"Water, Dirt & Poppy's"

So many beautiful Swans!.........but I only want one!


So after my 35 mile bike ride last Friday I did another 45 miles all in one go on Sunday too (during this epic ride I got the shot of the Swans at Kingston). I think it has caught up with me now and I'm beginning to feel tired...or is it that I have always felt tired but never let myself admit to feeling it? Still, that didn't stop me from going kayaking for an hour on Monday and another 20 mile bike ride Tuesday early evening after a longish day up London with a fellow Blogger & Hep C forum member friend (Miss Poppy) whom I have had the pleasure of meeting not once but on two occasions over the first two days of this week:) Poppy was down in London to have a Fibroscan on her liver and as I live right by where she was staying with her partners Brother & Wife we decided to get together and meet. And what a Lovely person she is too. If you have ever had the good fortune to meet her then you will know what I mean when I say that she has a big smile and an even bigger heart. I'm sure that if you check her blog out she will have written a post about her first ever Fibroscan. I sat in with her at The St Stephen's Centre at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and found it all quite strange being in a clinic like that and not being the one to be scanned and prodded etc...that's what I'm used to you see. It was a pleasure Poppy to be your escort for the day and light those candles and witness the surreal sight of the pianst driving whilst playing his miniature grand piano around the perimeter of St Paul's Cathedral! And the mouse on the underground too...I thought they had all been hovered up!

I think the tiredness is in my head...more of a mental thing. My body feels alright...but where is my mind???

Still no sign of a trip to North Wales for a bit of kayaking. I want to find this lake that I first ever kayaked in back in the 80's with the Haemophilia Adventure holidays. I need to get my bloody arse in gear and stop fucking around in the Thames and get out of poxy London and see a bit of the rest of the UK! Everyone who I know who has a kayak are too busy to come on a bit of a kayaking/camping trip with us just now. I know Lee is well up for something like that but not just now what with his & Nic's moving into a new house and all. I got to get my head into gear and join a club and meet more people and maybe get out a bit more that way. It does get a bit boring going out all alone so much.
I'm not too sure what is stopping me from going to North Wales on my own to be honest. Hold on...yes I do. Would be a bit lonely wouldn't it? I'm sure there are loads of people who Love to go out and be alone away from home and all of that, and I thought that I was one of them but the thought of being all alone up there in North Wales paddling around those beautiful lakes and coasts freaks me out a little. I think I think too much don't I?

Ian & I went to another pool last night. Woking Pool in the Park set aside an hour for kayakers at 20:45 on Wednesdays to come practice their bit's & bob's. It was my first time in there and a whole new bunch of very friendly fellow kayakers. I got talking to a fellow sea kayaker. She was telling me that she kayaked kayaked from Hurst Castle on the UK mainland to The Needles over on the Isle of Wight. It's got me all keen on doing it myself now. But alone? I don't think so!



Jason


P.s. Happy Birthday to Manf & Annibee today:)

xx





(C) JPT 2007.........1924.62 miles.

"Bleeding Bikes 2007"

Me on my first ever mountain bike. A Muddy Fox Courier sometime in 1988 (September maybe?) up at the foot of Ben Nevis in Scotland (or should that be down at the foot of Ben Nevis;).

Oh well...I'm committed now...I have named my fundraising page "Bleeding Bikes!" & have even got some donations already;) So what then am I doing? I'm raising some money for The Haemophilia Society. All the details are on my fundraising page at the link at the bottom of this post, but here is a brief outline of what I have gotten myself into;) Approximately 104 miles of cycling over two days in August using The North Downs Way as my route...From Dover (via Canterbury) on the East coast of Kent all the way to Dorking which is just 20 odd miles south of where I live in London. I'll be cycling along with another group of fundraisers called "Blood, Sweat & Tyre's" who are also raising money for the Haemophilia Society. I have created my own fundraising page on justgiving.com and even have my first donations. This is all very new to me this fundraising lark and it seems like something I could get into. I'll have to see how this one goes though and take it from there to really see if it is something I'd want to get into properly. I'm beginning to wish that I got people to sponsor me on the Rough Ride I did recently. I've got some other ideas too, like a sponsored kayak across to the Isle of Wight or maybe even a paddle over to the French coast! Imagine that! That's something I have always wanted to do...kayak across to France.
I think I'm getting way ahead of myself! I don't even know what kind of an impact this 104 mile bike ride in August is going to have on my joints. I know I do a fair bit of mileage already but I've never riden 100 miles over two consecutive days. I'm definitely up for it though...I can't wait! Actually if I'm totally honest I'm more worried about the safety of my bike during the overnight stay!

This post is really just to promote my fundraising page and get it seen by as many people as possible. I will send an e-mail to my local paper too and see if they are interested in sticking it in there paper somewhere. Any other ideas that you might be able to give so that I might reach as many people as possible would be greatly appreciated. You can also find a link to my page at the very top of my blog on the right.

If you'd like to sponsor me on my bike ride then all you have to do is click on the link below which will take you straight to my fundraising page where you can donate as much or as little as you like. Everything about my ride is on my page and there are additional links to The Haemophilia Society & information on The North Downs Way too.

Wish me luck;)

http://www.justgiving.com/jasonpaultolmie

Other stuff...

