascent

COMPLETED 107km Ascent 1216m Fiona



I also intend posting a picture of Motivation Corner near Nailsea on a bike ride each month, and exceeding the 6000 km I rode in total last year.

1st Jan 2017

So in 2016 I/we completed a significant cycling event/distance every month. Fiona collected a full set of Strava Gran Fondos and we completed our epic Tour d'Ecosse in July and several audaxes. Tour d'Ecosse was the highlight, a huge sense of achievement as that holiday was being planned when Steve had his aortic dissection. We never thought we would be able to do it together.

Total mileage for the year for Fiona

2016 Totals

6 583km
369 hours on my bike
56 000 m ascent (6x Everest)

Next year more of the same!

My Doris taking a break before descending Cheddar Gorge Feb 2016

Aortic dissection is a rare and serious condition where the main artery from the heart ruptures.  It is life-threatening if left untreated and, in some cases, patients may need emergency aortic arch surgery to repair the aorta.

In 2014 and 2015, Heart Research UK held masterclasses in aortic surgery so that surgeons from across the UK could gain hands-on experience of total aortic arch replacement.  Following the success of these masterclasses, HRUK hopes to hold another course later this year.

Heart Research UK is funding an Aortic Surgery Fellowship at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital - one of the UK’s leading centres in aortic surgery.  This is a unique opportunity for a talented surgeon to gain experience in different aortic operations, developing the skills and expertise needed to carry out these lifesaving operations.

Heart Research UK recently funded a research project at King’s College London and St Thomas’ Hospital which developed new methods of screening patients with aortic dissection that may help doctors decide who needs close follow-up or surgery.

It all started because....

2016 is another year. Another great year. Another year to continue living the best way we can. In my case that involves prioritising family, cycling, knitting and cooking/eating! Getting Motivated!!

Motivation Corner near Nailsea, North Somerset March 2016.

The 50th birthday is a cliché. I am writing that in a deliberate third person detached way. I did not want to be 50, I feel like I'm 19 1/2 still, but less responsible than I was back then. But we are both now 50, Steve and I have been together since we met as 19yo students. We have 3 great daughters, all now over 18. We are very lucky.

So I have set myself a challenge. I started commuting by bike in a new county when we moved to Somerset (from Gloucestershire) in early 2013. I needed to lose weight and get fitter after years of semi immobility and a resulting knee replacement in my early 40s. I was very active in my teens and twenties; sailing, skiing (hence the knee problem) mountaineering, camping and a general lover of the outdoors. 

I was going to join the posh gym but a bike is only the price of three months gym membership. I am still riding my faithful hybrid "Gert" three years later. She has paid for herself many times over, financially and figuratively speaking. She got me hooked on cycling. I ride therefore I am a cyclist. No ifs no buts, doesn't matter how old/young, fast or slow, cool kit or ancient rust bucket. Anyone who rides a bike should be celebrated for their achievements.

Fast forward to the summer of 2014. I discovered the cycling app Strava, met a couple of other cyclists through the fabulous resource of twitter and social media We took our bikes for a long weekend to Bala in North Wales. I entered us for our first sportive. an Evans Ride It 115km starting in Wells and including the iconic Cheddar Gorge. Our first ascent of the gorge. I did it on my hybrid Gert, a good 1000m of ascent too, I know I got laughed at by the trendy "roadies" and unfortunately I crashed and burned 20m from the end on a cobbled rumble strip and bust my ribs. An evening in A&E ensued. The following week, somehow, I managed to fly to Thailand for a long anticipated two week 'active' holiday. Once my knees healed I managed some snorkelling, but no cycling. The food was good!

After our holiday in October 2014 I bought my roadie, Doris. We rode to Wells to visit the Christmas Market in December. My ribs were still quite sore! Doris felt strange, more of a thoroughbred to be tamed than my solid pony Gert.

Over Christmas I procrastinated, I had been working hard on getting my speeds up so that I could ride with others. Roadies go fast, 25km/h seemed normal from Strava research. I needed to be well over 20km/h I felt, to not be an embarrassment to myself, I was not fast enough. I decided to go for it and went along for my first club ride with Backwell Road Cycling Club BRCC). A lovely informal club. That was Sunday 4th January 2015. A 100km outing to Wales starting from Backwell in North Somerset. "If I got left behind I will never go again" I said. They were nice and encouraging and didn't leave me behind. There were lots of firsts. Cycling over the Severn Bridge to Chepstow, Conquering Belmont Hill and Portbury Slog as I call it. Riding with more than one other person. Riding round the block to make the ride up to 100km...yes I did! I was on a high.

Later that same night Steve was taken ill, he had been on the golf course all day and was his usual self, fit and well up to that point, 49 years old.  Not "that" ill but ill enough for me to be concerned. I rang NHS Direct at 11pm. At 5am he was wheeled into surgery for emergency life saving cardiac surgery, by a specialist team called in at the end of the New Year Bank Holiday weekend, having been diagnosed with an acute ascending aortic dissection, Type A.  This is a very rare cardiac condition that we had never heard of before either. No history of high blood pressure, no other chronic health concerns, healthy lifestyle, not overweight (well a couple of pounds but who isn't?) We now know that less than 10% survive, mainly because diagnosis is not easy, and even if it is diagnosed a specialist cardiac surgeon with the skills and experience to operate are also few and far between. We were lucky that the Bristol Heart Institute was next door to Bristol Royal Infirmary A&E where he was taken. I swear the registrars that night had been up for 4 days, I am sure one had odd shoes on. They were efficient, kind, professional and amazing. They diagnosed a rare condition and acted swiftly to save Steve's life. I will not start a political rant, but without a 24 hour 7 day a week NHS Steve would not have survived.

His surgeon, Alan Bryan, rang me at midday on Monday 5th January 2015. The operation had gone as well as it could. Since every landmark has pretty much been as good as it gets. He has recovered remarkably well. Back at work after 2 months and riding his bike again. The first 15km ride to Bristol Harbourside in March was just so good. He does have to be "careful" No extreme "explosive activity" like scuba diving or squash. Obviously it is harder for him, but he has played his best ever round of golf in the past 12 months, and completed a 100km bike ride on Ile de Ré last summer. No thrashing up hills allowed, but taking it steadily is fine.

So now I want to give something back. Hence my "I heart cycling 2016 challenge". Selfishly involving my hobby. Raising money for specific training of specialist cardiac surgeons into the aortic grafting technique that Mr Bryan and his fully trained team carried out that night. Heart Research UK are organising these, but each two day course for 20 surgeons costs £25000 I also want to help towards raising awareness of aortic dissection so more people are diagnosed and treated before it is too late.

 Virgin Money Giving I Heart Cycling donation page

"Today is a good day." Aortic Dissection Awareness Day Sept 19th 2016