During 6-15 November 2011 I will be cycling 400 km through the Rift Valley – from the slopes of Mount Kenya to the shores of Lake Victoria as part of the WOMEN V CANCER KENYA CHALLENGE.
I lost my wonderful mum-in-law to this horrendous disease in January 2010 and for her I want to carry on the support she unreservedly gave to these charities. My lovely mum-in-law’s own mum and two sisters are survivors, so by raising as much funds and awareness as possible we can help to beat this disease.
The three great charities I’m raising funds for are:
Breast Cancer Care
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Ovarian Cancer Action
One of the three challenges for me is to raise a minimum of £2,800 (my target being £3,500). I would really appreciate your help and support in achieving this and would ask that you make a small donation to this great cause. I will be paying the cost of the trip myself so all money raised will go direct to these well deserved charities.
Those that know me will tell you I am not the fittest, so for me personally the biggest challenge will be getting out on my bike and getting fit to enable me to achieve the final challenge …..the 400 km/250 mile ride.
Thank you so much in anticipation of your donation – every little will help!
Please take a look at the links on the navigation bar above, which will give you a lot more information as I continue my journey towards this amazing challenge, you can also find my JustGiving page HERE if you would like to donate.
Can you believe it we are up before 5am – I’m soooo tired.
Went to breakie and was getting some toast, when I turned round all the girls broke out into ‘Happy Birthday’. Sue and Vicky had brought me a cake with a candle in it and a tube of ‘old fashioned’ sweets – how thoughtful. I had lots of cards from the girls.
What a lovely way to start the day, I felt very special and received lots of hugs and special wishes, it truely made up for missing my family today.
We set off on a 3.5 hour journey to the elephant sanctuary. We stopped on route and saw wonderful views across the Rift Valley – stunning.
Arriving at the elephant sanctuary we were asked to surround a cordoned off area.
At 11am 8 baby elephants came down for feeding – they were right next to me, how beautiful. The next 9 older elephants came in – 2 to 2.5 years old. We also saw a 6 year old blind rhino who will never be released back into the wild or he would be killed.
At 12.15pm we arrived at the Faraja Project and was met by Shara. What an amazing place which was set up by Shara after she had cancer.
Shara remembered it was my special birthday, how thoughtful.
We met some lovely people, with cancer or recovering. We don’t realise how lucky we are in this Country, the support and access to treatment we have close to home. Out in the country Kenyan people do not have this privilege and it’s only through Shara that people in Nairobi have support – what an amazing lady!
Shara presented me and Berenice (who’s birthday it was also) with the most delicious chocolate birthday cake – yummy! Lunch was equally as gorgeous.
After leaving Faraja we went to our hotel – FAN BLOODY TASTIC, luxury!!!!
We lounged by the pool drinking cocktails, well why not it’s my 50th!!
We got dressed up and went to the bar and I drank more B & C and ate tapas!!!
I was chatting to Sue when I heard “Happy Birthday to you…again” It was the chef carrying another chocolate cake with my name on it, organised by Kev and the Kids – it tasted amazing and again made today very special.
I couldn’t think of any other way to spend such a special birthday – this is one birthday I will never forget.
Up at 6am – yes, that’s right, 6am and not even cycling!
After breakfast we set off on a 5 hour journey on roads, well when I say roads they were more like rough tracks. My teeth were chattering, it was so bad. I just happened to look at facebook and Kev had updated it with ….. the wheels on the bus go up and down, bang, bang. How the bloody hell did he know I was on that road at that time….he’s a spy!!!
After 2 hours we stopped at the Tea Hotel and had local tea – very strong!
The area we were now driving through was much more affluent – houses instead of shacks!! Lovely Kenyan people waved as we past them in the bus, so happy.
At 12.45 we arrive at the hotel and ate a beautiful lunch. Chips!!! Only problem was I put chilly sauce on them – yuck!
At 2pm we got into the vans and drove to the safari park. We saw so many animals, my favourite being baby giraffe and zebra.
I even saw hyenas – that made me chuckle. Kev’s vision was always one chasing my ass whilst I peddled like fury!!
The trip finished at 6.30pm. Dash back to hotel, quick change and down for dinner at 7.15pm – phew!
Really tired now and just been told we have to get up at 5.45am – what a buggar as it’s my birthday tomorrow and I was hoping for a lie in…..oh well, at least we get to see baby elephants.
For the first time, I ate breakfast…toast, jam and a banana + 2 cups of tea – lush!
Henk said it would go quick and it has. We started the day as usual with a warm up from our own lovely personal trainer – Bella!
I don’t know how I really feel – glad it’s all bloody over and I wouldn’t have to see another Kenyan hill and sad that I wouldn’t experience anything like this again, especially with such an amazing bunch of lovely ladies as Group 2.