Some interesting statistics regarding the mileage I have cycled since January 1st 2007. You may or you may not know that I have been keeping count of all my cycle rides (& kayaking trips) and even have a mileage meter right at the bottom of my blog. I stuck in 3600 miles as my target because this is the year that I turn 36 (Jan 23rd) and also the two numbers add up to 9 and after thinking it out in my head and what I did last year (about 3000 and odd miles) I thought that 3600 wasn't an impossible figure to reach and would also be a bit of a challenge too. But what I found interesting was that just as we reached the 21st June which is supposed to be the middle of the year etc, I noticed that my mileage so far was at exactly halfway!! On the 2oth June I reached 1800.16 miles and have 1799.8 miles to go. Now how cool is that? I new I was on course...sort of, but not that close;) And I did another 35.1 miles last night with Ian (Lee was unable to come out last night as he & my twin Nicola are moving into their new house in the next few days and are busy in preparation for that.
Ian & I went round Richmond Park completely off-road and then right across Wimbledon Common (no Wombles I'm afraid) then through Putney High St and along the Thames past Hammersmith Bridge, Kew Gardens & back into Richmond. It wasn't too bad but my arm is killing me now! We had fun giving all the 'Illegal' trails in Richmond Park names like 'Badger Run' Upper & Lower...'Bugsy' Upper & Lower...'Squirrel Run'...'Sawyer's Sauce'...'Bunnie Run' etc. Silly I know but fun;) It's quite funny the things you talk about during a 35 mile ride through some of the Queens finest parks. I won't mention the three rather large rats that sprinted across the tow-path by Barnes/Mortlake that must have been at least a foot in length each! And I won't mention the sleeping ducks on the rivers bank that looked more dead than asleep either, nor will I mention the massive hovering Birds of Prey that had their beedy little eyes on the tiny mice that were hiding in the bushes by Kew Gardens. I could hear the birds tummys rumbling from where I was watching them hardly moving their wings as they hovered fixed in the sky honing in on a Lovely mousey supper;)
Ian is pretty fit! I find it hard keeping up at times! He seems to fly around on his ultra light, highly collectable museum piece! If he took up mountain bike racing seriously he would be a winner...no doubt about it!

Oh, before I go I just wanted to mention that I learned to roll my kayak now just using a single swimming float (absolutely no paddle) and with one arm (my good arm). I got Lee to film me do it in the pool Thursday just gone and might post a link to it maybe. I hate seeing myself on film & in photos...and my voice is awful! I sound like a right twat;)

Anyway...see you soon:)




Jason






(C) JPT 2007.........1835.17 miles.

We Three Hills...

Resting Or Sore?


Christ on a bike! This year has gone by bloody quick thus far don't you think? Just a few more days until the longest day of the year and it seems as if it was February only weeks ago! My Hep C treatment is all but a faint memory with this little thing preventing me from forgetting about it completely...that being my 'SVR' blood test which will be pulled from me sometime in the first week or two of July. I reckon it's gone to be perfectly frank and this is why I'm not too worried about the upcoming test. It's just another test to me in a way anyway. I've had hundreds if not thousands of test for one thing or another to do with me blood, so what is one more;) It's gone! So why worry eh? And if it's not...it's not. I'll live.

Anyway. What have I been up to then? You guessed it. Cycling & kayaking and not a lot else really. Apart from these dreams I keep having of this beautiful Swan (very strange), I have been attending the hearings for the enquiry into contaminated blood products every few weeks or so in Westminster too. I still feel quite detatched from the whole thing even though I am part of the reason why it was set up. I just don't have the anger and fire in me that some of the others have...and quite rightly they should too! But for me, i find it all very fascinating stuff to witness and all but I find it hard sometimes to think that I am actually a part of it. I have always kept my distance from these types of things and trying to get into it now seems a little late in the day if not pointless also? I don't know. Maybe things will change inside me if and when i witness more deaths like I did several years ago. Even then I didn't get angry and feel the need to fight for anything. Sounds bad doesn't it? Alright...I did and do get angry about it all but I have just never been one to share it with anyone. Maybe I'm a bottler...or a wimp? Maybe I just don't give a shit? Maybe I give so much of a shit that it just doesn't register anymore? What must I sound like eh? I'm not the best person at explaining himself that's for sure. I reckon I'll probably stop trying then.

So...on to my cycling and kayaking. As you know I did that Rough Ride thing a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. And as soon as I got back I remembered this website that I found last summer called Blood, Sweat & Tyres who raise money for The Haemophilia Society by cycling places. I first came across them last year when I was in the middle of my Hep C treatment and would have joined them on their summer ride across 90 miles of The Ridgeway if I had been in time. It was only two days away from the time that I found out about it and I thought about asking them if I could join them and then quickly decided I would wait until the next one in August 2007......which is exactly what I am going to do. I've got plenty of time to prepare myself for it, although to be quite honest I am ready for it now. The ride is 104 miles (over two days) from Dover to Dorking cycling along the North Downs Way via Canterbury. They have said that I am more than welcome to join them and raise money for the Haemophilia Society at the same time. I am in the middle of creating a fundraising page for myself so if any of you out there wish to sponser me then that will be the place to do it. I will post links to my page as soon as I have got my page ready and I will e-mail you with details too and no doubt post something on the Hep C Forum (if it's alright with you Carol?). It will be a challenge...a painful one, but one that I am looking forward to immensley. I can do it!

