Day 38 of the challenge has seen 16 miles cycled, another visit from a heron, two Mochas and a flapjack consumed, a circus bike repaired and the most extraordinary helping hand.
Last night was calm. This morning saw the first frost of Autumn but a bright clear sky. It was a great little walk first thing this morning wrapped up against the cold but delighting in the condensation forming at each breath. At 42 years old one would think that I would have grown out of it but I still love to play with the plumes of condensation as one breathes on a cold, clear and still morning. Perhaps it is just the joy of a new day. Another day in which to have more adventures and celebrate life in all it’s abundance.
I had a bike ride planned to Callander this time taking what is called the top road over to Callander. A route well named as it travels up above the A84 both in terms of cartography and in physical terms. It travels up on to a faint ridge line above the A84 and then up and down the various humps of the ridge line before descending again in to Callander. None of the climbs looked to be too severe and the route promised some fine views on such a glorious morning. I fixed the GoPro camera to my helmet, packed up the last of my kit and off I went. Exactly as promised it was a glorious ride in the sunshine, the early morning chill nibbling at the ears exposed from under the helmet but keeping me fresh and energised. Up and down the contours I cycled relishing the views and the fact that there was only one car on the road, the entire way. All along the route flanked by a mix of dry stone walls and hedge rows flocks of starlings and chaffinches and sparrows seemed to be pouring out of the hedges, driving ahead of me as if to pull me on along the road chattering excitedly as they went. It was emboldening to see such a spectacle especially when coupled with the sweet smells of the many sheep and cattle passed on the way. A pheasant was startled in to flight by my passing croaking it’s warning to all others noisily in protest at such a rude awakening. And then my friend the heron popped up to my left, took wing and flew across the road before settling again in the field ahead of me as if to wait for me. He reminded me of the stories Granny used to tell me as a young boy about how the storks used to deliver babies all wrapped up in a cloth that looked remarkably like a triangular bandage!! Perhaps Harry the Heron was popping over to deliver some more hope. No. He could see my big smile and knew that I was brimming full of it so off he flew. And if I wasn’t smiling enough then I soon was because after the long up hill comes the long downhill!! I whooped with joy as I stood up in the pedals to allow the bike to bounce in and out of the rough going under me. It was a real buzz of a descent before finally slowing to the final bit of cycle path through the back of Callander and then in to the centre. I suddenly realised that I hadn’t needed to look at my map once. I had studied it hard before I set off because I didn’t want to be constantly stopping to look at the map. It was a relatively straight forward route as long as I turned off the A84 at the right point in Kirkton to start the ascent on to the top road. There was one or two junctions where it looked as if you should go one way when you should in fact go another way but other than that it was pretty straight forward. Could I commit the route to memory and go the whole way without looking at my map? I had arrived in Callander without a hitch and hadn’t looked at my map once. I had cycled the whole way without even a flicker of a seizure. I had beaten the beast. There was no option, with the GoPro camera still running, but to take you straight to the Deli Ecosse for the celebration Mocha and seeded flapjack. I parked up the bike and walked straight in to be greeted by Julie, ‘Hi Archie, where have you been today?’ I’ve just cycled along the top road from Doune in to Callander – it was great!’ I replied. Julie looked at me quizzically, ‘so that’ll be a Mocha and flapjack then!?!’ ‘Yes please – you know me too well’ At that point I turned off the camera and told Julie about me bringing the camera in to show you all my favourite Café in Callander and how brilliantly she had done. It was a perfect first take and could I publish it? Of course, permission granted and down I sat for a well earned celebration.