We set off as a group at 7.30am through the town of Kisumu, after a km we went into single file. More hills……21 kms to our first water stop, but it was okay as there were some nice down hills.
I was so determined to get the first 21 km over, I had my eyes on the tarmac and missed the famous rocks….I know Kev, but sometimes needs must!
I was relatively at the front when we came into the first stop – an achievement for me.
The next section was amazing, although there were more hills, the scenery was breathtaking…..the photos will not do it justice. I think because I was on the downward slope, I took my time to take in my surroundings.
On the next section I cycled with Gemma Oliver and we kept stopping to take photos of the amazing surroundings.
For the first and probably last time (Kev you would have been proud of me!), coming down hill, there were no pot holes and so I got low over the handle bars and zoomed down – yay! It was amazing and it got me half way up the next hill….bloody amazing!!
Alyson came into the next water stop with an horrendous black eye, stitches and cuts. She’d come off in a pot hole – bless her she was so brave, it could have been anyone of us.
The funniest thing was one of the buses driving over Henk’s bike – what a disaster so close to the finish. I will never forget his poor face, hehe.
We stopped about 5 km from the finish to re-group, attaching balloons to our helmets and cycled the rest of the ride as ONE – it was awesome!!!
It was the most amazing experience, cycling with 70 fantastic friends and our support team to the finish was humbling.
We reached the end to massive cheers from GROUP 2 LADIES – we’d done it, cycled 250 miles across Kenya, in sun and torrential rain, through national park, across the equator (several times), through tea and coffee plantations, valleys, villages, towns, cities, on roads/no roads, across rivers and above all UP MOUNTAINS…..FAN BLOODY TASTIC!!!
At the finish me, Lou, Vicky and Sue hugged each other, crying! Soon all the girls was congratulating and hugging each – what an unbelievable feeling! Champagne toasts were made and medals were handed out.
Group 2 lovely ladies – we did this together! We started out as strangers, we ended this journey as friends….Group 2 we rock!!!!
No words can describe what we’ve been through ……NO WORDS!!!
I quickly phoned my lovely family, I was so emotional and they were all cheering.
Lunch was the best thing I’ve ever eaten and the double B & C went down a treat!!!
The afternoon was spent round the pool reflecting on our achievement. Some girls had gone off to see the hippos.
Our room overlooked Lake Victoria – oh my god, the view was stunning. Sue and Vicky came to our room to watch the sunset – simply beautiful.
The after party was fab, food, booze and music were great, with nominations for Most Improved Cyclist – Mags, Best Dressed – Sue, Most helpful/supportive and all round fantastic cyclist – Nicky and Mother Theresa – Sue. Four fantastic ladies – well deserved. The party went on until 1am – yay!
Had a slightly later than normal start, 7.30am, so many of us aching from that marathon day 3, could have snuggled down for another couple of hours or maybe settled for a hot bath and a long long soak, ooops sorry, daydreaming.
We set off from the non scenic Eldoret and traveled through the town which was made easier as the traffic had been stopped for us to allow us to get out of the town and towards the more open roads. We cycled past some beautiful tea plantations and at the speed my body was allowing me to go, had time to take a few photos. Our first stop was in a layby right next to a school and we were all treated to some beautiful singing, my highlight was when one little girl told me I was beautiful, bless her little heart.
We cycled past some stunning rural areas including a wet land area (the rain hadn’t started yet) and it seemed a lot more affluent with even a few houses here and there. The whole area was beautiful but it seemed to be a much more humid area compared to the previous day, ideal for tea plantations you might say!!
As ever, the hills were not far away, these were babies in comparison to day 3 but with tired legs, even the shorter sharp hills took their toll with a lot of us more than ready for the rest stops when they arrived.
We stopped for lunch at 60km ish and we were the star attraction for loads of kids watching us eat, bless em. We also had two mins silence at 2.00pm (11 at home) which I thought was very well done. We then pushed on over even more hills, when I say hills, some were probably just slight inclines in places, but felt like bloody hills!
Finally, as expected for quite a few miles, the rains came, torrential downpour again! It was quite refreshing though and when it eventually did stop, we dried off in no time as the sun came out again.
Very tired but relieved that this long day 4 is done, the hotel has a pool so I can just imagine 70 ladies just floating around aimlessly, relaxing, or maybe packed in like sardines, depending on how big it is?
Can’t believe that we now all have one more day or more like half a day left to complete this amazing challenge, everyone has, I am sure, gone through their own physical and emotional roller coaster of a journey. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world!!
Where to start, such an emotionally and physically draining day, so hard (but you can do it, group 3!)