That's in August, but today (Sunday) I was up in the Surrey Hills alone and did all three of the best ones in a row (Holmbury/Leith/Pitch. I started off in Peaslake and went up the side of Holmbury Hill paralell to Barry Knows Best and along Resevoir Dogs all the way to the highest point, looked at the view with Leith Hill on the horizon to the left and Pitch Hill to the right and then took a dive into the snazzy new start of Yoghurt Pots and all the way down to the bottom, which was quite yoghurty I might add and then found The Telegraph Row route & took it all the way down to the otherside into Holmbury St Mary and then along the road a little way past the church and up the steepish and pretty mucky track that takes you to High Ashes Farm and the bottom of Leith Hill. Cross the road and head up the track directly up to the Tower and got meself a slice of date & marmalade cake and more water and quickly headed for Coldharbour via the South side of the hill passing the cricket pitch on my left and into the pretty cool series of single tracks that are Waggledance, Regurgitator & Summer Lightning...ignoring Deliverance on my way by (I've done it once...never again...& it was on a hardtail!) and almost all the way into Westcott and by road to Broadmoor and back up to the top of Leith Hill through some quite narrow single track all up hill and all wet and muddy. The weather was quite good but it had been raining the day before and the whole route was quite sticky & mucky! Straight past the tower again and back to the start of Barry Knows Best (riding paralell to the Yoghurt Pots instead) almost the exact way I came. Did Barry and popped out of the bottom minding not to get killed under a pasing car as I took the road into Peaslake Village again. Had the rest of my cake and spoke to another rider who had just found a new bit of singletrack downhill he hadn't seen before in Winterfold Woods. I didn't tell him that I had already been there before at the beginning of the year and cut my leg open;)
No time to rest as I still had Pitch Hill to do. My right arm was killing me by this stage...I pointed to somewhere to show my fellow rester the direction of a track i was talking about and as my elbow tried to straighten it caught and OUCH!! He asked me if I had fallen off and I just said that it was an old injury. And my right knee had been telling me something too since the climb back up to the top of Leith Hill. I kept my eye on it so to speak and carried on up past Peaslake church and up to and through T1 and eventually found myself at the very top by the trigpoint...past someones discarded disposable BBQ (tut-tut!) and down the fast, quick and very rooty descent into Ewhurst car park. Instantly turning around and headed the same way back trying not to get off my bike but it was too slippery on the roots and pushed Elvis past them until I was on dirt again...back up to the trigpoint and down T1 and down the side of Pitch Hill past the graveyard, left down the tricky and quite slippery rooty section right into Peaslake car par where my trusty car was waiting for me:) My knee wasn't any worse and my arm wasn't too bad either as I had made a conscious decision to try and rest it as much as I could. It seemed to work but it still hurts like hell!
It was a nice ride and nice and warm to boot as Ample would say;) with not too much wind. It was quite slippy in places and me & Elvis were absolutely covered in mud when I got back. There were quite a few cyclists about too and hikers/walkers etc. I'm glad I went as I haven't been up there for a few months now. I seem to spend all my time in Richmond Park these days! Having said that, I couldn't possibly go up there in the hills too much as my arm isn't getting any better. I don't want to ruin it anymore than I have too;)
So what was the damage? I started out at 1pm and got back to the car at 5pm but according to my trip computer I was pedaling a total of 3hrs. My average speed was 9.1 mph, max speed 31.6 mph (and I wasn't even pedaling when I got that) and the total distance I covered was 26.66 miles. Not bad for a ride in the Surrey Hills:)
I drove home and then went for another little ride of 6 miles to see if I could get into this Music Festival in Strawberry Hill...but they wouldn't let me in the grounds on my bike (I reckon it was because of all the mud on me;)...and I had left my wallet in my car anyway! Oh well;) So 32.56 miles total

So on to kayaking. I reckon I have mastered my C to C roll now and have done them over and over again in the pool and the Thames and the Mole now. I still can't believe that I can roll successfully in a kayak. I have always wanted to be able to roll in one since my North Wales Adventure holidays with the Haemophilia Society when I was but a little boy;) And now I can do them whenever I want:) I am very proud of myself as I thought I'd never ever be able to do one. I thought they looked impossible in the past...and now they come easy to me. I'm so chuffed:)


Jason

P.s. Can anyone tell me how I get a link into the text in my actual post? For I have a video my friend Lee made of me executing a roll in the Mole (Whoa! I made a rhyme:) last Friday afternoon during a 2hr 30mins paddle from Box Hill Stepping Stones all the way to near Bocketts Farm. I want to show the whole world I can roll now;)




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ELJfSbm58


P.s. Happy Birthday Chris for yesterday:)






(C) JPT 2007.........1775.13 miles.

"Always Acting Fearless"

My first roll in the Thames last Sunday night...



Always in front, always in danger,
never behind, never safer,
Sick of it all, especially you,
The one who pulls me, tells me to...

Always the tallest, always up high,
Never down, to high to cry,
The air is thin, can't breathe anymore,
You tell me come down, be by your...

Always in deep, never shallow,
Never the air, never the flow,
The water is cold, dark down here,
I'm told to re-surface, where it is clear...

Always no fear, always no shame,
Never scared, never in pain,
This front is all, this front is good,
I wish it would fall, I wish it would.



Jason






(C) JPT 2007.........1742.57 miles

"Too Deep Even to Breathe"

The all inviting surface...just waiting to be ripped open and entered!

Firstly peeps...you may have noticed that my Rough Ride post (just below this one) may have done a runner or was not showing photos for a while. This wasn't anything to do with me and I have been having problems with this post for a few days now...first the photos disappeared and then I couldn't re-publish the post with new photos and then I couldn't even delete it and start it all over again. Then it wouldn't even let me post a new post (the dream about drowning post) I'm not sure what I did just now but the dream post is there now and the Rough Ride post is back after I removed all the photos...seems they didn't like my ugly mush;) Bloody Blogger.com are a right pain in the arse sometimes! I'll try and sort it out and get the Rough Ride photos back on there somehow...even if it's just the one photo.........ok...on with the show....

This dream is from the 9th May 2007...

Ok! Let's get this over with! Another drowning! Are my dreams trying to tell me something? I must admit that either burning alive or drowning would be two of my most horrible ways to die...Dying of a blood borne infection being at the very top! Maybe I will drown one day...who knows? I mean it isn't out of the question is it, considering all the kayaking I do. No bouyancy aid...more often than not all alone! And it's true that I don't fear capsizing and getting wet. I make sure that I don't fall in because of the germs in the water mainly.
So why all these dreams where I drown? This latest dream has me going down far to deep in this very deep pool...I know I have gone too far the moment I jump in! Two others have decided to jump in at the same time and I am furious! I wanted to be alone...just me! Or am I missing the point altogether?

Drowning is nice...

