…..I have rekindled my taste for blogging. OMG!! This could go one of two ways…..

Marie

x

Posted: by marie on July 10th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

Muuuhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (evil laugh)……largely because you had to give me your address details when you gave me your sponsorship pledge. So if you are one of the shame faced few who have not coughed up the sponsorship money you pledged then shame on you! I’ll be camping out on your door step in the next week

See you soon - you know who you are ……..
Marie
xx

Posted: by marie on July 10th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

That’s right folks. Despite ‘appearances’ and rumours I am indeed alive and kicking and wishing I could blog until my heart is content. However I have been so so so busy since the ride that – can you believe it, I have not been on my bike since. Shocking, I know. I want to cry at the admission. The guilt is overpowering – as are my thighs which, despite 800 miles in 6 weeks, are back to the way they were before boo hooooooooooooo!

Still – if I got trim once, I can damn well do it again!…..just not at the moment.

Still – the heart is willing and if the weather allows this Sunday is the day.

Fingers crossed

Marie

Posted: by marie on July 10th, 2008 under the ride.
Comments: none

I just wanted to share this good news with you……

Crack open the bubbles ladies…………………Craz cheekily (his word not mine!) put the Amsterdame08 event forward to the JustGiving site in their ‘Fundraisers of the Month’ feature and can now proudly announce that they chose us from thousands of other fundraisers!

See http://justgiving.typepad.com/ for details!

Plus they gave us £25 too!

WELL DONE EVERYONE!!!

Posted: by marie on June 9th, 2008 under the ride.
Comments: none

That is what Jill means to me!!!!

I have been reliably informed tonight that Jill (our fabby ride guide) got hold of the GPS (and re-launched ‘Mr Punchy’ to the world) just a day before the cycle.

OMG! Someone give this woman a medal. I can barely read a static map when stationary, let alone cycle 251 miles and deal with a GPS. (I tell you, if it was up to me you’d all gave been on a sleazy jet flight to Amsterdam rather than have to cope with modern technology mid ride) 

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL!

WE LOVE JILL! (and Mr Punchy), (and the special jelly!)

Marie
x

PS has anyone had confirmation that Jill survived our moans and groans and is indeed still alive and kicking – God bless that woman!

Posted: by marie on June 5th, 2008 under the ride.
Comments: 1

I take my hat off (well cycling helmet)…..barely a week after our return from Amsterdame 08 (just to reiterate that was 251 miles cycled!) out loyal blog follower Jana and fellow Amsterdamer is now undertaking another charity cycle (She’s a CRAZY laydee)!

Still, respect where it is due. She’s
a)    wiling to be forced back in the saddle and
b)    willing to push the goodwill limits of her sponsors where I daren’t

With this in mind I feel obliged to say that if anyone feels like checking out her challenge and supporting her in a very good cause then visit http://www.justgiving.com/janapasche

There’s just no satisfying us women!

Marie
x

Posted: by marie on June 5th, 2008 under the ride.
Comments: 1

Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes. STOP PRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our justgiving page is showing that we’d raised over £35,000!

OMG!

Shish kebab!

For the love of lycra….

….good grief!

A HUGE pat on the back to all Amsterdame 08 ladies. We did a GREAT thing people!

Marie

Posted: by marie on June 5th, 2008 under the ride.
Comments: none

Ooooh – the novelty value has still not worn off each morning as I throw the covers back and admire my new shapely thighs. It may be wrong to admit this but it’s nice to pose in a mirror imagining that you’d now be able to wear skirts that almost show next week’s washing if you weren’t
a) soooooooooooooo past it
b) far too ‘Charlotte’ (in SATC) and
c) too embarrassed to root out that one skirt you keep from your teenage years that you’d like to try on in private (yes, I have one….or is it two???)

“But how long will they last?” says the voice in my head – to which I reply “It’d better last longer than it bloomin’ well took to get them!”. I figure that my ‘old thighs’ were a good 10 years in the making (I dedicated lots of wine, fast food and stressful working hours / lack of exercise to get them suitably bumpy!) ..so with that math I can go another 10 years on these ones before having to cycle 680 miles in 2 months to get them back again??! Here’s hoping….

…..or I could just steel Jill’s (our ride guide’s) legs of steel. (Was I the only one suitable impressed by those pins mid cycle…man those calves are ace!?)

What’s the alternative???………….I could get on the bike ASAP and keep trim. (LOL)…..

……..Ooooooooooh, if only I could. Does anyone else feel like they kinda put their life on hold a wee bit these last few months to a) fundraise like a daemon and b) train like a woman possessed? With that in mind I am in the midst of a house / garden and life re-cleanse…(that makes me sound all spiritual)…..it’s A.K.A a ‘flipping’ good clean and tidy’ – the kind of tidy where you can put on the big light and not be afraid of tumble weed floating past your guest’s feet.

Oooh – I get the feeling I’ve just admitted too much……back to the nude cycle this weekend. Anyone fancy joining Rachel in a bikini?

Marie
x

Posted: by marie on June 5th, 2008 under marie's training, the ride.
Comments: none

following marie’s post about statistics i got thinking about some of team 1’s even more impressive statistics and facts…

No of days away – an unbelievable 4… it felt like 8!

The best team – team 1!

Miles covered – between 251 and 260 (depending on whos cyclometer you’re using and what team you were in)

No of people left behind – 2, only the vast majority were needed in team 1

no of GLADIATORS READY! - 22

Spectacular falls – 3 that I know of (2 me, 1 Dave the cameraman)

Wee stops – too many too mention

No of times the GPS got us lost - anyone fancy a guess? Must be at least 20

No of times mr punchy dealt with the GPS – see above answer

Sweeties eaten – enough to feed a small army of obese American kids

How many cola cubes Karen can eat at once – 3, with room for 4 maltesers!

no of packets of emergency jelly - 3

No of Vaseline mix ups – none I know of! Would anybody admit?

Longest day – 13 hour

No of knackered, cow pat covered bikes – 21

no of wetsuit clad men encountered – 1 very confused but happy windsurfer

no of stricken prams helped – 1

no of lies about remaining distance….hmmmm

no of truths about remaining distance….1?

windmills encountered - 4

No of hours in a&e – 5!

no of doctors & nurses whilst in a&e - an impressive 8!

Posted: by helen on June 3rd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

Here are the impressive ride stats from group 1 (via Helen’s bike tripometer)

Saturday 24th May - day 1

• Distance 62.94 miles
• Ride time 6 hours 28 mins and 32 secs
• Average Speed 9.7 pk
• Mx 24.4 (we have no idea what Mx is….amswers on a postcard please)

Sunday 25th May - day 2

• Distance 68.87 miles
• Average speed 9.0 mph (remember we had a very very strong headwind)
• Mx 63.2

Monday 26th May - day 3

• Distance 68.08 miles
• Average speed 10.5 mph
• Mx 68.2

Tuesday 27th May - day 4

• Distance 58.24 miles
• Average speed 10.7 mph
• Mx 18.6

Hmmmmm - not bad, not bad at all

That brings my total road distance cycled since 5th April 2008 to a grand 681 miles :) :) That’s in less than 2 months peeps and DOES NOT include any work on the exercise bike!

As Helen’s says - Chuffed as chips

Marie

x

Posted: by marie on June 2nd, 2008 under marie's training, the ride.
Comments: 5