The overall route, generally speaking, consisted of 16km down hill, 11km on the flat (ish) 26km up hill followed by approx 35km to the finish, not got a Garmin, so don’t quote me. x
We were up at 5.00 followed by a two and a half hour transfer to our starting point, I couldn’t eat breakfast as I was so nervous and full of trepidation at the unknown ride ahead of us. All I could focus on was the bloody big hill I would soon be crawling up!
We all set off on the wonderful down hill section and I was hanging on for grim death as all the rain from the previous day had turned my brakes into a bike shuddering device instead of a ‘please slow me down’ device, eventually got them sorted out as the roads leveled off.
In far too short a time we could see where the ‘hill’ started, and what a hill! Group 1, you know what I’m talking about, how can you prepare for this sort of climb in the UK?? All I can say, to any of group 3 reading this, don’t keep looking up!! Just get settled into your own pace and just keep those wheels turning no matter how slow.
I was in such a state, I think I was so nervous about getting up the ‘hill’ I’d got myself into a state. Lou Telford was great and kept setting me targets to keep cycling on. As me and Lou approached the bronze stage, Nicky Jones took some time to actually cycle back down the hill for a motivational pep talk (it helped so much, thanks Nicky) apparently she did the same at the Gold stage! how does she do that? We took in some food and water and pressed on for silver.
Lou and Debbie Bright was in front of me and Vicky, with Sue behind us. They were faster than me and Vick and soon they were off. That left me a Vick on our own. She was struggling as she was so sore, but we were determined to get up it. I can’t describe how hard it was to Silver. I think it was a combination of the heat and the constant up hill. Henk said this section was easiery…he lied!!
Eventually……….. me and Vick got to silver, hardly anybody there and all the food was gone! Didn’t matter, as I couldn’t have eaten anyway and I was just so glad for the rest and to try and loosen up my leaden legs. The lovely Jo gave us a hug, bless her. The view was amazing, but I couldn’t take it in because all I could think of was GOLD.
The final push for gold included the last 4km that seemed even steeper (sorry group 3) it really did seem to go on forever and this time there was no rain to wash away the tears. I was in a world of my own when suddenly an Richie, our bike mechanic appeared from nowhere and said the most beautiful words I had heard all day:-
“come on girls, you have done it, it’s only another one and a half kilometres”
He pointed up the hill and I could actually see the finish with all the other girls who could have carried on, all cheering and shouting, willing us up this bloody hill, what an amazing incentive to keep those wheels and pedals turning!!
I have never in all my life experienced something like that, we all have our own reasons for doing this challenge but the group spirit and encouragement is what lifts you and drives you on. Me and Vicky cycled up together, crying our eyes out. Lou was there to meet us (she’s amazing, she’d been there an hour) and there was lots of tears and hugs.
25 minutes later Sue came up the hill, me, Vicky and Lou were cheering and jumping up and down. We had all got to GOLD – the most unbelievable experience – EVER!
We are now in Eldoret which is not picturesque, not quite sure the name of the hotel that we are staying in, but its definitely never had a star rating in it’s life and is actually a different hotel that group 1 stayed in and apparently, better!?
Also not yet sure of what time we are up in the morning as we actually cycle from here, no transfer!
Finally, to all those that will be following in our tyre tracks, don’t worry, it is hard, it is a challenge, it is emotional, but it is also do-able and your reasons for being here and the vitally important group spirit will get you through.
Today was a big relief compared to day 1, we only covered 58km and the start was amazing with about 5km down hill, the roads were quite good compared to some places and a few of the girls got their heads down and flew down, god knows what speeds they were getting up to, I was covering my brakes, just in case, with visions of some sort of wild thing blocking my path around every corner! I also had trouble with my gears and had to stop, Sue waited for me but as we set off again the village seemed a lot more scary compared to when you are in a big bunch, I think we must have got a bit of a spurt on as it just didn’t feel safe, probably my imagination working overtime and thinking we would get left alone!
For all those about to follow in our tyre tracks, be very careful of all these pot holes as there has been quite a few spills already and we have only done two days cycling.
Once we got on our way again we gradually worked our way out of the Bahati Valley, crossing the Equator again and marveling at the way the water circled in different directions depending which side you were on.
Then the rain came! it was an absolute downpour, my hubby lied to me and I believed him, he said “don’t worry about the rain, it goes as quick as it comes and will be nice and warm in between” No Kevin, you were wrong! it was torrential, cold and constant.
One thing for sure, when you are bumping along at slightly faster than a snail’s pace, up hill, in torrential rain, it gives you time to contemplate your reasons for doing this and of the loved ones at home and I’m sure I wouldn’t have been the only one that was mixing salty tears with the rain.
We abandoned our last stop of the day and pressed on to the finish and lunch which was hot soup and tasted amazing as we wolfed it down while shivering and dripping all over the place.