I walk over to the edge and take a good look at my surroundings. Some sort of sandstone canyon thousands of miles away from where I live. I'm looking out, along with several strange people, probably locals out for a swim, from a kind of a natural cave entrance eroded into the side of the sandstone overlooking the canyon and the water. I look up and see a slit of sky between the steep canyon walls where the clouds are moving by quite fast...they are low and menacing, the air is warm & humid, and where I am there is no wind. The water is still and very deep. The walls of the canyon disappear down into the water and fade into a wonderful deep green. I walk back a few yards to my holdall and put my car key & mobile phone inside and lay my towel across the top so know one can see them.
All I have on is a pair of thin linen trousers and nothing else. They are turquiose in colour. My friend Lee is standing there also. He has my camera and I am hoping he will get a good photo of me jumping into the water. I look over into his direction to see if he is ready...He is. The other people just seem to be standing around admiring the canyon. I take several steps back...enough for a run up of sorts and prepare myself for my jump.
Running as fast as I can, I reach the very edge of the sandstone before it falls 90 degrees and drops about 6ft in to the water and I launch myself into the air with all my might! Just as I leave the ground I notice a very tanned slim boy & girl wearing skin coloured swim suits running towards the edge. I can't believe what I am seeing! I am quite angry! I did so want to be the only one jumping right now! I was higher than them and it looked as though I might even land on them as we all hit the waters surface together! Bloody typical!
We are! We're going to collide in the water! Land right on them both and kill them! Break my legs and smash my nuts in on their broken bones! I need to get higher in the air and further away from the edge! I try...I can feel myself stretching out as if reaching for the sky and I am higher and further than the two swimmers. In fact I am so high that I have butterflies in my tummy and now I am beginning to experience a little vertigo! The water below me is clear of people now and I feel my body momentarily come to a stop as gravity takes over again and sends me down to the deep green water pooled between the giant V shape canyon walls. The sound of wind passing by my ears becomes deafening as my body builds up more and more speed as I plummet to the water.
I make myself into a pencil shape...bringing my arms in tight by my side like a soldier, my legs together as if bound with rope and look staright ahead as I prepare myself for a very fast entrance!
I enter the water at top speed...the soles of my feet sting and instantly I am surrounded by billions of tiny bubbles. I can see just fine and the water is freezing cold! I instinctively find myself kicking my legs and waving my arms to try and slow myself down as I quickly sink away from the surface. As the last of the bubbles float to meet their maker, I can just make out Lee standing on the sandstone ledge, pointing my camera directly at me. His long figure waves as the disturbed water begins to flatten out once more. I think to myself that he must have got a really good photo. The boy & girl are dragging themselves out of the water and up out into the air. Then before I know it I am quite deep and still going down! I realise very quickly that I am far too deep to surface again without needing more air! I don't panic and resign myself to drowning. I decide to blow all the remaining air out from my lungs to see just how deep I can go. The water becomes all the more cold and I notice little pockets of a clearish kind of algae below me...then by my side...then above me. Up above the colour is the same as looking down below. Green and murky! Darker & colder than I have felt in a long time! I have no air left and need to breathe!



Jason







(C) JPT 2007.........1706.85 miles.

Rough Ride 2007

Me & Lee during Rough Ride 2007 on Sunday

So how did our first ever Rough Ride go?

Our first ever mountain biking event ever to be more precise. The ride took place in a little village called Kington on the Welsh borders...not too far from Kidderminster. A ride with about 1000 other riders all there for the same reason...A great Love for cycling. As I say, it was the first time that Lee or I had ever entered into something like this...Oh...Lee did enter some BMX races back in the early eighties but nothing since & nothing on mountain bikes.
We took it in turns to drive down there on the Saturday in Lee's van which was rather exciting because I don't often get to drive anything bigger than my little car. We had prepared for the ride for a few months before (I even went as far to get meself a brand new bike) and although Lee hadn't done as much cycling as he would have liked (he's doing his & my twin Sisters new house up don't you know), he was well prepared mentally as you will find out. We got our spot in the camping ground and them promptly moved to another spot nearby that looked like a better spot. We pitched out tents amidst more and more riders turning up to find their spots and relaxed for the evening with a great view of Kington church across the otherside of the field & some very hot chips and a giant sausage from the local chippy along with a tin of cold ravioli (I prefer it cold sometimes) and sat and watched some of the other campers make their way to the local pub. As we thought about the ride to come and spoke of how pleasant it was to be out camping we supped hot chocklick that Lee made (I drank mine from me cereal bowl as I didn't have a cup...talk about being prepared)...and nibbled on shortbread. All very cosy and relaxing indeed. The weather was on our side and the prospect of sleeping inside what is technically a large fabric igloo shaped kite was rather quite appealing. We each had our own tents...Lee's being ever so slightly larger than mine as he reaches a good 6ft 5ins in length, which he quite fittingly named 'The Palace'. He didn't want my farts and I didn't want his! Palace or no palace...farts would have been......er...farted!
So off to bed with dreams of mice nibbling their way in through the thin fabric of my tent and smothering me to death with tiny little mousey kisses, I slept like a burnt log that had fallen off it's fire and comfortably rolled into a sleeping bag:) Very cosy and I could quite happily sleep in a tent for the rest of my life...mice et al:)

Next morning...day of the race. Will it be the short route or the long...35k or 78k...3000ft of climbing or 7000ft? Still hadn't decided...only thing that hadn't been decided. We would see how we felt when we reached the split. First breakfast and an attempt at a dump! Great brekkie of four Weetabix...half a tiny box of raisins and a banana...but no dump! We took down our tents and packed them away ready for the drive home after the ride. We were almost ready now but first the little matter of what we had to take with us...each!...3ltrs of drink each and energy bars and bananas...helmets, cycling glasses, cycling gloves, puncture repair kits, mobile phones, cameras, waterproofs, money, tripod (which I didn't use) 2000 units of Factor VIII (which I did), a ham sarnie I knocked up with just fifteen minutes to go before our start time at 10am Sunday morning, medic-alert bracelet, watch, trip computer, various tools, spare innertube, map of both routes, micro-chip for registering our times.........oh, and a rucksack to put it all in! We made our way excitedly to the start...the local schools playground and soon found ourselves in the middle of hundreds of other mountain bikers! A few photos & a siren blast (at 10am) later and we were off...cycling over the continuosly bleeping electronic mat as each of our micro-chips registered the exact time that we began.

