Lorena Jones is stepping in for Bryony (our injured winner from our competition with Threshold Sports) and will be riding the UK’s largest multi-day cycling sportive, the Mitie London Revolution. She will be updating us with her training progress right up to the event, so stay tuned!
So first of all I would like to introduce myself as Lorena, essentially Bryony’s alias. Sadly Bryony’s injury to her leg was a bit worse than we first predicted and she hasn’t been able to continue with her training … I think I can safely say that I speak for all of us when I say feel better soon Bryony and hope you are back on the bike in no time.
With this, and like a super hero of sorts, balancing the earth’s injury provoking negativity, I am here to pick up where Bryony left of and take on the Mitie revolution, and the training and blogging that come with it. I will do my best to make Bryony proud in the process, given that this should be her.
So a little bit of background I guess; I started cycling about three years ago. With this I mean that I have dabbled on a bike for years and played out with my friends on bikes as kids, but a few years ago, having traced the coastline of the Gower in South Wales several times back and forth to uni on a single speed, I built up my first ever geared road bike. With that I jumped both feet in and without any concept of the size of the trip I was embarking on, I took my bike down to Lyon and cycled it back up to Paris; ignorance is bliss, isn’t that what they say!
With this I well and truly had the bug and went on to take part in various sportives, charity rides and cycle on a regular basis with new found cycling buddies. It seemed I had a natural tendency towards hills and long distance, so I took this and ran with it (so to speak).
More recently, after the whole winter period without cycling I decided to take up the Raleigh challenge 2014, in short, I would cycle 205 miles in one day. This was no small feat, especially given that I hadn’t cycled in months. But stubborn as a mule, I began training in March 2014 and on May 17th 2014 I cycled a round trip of 224 in 14.5 hours.
A week following I had my first trip to the Alps; a women’s week with 1330 Road cycling where I joined a number of girls that I had never met before and covered 8 cols in 6 days. Needless to say I came home exhilarated, exhausted and with friends for life! Then a month or so later, I had the opportunity to cycle the initial stages of the Tour de France as I joined millions in celebrating the Grand Depart.
So the Mitie revolution should be a doddle right?! …. If only it were that simple.
Having had a spring season of EPIC cycling, and so many awesome opportunities and achievements that I never thought were even possible, things were brought to an abrupt halt – quite literally. Heading towards Paris to watch the final stage of the Tour, again on an Epic solo ride I was involved in an accident and upon my arrival at the hospital in France my fears were confirmed; I had broken my pelvis and my spine and would be off the bike for some time.
Ever determined to get back into the saddle I used this as my incentive to drive me through the ups and downs of my recovery period. In addition, I may have signed up to the Etape du tour 2015! (Perhaps it was all the morphine)! I went through the mill with my physio where things were going well, then not quite so well, things were going brilliantly, then things really weren’t going brilliantly and finally, in March 2015 I was given the go ahead to ‘ramp it up a little bit’! Not one to even understand the concept of a little bit, let alone commit to it, I jumped back on my bike with every intention of cycling the Etape as planned.
So why tell you all of this? Well essentially because I have got a long way to go. I have come from taking long distance challenges in my stride and with this to some extent taking them for grated also. I can see the journey ahead will be a bumpy one, both physically and emotionally and I have chosen to take part in the Mitie Revolution to prove to myself and others that I can do it. And well, if I can, then anyone can!
As my first multi day event since the accident I am of course pretty worried about how I will feel come day two; now that I am no way near as fit as I was, and well, very slightly heavier, uh hmm, I am predicting achy legs and post training hunger pangs along the way. But in between that I can see that the Mitie Revolution will be a fun and ultimately awesome event to take part in.
I first heard of Mitie revolution last year, I finally get the chance to take part and I am super excited! Mostly I am intrigued as to what the experience will be; I have never camped in London for a start! I can see this will be a unique and extremely social event, and I would love for you to join me in the experience.