Someone somewhere had the bright idea that we needed to get warm dry clothes on before getting on the bus, so it was unloaded and we all did a super fast change at the side of the road, to be truthful, I did feel better once we had re loaded and set off again, heading for the Soi Safari Lodge and maybe some Hippo spotting?
Tomorrow is the big one, Bronze, Silver or Gold, not a clue how I’ll do, but it will be my best, Hakuna Matata
The view from the balcony at the lodge is amazing and it wouldn’t have surprised me if Timon and Pumbaa hadn’t turned up.
The hardest and longest ride (by 1 mile) I have ever done!!
Day 1!
The roads just kept on going up, when I say roads, I stretch the imagination a bit because some of them were just horrendous, mainly in the afternoon session. At one point we actually cycled past ‘Treetops’ where the Royals hang out when they are in the area and where Princess Elizabeth was when she found out she was going to be the Queen.
We eventually crossed the Equator at 86km which gave us chance for a breather and a photo or two and that only left 17 km to the finish!
Was a hard day but I’m happy I didn’t get off, even though I had to have all my gears changed? (actually got off for that bit)
The ground crew are amazing, it was like a scene from the Tour de France, thought I would get a bit of a rest but was back to pedaling up those hills in no time. The Cumbria hills are nothing on these hills.
V hot and altitude was a bugger, but I survived. Did as my family told me and thought about nana when I was sick of the hills and I bloody cried! The village stops we did were amazing and to see the happyness on the children’s faces when they received their gifts of pens, pencils, books and toys that we had taken, broke your heart, there was a lot of tears.
My ted is doing really well, strapped to the front of the bike and my guardian angel is safe and riding in my camel back.
Just at hotel now and having dinner and maybe a couple of B&C’s, hehe.
More updates to follow, so glad to get that first long day out of the way, think it’s the uncertainty of what’s ahead that triggers off all those feelings of “have I trained enough, what if this happens, what if that happens, can I do it?” thing is, once the wheels start turning, you are so busy concentrating on actually riding the bike and taking in all the wonderful sights, all these feeling seem to be pushed into the background.
So, Group 3, don’t worry, you will be fine and will soon be following in our tyre tracks as we followed Group 1 x
Well, not really an update, as only done 5km to Baden Powell’s grave then spending the night at the Green Hills Hotel before getting up at the crack of dawn for our first day’s cycling, bit of a slog, 98km/60.8 miles!!
The bus journey itself was a bit of an eye opener with what seemed like no rules at all as to where on the road you should actually be, we had a quick toilet stop, think of bad french toilets but worse!! Then when we eventually arrived, we were allocated rooms (sharing with Sue) before having a meeting all about the challenge ahead! (felt sick)
Below, is the bus drive from Nyrobi to Nyeri, bit bumpy but seemed to fly past.
We are, at the moment approx 6000 ft above sea level and will be going up to 7000 tomorrow! (lordy, lord!!!)
Managed to send the hubby and kids 2 quick updates by text:-
Good flight and landed ok. Got some sleep, 20 degrees now. Think Cyprus road but 100 times worse!! he he. Just on a four hour bus journey (amazing buses) to first stop. Get bikes set up later. love you all so much Xx
Read letters, cried so much but they did the trick and will keep me going! Been to Baden Powell’s grave – was ok! Bike is like yours with massive tyres – oh! Love u all so much. My ted looks fab on bike! Xxxxx
Tomorrow will be tough going if you go by the expected itinerary:-
Today is a tough introduction to the challenge. Once into the lush countryside that surrounds Nyeri, we pass fields of crops including fruit, vegetables, sugar cane, tea and coffee. It’s a long steady climb with several downhill stretches over small river valleys with some fantastic views. We’ll be able to see majestic Mount Kenya in the distance and Aberdare National Park at closer range. After 83km/51.5 miles, we reach the equator for the first time. Overnight at the Thomson’s Fall Lodge. As the name suggests there is a great view of the waterfalls from the hotel grounds. (Red text lifted straight from Sandy’s Blog) I think it’s the official itinerary but not sure?
Now 9.00pm Kenyan time and bed time, up at 5.20am.
Hope to keep this blog updated by text and use of hubby, roll on tomorrow!
How absolutely amazing, I had no idea that our fund raising efforts would reach such an incredible figure, thanks Matt Williams for the latest donation that bought it up to the £10,000 mark. There are so many people to thank for their generosity and fund raising help. Not doing it now, but there will be a post dedicated to all you lovely people. Thank you so, so much. x x x
Really nervous, excited, scared and determined, all rolled into one!
Some of those hills were absolute killers, not the fastest coast to coast ascents ever seen, but we kept on going!!
As I type this it seems surreal that on Sunday the 6th Nov I will be be boarding a plane to Kenya with other amazing like minded friends from ‘Group 2′ I am sure that all our worries and anxieties will melt away once the pedals start turning. Enjoy x