The next 48 miles were quite something I can tell you. It is the longest ride off-road I have ever done in one go and with the best scenery too...but it wasn't the hardest ride I've done. That would have been the 4hrs I did in the heat of last summer in Swinely Forest when Lee's boss split his head open where Lee & I chased an ambulance around all afternoon trying to find them their bleeding casualty!
It was tough though but very easy on my arms which was good. Rolling hills and through deep, years old worn Land Rover tracks in which getting stuck in one for a mile here and a mile there was quite taxing at times and my pedals would often clip the edges and throw you right off balance with a jolt that shot right through my knackered ankles...I named getting caught in these ruts 'The Death Star Trench Effect"...I imagined my front tyre was an X-Wing fighter looking for the small thermal exhaust port in which to shoot my proton torpedoes...I never found the port but my pedals did manage to take out a fair few trench mounted turbolaser batteries! Sheep mown grass was also on offer for much of the ride and a tiny bit of road to join one part of the countryside with the next, and an area in the middle of nowhere that was strewn with various sheep body parts... picked clean down to the bone and bleached white by various animals and all of the elements...oh...and plenty of sheep shit too! Not to mention two race photographers that I saw who were way out in the middle of nowhere...snapping away at us as we rocketed past...waiting right until the last second before WHAM! Flash blindness! I hope his lens was a wide one otherwise all he's going to have gotten is a photo of the skin cells & specks of sheep do-do on the end of my nose. Another photographer had precariously positioned himself halfway down a particularly steep downhill section that was made up of awkward ridges, loose dirt, loads of dust, stones and gravel! I must admit he was in a great place to get a good photo of riders falling off. No one fell off whilst I was descending it but a woman (the same woman who yelled at me from behind if I was going to take the left or right side of the track...I shouted 'I'm in the middle thanks") did fall off right at the bottom when another (male) rider swerved to avoid cycling over and into an embankment of sorts that would have almost certainly had him off! Everyone was alright & they apologized to each other and carried on their merry little ways. Anyway...the photographer saw this woman & I descend together with her just behind me and I thought oh a photographer...I hope I look alright;) And then just as I reached him he totally ignored me and shot the woman (blonde hair and covered in pretty pink & black lycra I might add) instead! I should have waited until I was on me own. I even thought about going back to the top and riding down again to get meself a better photo...but it was quite steep and there were loads of riders bombing it down and I am pretty sure that I would have caused a major pile up...with me finding myself right at the bottom of it! I might be in her shot I suppose...In fact I just looked and found the photo in question and yes I am in it...Just! It has my better arm in it too which is nice:) I bought the photo anyway...and why not?

Yes...even dead sheep Love to lie in the grass.

So...2hrs and 30 minutes after we started we reached the point where the route splits into the short & long routes. And where you can rest, fill your camelbak hydration systems and water bottles back up with water. We noticed most riders were making for the short route and this and the weather (which was perfect) are what almost definitely made up my mind for me...I was going to take the long route! All I had to do now was convince Lee, who wasn't too keen on the idea, to come along with me and take the pain that it would entail. I let him think about it for a few mins and then said lets go...and we did:) We were both decided now and there was absolutely no turning back. That first climb from the split off point was a right bastard! There were quite a few bastard climbs on the longer part of the ride and I reckon that I cycled up almost all of them...passing other riders who would say 'Well done you' as I very slowly pedalled by. I must admit that my forte does seem to be climbing very steep and long uphills. It felt very good making my way past what looked to be very fit men & women who were either pushing thier bikes or cycling slower than I up the hills.

Lee did remarkably well too...despite a rather bad bout of cramps in his leg! He hadn't been able to cycle nowhere near as much as he'd liked leading up to the ride and he still climbed the hills and kept a very good pace indeed. We had light rain for about an hour and cross winds to go with it...I felt my left arm going numb in the cold wind. Then out of nowhere we found & stopped at the halfway point and had ourselves a bacon bap each (in which I shoved a squidge of ketchup & a teaspoonful of what looked like hotdog mustard...it was not! It was English mustard and almost blew the back of my head out! For an hour or so after that I had the most awful feeling in my throat and stomach!), bananas and flapjack all provided by the race organizers...oh and more water if needed. I had me bastard bap and a banana and then filled my veins with 2000 units of Factor VIII in front of a whole bunch of cyclists some of which were looking quite unsure as to what was actually taking place on my grassy little piece of some farmhouse courtyard...I think I mean courtyard? The bit of stoney/grassy area just outside the farmhouse that is also surrounded by all the outbuildings and stuff. The yard had a pretty stream running right through the middle of it and was a superb location to sit, rest, eat and shoot up. I did get funny looks but know one approached me to see just what I was injecting into my arm. The same thing happened with my 'personalized' number plate...A few people saw that I had added some lettering around the edge regarding my health status but didn't mention it (see photo). Wouldn't have bothered me in the least.

Halfway then and another very steep hill that even I had to jump off up and push Elvis a little! Beautiful scenery all throughout this whole ride certainly helped with our progress and the fact that there were hundreds of other riders also gave us much needed adrenalin boosts as did the sweet sounds of all the thousands of dickie birds that were playing kiss-chase in the bracken/heather/moorland grass...whatever it's bleeding called.
Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal...drink...pedal, pedal, photo, pedal, pedal...drink...hill down, coast, hill up, pedal, flat, pedal, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, spit out sheep shit, pedal, breathe, drink, pedal, photo, pedal, up, down, flat, up, down.........so on and so forth!
Somewhere around the sheep graveyard (around 5/6hrs into the race) I seemed to go off on one and leave Lee behind as I just seemed to switch off and ploughed on until I was done at the finish line. At some points during my 2/3hrs alone I managed to fall off down a quite steep wet and very muddy slatey section. I was going too fast and took a dive over the handle bars right over onto my back until I ended up on my back facing the way that I wanted to go. It was a good fall, narrowly missing falling headfirst down into the bottom of a tiny rock strewn valley! Although I whacked my right ankle on my bike as I left it behind I knew instantly that I was fine and said so to the other riders who thought I'd gone and done meself in. Everybody who saw it were worried and were quick to make sure I was fine...thanks guys and gals:)
I patted myself on the back for having some F8 and after taking a photo of the track where it happened and my filthy bike, I got back on, my back completely covered in mud and cycled up yet more very steep lung & leg busting hills and some very painful (right arm) downhills! Around the 6/7hr section I had lost almost all the strength in my right arm and pulling my brake lever on the downs was excruciatingly painful! I kept seeing animal skulls dotted around the edge of the track and lost water bottles halway down some of the downhill sections presumably having fell out of their holders and not noticed by their riders. The same thing happened to Lee after about an hour or so from the start and he didn't realise until this kind cyclist approached Lee and duly handed him his water bottle. Oh...I must add at this juncture that Lee completed his long route on a hardtail...very impressive indeed. My arse, ankles and arms would have died the death of all mountain biker deaths had I been on my hardtail! Also I would like to say just how f*cking brilliant my new bike performed (17ins 2007 Kona King)! It was a pleasure to ride and at times felt as though I was floating on a cushion of liquid air. And performed especially well during one of the very long descents down the side of a particularly tall hill towards the later stages of the long route when I am almost certain I could smell burning metal! My front disc brake was so hot it may even have been glowing orange if only I had the time to look down at it! My brakes worked admirably during the whole of the race.........wonderful bike tiz Elvis:)

With about an hour to go and all alone I came across a couple of people on foot on a downhill section and on a right turn bend. When I reached them at some speed they called and waved to slow down as there had been a rider who had crashed just down the hill! I slowed down a little and cycled past the crash site and saw a cyclist lying on the grass surrounded by people who were dealing with him...I stopped a few hundred yards further on and stopped to see and take a pic and out from above the horizon came a helicopter to take him to hospital for a check-up...I have since learned that he was ok and although was left bruised & battered, the only thing that was broken was his helmet. It was a tough ride apparently. I heard more than one rider say on the way round that this was the toughest one so far...and best too!

The finish stretch from Gladestry (I Love the name of that village:) to Kington was pretty good...right up along the north edge of Hergest Ridge (Mike Oldfield fans ears prick up;) and into Kington along some quite nice and fast single track with a few very low tree branches to duck under...I thought of Lee and wished I had time to put a sign up reading "Lee...Mind your head". I even saw a discarded unzipped uneaten banana on the side of the track and almost stopped to eat it, but I knew it was only about three or four miles to go and carried on and finally down over & across the finish line to the sound of my micro-chip registering my finishing time. There were there absolutely no people there whatsoever! Just a single marshall sitting on a deckchair directing me to the camping ground to collect my t-shirt for finishing. I made my way to the campsite...ah...this is where everyone was! The grass was covered in knackered cyclists and mucky bikes! I got me t-shirt and waited 20 minutes for Lee to arrive. Bloody well done Lee! We shook hands in congratulation to each other and promptly exchanged our micro-chip for a well earned hot meal provided by Wilf's Cafe and scoffed the lot down still feeling very pleased with ourselves for completeing the long route:)

Me right after my 78km on Sunday

And here are our times for Rough Ride Sunday 3rd June 2007.........

Race# 121 Jason Paul Tolmie, Male, Team Funny Blood, Total Time 7hrs 39mins 1 sec, Split time 4hrs 6mins 29 secs, Route 78km.........according to my Cateye trip computer I was pedaling (wheels spinning) for a total of 6hrs. Not bad for a first timer eh:)

Race# 123 Lee Scott Richardson, Male, Team Funny Blood, Total Time 7hrs 59mins 47 secs, Split Time 4hrs 6mins 47 secs, Route 78Km

Before we knew it we were all packed away and driving back to London still not quite believing what we had just achieved! Lee let me drive us home and finally arrived back in Teddington around 23:00pm. I had an early start the next morning as I was due up at the next hearing of the public enquiry into contaminated blood in Westminster. I hurt the next day but can't wait for the next one:)

I also wanted to say a great big thank you to the race organizers who did a fantastic job of making everyone welcome and the amazing amount of marshalls en route who were all too pleased to help or point or just to smile & say hello:) The route was brilliantly marked out throughout too. Well done! Lee & I will definitely be back next year!!

Update; I went to the enquiry the very next day and met up with my friend Ros and her hubby Ade again and met her very Lovely Mum & Dad too. It was a tiring day and I was still aching very much from my ride. We couldn't hear most of what was said having sat right at the back of the conference room and will have to read what was said on-line. It wasn't a bad day as it goes, but it did have it's moment;)...but it was a good day nonetheless:)
Then yesterday I went for an hours kayak to blow out the cobwebs from inbetween me ears and did another 30 miles today (Wednesday) on Elvis still covered in mud and sheep shit and my Rough Ride number plate still attached. I'm bloody knackered again;)


Jason







(C) JPT 2007.........1660.42 miles

Another Little Bleeder;)

Samuel treating a bleed on Wednesday


Firstly, sorry Chris...yet another image of a steel hungry vein to greet you first thing in the morning;)

Ok...what was the last post about? Oh yes...the weather. Goodness me, isn't there anything else the English talk about besides the bleeding weather? No not really. The weather rules our lives to a certain degree and our emotions and moods too. Stoopid isn't it! It's just a mixture of different elements all coming together and MAKING ME F*CKING WET WHEN I GO OUT CYCLING OR A PADDLE IN THE BLOODY THAMES!!! Ahem...ok...I'm fine now...I promise;) Please don't rain on Sunday...Please!! I got this mountain bike ride on Sunday with me mate Lee. We're just two of around a thousand mountain bikers taking part in this race across the rolling hills of the Welsh Borders in a little place called Kington (thats Kingston without the S) and it looks like rain! And we're camping the night before...in tents!

Anyway...enough about that. I shall endeavour to tell you all about it the moment I make it back (if) to London with half of June's total predicted rainfall soaked into my pants! Christ on a bike! Is it June already?
So...I'm ready and fit and me arm hurts and me ankle hurts & me head ain't quite all it should be...but I'm ready and as I said...I'm fit. I can't be any fitter and anyway, it isn't a race to the finish as such...more of an endurance race to finish the route. The long or the short route? Still haven't decided...35k or 70k? Depends on the...wait for it...the weather. And obviously how my elbow feels at the point where the route forks to long & short. I was out on Thursday afternoon for what turned out to be a 31 mile ride locally with two and a half laps of RP chucked in and a quick look at Kingston before I went home...in pain! It was sunny & warm which helped...a little. For the most part I was resting my right hand lightly on me handle bar because my elbow was so sore! I wasn't even off-road for goodness sakes. It sometimes goes like that...me arm...and me right ankle had a few words to say also on the subject of pain. But that didn't stop me going kayaking on Thursday night. Plus I am going to attend the public enquiry into contaminated blood products the very next morning after the race in London on Monday. I'm sure they won't mind if I sit at the back and have a kip on one of their comfy armchairs that I spotted the last time I was there. Also I want to sneak out one of their snazzy bottle of 'House of Commons' mineral water too;) Don't tell anyone!

So on to the photo...It is of my 14yr old Nephew Samuel. He's my eldest Sisters Son down from Donny (Doncaster) for the week and on Wednesday he rang me up and asked if I could lend him some of my Factor VIII (he too has severe Haemophilia 'A') and thank f*ck without all the trimmings!...which I was only too pleased to do. I'm not sure why he didn't bring any of his own down...I was 14 once and the last thing on my mind was Haemophilia...so there is the reason;) We are on the same stuff and therefore was not a problem. He started to treat himself in the last year or so and was all too happy to allow me to shoot him shooting up so to speak. Before I knew it he was all done and dusted and on the road to recovery. Like Uncle like Nephew:) And on Thursday Samuel, Daisy, Lee & I all went for a blast around Ealing Pool in our kayaks. Samuel had never been before and thoroughly enjoyed himself and even perforemed a rescue on me and saved me from drowing a rather horrible and somewhat terminally breath missing death (all staged of course;) Lee was rolling like know ones business and I just paddled around like a looney again keeping my eye on Samuel & Daisy until Lee asked me if I was going to do some rolls. I had all but given up since last weeks metal block and was quite happy to be the 'Fool in the Pool'...but then thought sod it and with half an hour left of pool time tried again. I capsized meself and just sat there upside down looking at me paddle...all the while running out of air and just couldn't think what to do! I didn't even try and signalled to Lee to right me. He did and then suggested I try a slightly different method...a 'C to C' roll...Lee's been reading up on the different rolls and is fast becoming an egg-spurt on the matter;) I had been attempting the 'Sweep' roll before and successfully too up until last Thursday when for some reason all me brain cells decided to abseil out from my ears and run off into the sunset...with each and every one of the little bastards giving me the middle finger as he did so!! Anyway, I tried one using this new technique and did it first go...then another and another. Much bloody easier! Why didn't I start with this one? So that's the one for me then...the 'C to C' roll. Tune in next week to see if I have gone mental again and lost that one too;)



Jason


P.s. Be sure to check out my other two posts right below this one that I also posted...they're just me cycling & kayaking for May is all...but you might like to see them...See ya when I get back from my race... www.roughride.co.uk Jx






(C) JPT 2007.........1578.42 miles

My Cycling for May 2007...

Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with L...



Tuesday 1st May 2007 @ 18:30pm, 8.14 miles, Callow Hill near Kidderminster (Bewdley), Elvis and Ade on Dessert Storm, Ros waited by the start, sunny & war, light breeze, 48 mins pedaling. Total 1283.90 miles...(899.3 miles since I got Cateye)

Thursday 3rd May 2007 @ 15:00pmish, Elvis, 18.03 miles, RP, 1hr 16 mins pedaling, warm, light wind, av 14.2, max 28.8 mph, temp 15, wind 9. Total 1301.93 miles...(917.4 miles since I got Cateye)

Friday 4th May 2007 @ 18: 45pm, Elvis, Lee & Ian, RP x two and then some, 27.76 miles, 2hrs 38 mins pedaling (out of 4hrs total), cool with medium wind, av 11.6, max 33.4 mph, wind 12, wind 8. Total 1329.69 miles...(945.2 miles since I got Cateye)

Sunday 6th May 2007 @ 13:00pmish, local roads & half RP to Kingston, 11.13 miles, 55 mins pedaling, av 12.2, max 27.9 mph, warm & windy. Total 1340.82 miles...(956.3 miles on Cateye)

Monday 7th May 2007 @ 15:45pmish, Kneller Park with Mum & Daisy for a mile or so...Mums knee doesn't bend enough yet, then Thames tow-path from Tedd Lock to Hampton Court and back through BP, 1hr 15 mins pedaling, 14.23 miles in all, av 11.3, max 25.6 mph, warm & quite windy. Total 1355.05 miles...(970.6 miles on Cateye)

Wednesday 9th May 2007 @ 12:00pm ish, RP, BP, 30.02 miles, 2hrs 6mins pedaling, warmish, spitting with rain...more like wet dust, av 14.2, max 30.8 mph, temp 15, wind 11. Total 1385.07 miles...(1000.6 miles on Cateye)

Injured my little toe on Thursday night/early morning by accidentally kicking one of my 6kg hand weights! Ouch!!!

Saturday 12th May 2007 @ 12:00pm, RP, 18.02 miles, 1hr 22mins pedaling, toe swollen & sore, warm & sunny with a spell of rain halfway round, windy, av 13.1, max 25.1 mph. Total 1403.09 miles...(1018.6 miles since Cateye)

Monday 14th May 2007 @ 18:00pm, 17.40 miles, 1hr 20mins pedaling, sunny after all day being grey, wet and very very dull...it was Lovely to get out even if my toe was still swollen, bruised and sore, cool, light breeze, plenty of midges along the river Thames, av 13, max 27.8 mph, temp 12, wind 5. Total 1420.49 miles...(1036.0 miles since Cateye)

Wednesday 16th May 2007 @ 17:30pmish, 1hr 18 mins pedaling, 17.81 miles, warmish and little wind, light and damp after recent rain, av 13.6, max 27.4 mph, temp 14, wind 10. Total 1438.30 miles...(1053.8 miles since Cateye)

Friday 18th May 2007 @ 18:45pm, Lee, RP x 2 laps, 2hrs pedaling, 25.15 miles, warm, trying to rain and rather windy, light mostly then dark, av 12.5, max31 mph, wind 17 with a peak of 27 mph, temp 15. Total 1463.45 miles...(1079.0 miles since Cateye)

Monday 21st May 2007 @ 18:00pm, BP and Thames tow-path fig 8, 15.02 miles, coolish and dampish, light breeze. light, av 13.9, max 21.6 mph, 1hr 4 mins pedaling, temp 14, wind 6. Total 1478.47 miles...(1094.0 miles since Cateye)

Friday 25th May 2007 @ 18:00pmish, RP, 22.33 miles, I used Dessert Storm today as Elvis is having a service ready for next Sundays (4th June) race, took photos for World Towel Day, warmish, light breeze, light, av13.5, max30.4 mph, 1hr 39mins pedaling, temp 20, wind 7. Total 1500.80 miles...(1116.4 miles since Cateye)

Sunday 27th May 2007 @ 17:30pm...see blog, RP x 2, 23.42 miles, Dessert Storm, raining all day and muddy, quite cool too, light breeze, light, av 13.2, max 26.1 mph, 1hr 45mins pedaling, temp 11, wind 5. Total 1524.22 miles...(1139.8 miles since Cateye)

Tuesday 29th May 2007 @ 17:45 pm, RPx2 laps all on the road, 23.06 miles, Elvis, 1hr 30mins pedaling, cool & cloudy with sunny intervals...threat of rain, light wind, av 15.3, max 34.8 mph, temp 14, wind 8. Total 1547.28 miles...1162.9 miles since Cateye)

Thursday 31st May 2007 @ 16:15pmish, RPx2 and a half laps then to Kingston via Twickenham and back home all on the roads, 31.14 miles on Elvis, 2hrs 10mins pedalling, warm and sunny, light wind, Right arm hurt and right ankle too, av 14.3, max 31.9 mph, temp 17, wind 9. Total 1578.42 miles...(1194.1 miles since Cateye)



Jason






(C) JPT 2007.........1578.42 miles

My Kayaking for May 2007...

Jae on the Thames between Twickenham & Teddington...28-05-07.


Thursday 3rd May 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool in Orange Peel, Daisy, Lee & Ian, today I performed my very first ever proper eskimo roll:) Daisy assissted and rescued me when needed. I did about ten rolls by the end of the 90 minute session.

Sunday 6th May 2007 @ 21:40pm with Naif, Orange Peel, Twickenham to Richmond Lock & back, Dark, still & low, warm, no wind, temp 15, wind 9. 1hr 40 mins total. Very nice kayak:)

Thursday 10th May 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool, Lee, Ian, more rolls although at first I completely forgot how but they soon came back, new paddle worked ok, Lee was frustrated at not having done a roll yet...but it won't be long before he does, i got a friction burn on my right thumb too! 1hr 30mins.

Tuesday 15th May 2007 @ 21:30pm, Twickenham to Teddington Lock & back, 54 mins, quite fast because of recent rain, warmish and little wind, rained a little bit, lost my headlight in the lock as it wasn't strapped to my head and fell in the water because it was so choppy...I watched it blink out of sight to the bottom of the lock, temp 13, wind 7.

Thursday 17th May 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool, Lee, Ian, more rolls...not consistent, Lee did his first roll tonight...and very pleased he is too, 1hr 30mins.

Tuesday 22nd May 2007 @ 16:50pm, Twickenham to Teddington Lock, back to Twickenham then continue on to Richmond Lock and then back to Twickenham, 2hrs 20mins paddling, 7.33 miles, warm & sunny, light wind, foud five tennis balls, temp 21, wind 5.

Thursday 24th May 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool, Lee, Ian, a few rolls...had a bit of a mind blank!, 1hr 30mins.

Monday 28th May 2007 @ 18:15pm, 1hr 8mins paddling, Orange Peel, Twickenham to Teddington Lock & back, coldish, windy and raining, river was fast towards London, temp 8, wind 15.

Thursday 31st May 2007 @ 21:00pm, Ealing Pool with Dasiy, Lee & Samuel, 1hr 30mins, Samuel came along tonight as he was down from Doncaster visiting Daisy etc...he has severe Haemophilia A too like me. He did very well considering he had never set bottom in a kayak before. He also performed a rescue on me successfully...staged of course. My right arm and right ankle were killing me from a 31 mile bike ride a few hours earlier! Also I scrapped learning to 'Sweep' roll and tried the C to C roll instead at Lee's suggestion and I managed to roll much easier doing those! I think the C to C roll is much more suited to me poxy right arm! Thanks Lee:)


Jason





(C) JPT 2007