The Dad on the table next to me recruited to the Challenge and a promise made to his 8 year old daughter Heather to sponsor her in her 5k sponsored run for the Make a Wish Foundation it was time to go home for lunch so with a flourish and a cheerio off I went. Or so I thought. As I grabbed my bike and tried to mount I stumbled a wee bit over the kerb, the front wheel dropped off the kerb and there was an enormous crack. I could not see what on earth it was as I scanned the ground around me – so off I went. Then I started to get the oddest sensations. I started to feel as if I was riding a clown’s bike in which the wheels were square and all the joints going in completely different and wibbly wobbly directions. My balance felt all wrong and I started to fear for a seizure as none of it made sense – I looked down and my wheel was wobbling from side to side as if my bike was straight out of a painting by Salvador Dali. Everything was wrong. I stopped and got off the bike. Feeling better once I was grounded I looked at the bike and realised that a spoke had gone on my front wheel and that my cranks appeared to be a little wobbly. There was nothing wrong with me after all. Those sensations were real caused by a dodgy front wheel and a dodgy crank – what a relief and I knew just the person to go and see. Peter from wheelology who conveniently enough was in the alcove right next to the Deli Ecosse. I was in luck, he was just saying goodbye to some bike hire customers so, after a hugely warm welcome, inspected the bike, made his diagnosis and after a little searching about in the back managed to find some parts to repair the trusty old bike. I had done some damage in that final, but jolly good fun wiz down that final bumpy hill but she was recoverable. It was going to take a wee while so I had a quick chat with Peter’s son about McLaren High School at which he was a senior pupil. He knew both Heather and James and said how great they both were and what fun James was to have in his inter house sports teams. I knew Heather was doing well but this sort of peer level feedback is like manna to a Father’s ears, especially for one’s young son in his first term at High school, he really was getting on well at the school. With a warm, happy sense that they were both going to do well at the school, Peter’s son, as a senior pupil was a product of the school and was clearly bright, confident and just a jolly nice guy who spoke articulately. I wish I had asked for your name, Peter’s son, because you impressed me so and gave me further confidence about that great school, McLaren High, so thank you. However with more time needed on the bike there was nothing for it. Another Mocha and flapjack!!
Job done and with the most generous discount I could have ever hoped for I thanked Peter and set off for home.
The sun was still shining bright and I was feeling great; again blessed by human kindness. I was thoroughly enjoying the bike ride and was firmly grounded in the glorious here and now as I breathed in deep the wonderful sights, sounds and smells of the countryside through which I was passing. I was in a fabulous place when all of sudden I had the most extraordinary experience. As I peddled up a gradual incline on yet another slight hill I suddenly realised that I was still in top gear, the very highest gear I could be in, reserved for screaming down hillsides at break neck speed. I was peddling up hill in completely the wrong gear but wasn’t straining. In fact it felt as if there wasn’t any pressure under the pedals at all. It wasn’t momentum from the previous short downhill – I was far too far up this incline to have any momentum left, Peter had done a great job on the bike but he hadn’t fitted an electric motor; I was perplexed and a little concerned as I shifted my weight in the saddle. My bike felt fixed in position, as if something had a firm grip of the saddle, just as I used to have on the children’s bikes as I taught them to ride their bike or encouraged them up hill. I tried again to shift my weight a little as I tried to work out what was going on. It was firmly fixed and I couldn’t understand it. As I broached the top of the hill my bike ran freely again down the hill towards the A84. None of it made sense in my slightly nervous but excited mood. I had been happy, I hadn’t been struggling on the bike ride, in fact I was enjoying it immensely, I didn’t sense any danger coming up behind me; as far as I know there was no bull charging up from behind me, I saw nor heard any trees toppling across the road as I passed and there was no traffic on the road. Yet it was almost as if I had had the strong but guiding hand of our Father grab the back of the saddle and guide me ever upwards and onwards up the hill. It was a tremendously odd, powerful yet strangely comforting experience to have had as I settled my nerves before setting out for the final leg for home along the A84. I wish I had had the presence of mind to lift my feet off of the peddles and shout weeeeeeeeee up hill to see what happened but I didn’t. So what had just happened? Was it my imagination being driven by some sort of minor seizure activity. I know what I would like to think happened but I will leave that for you to decide!
I have been trying very hard to get the video I took today to download. It is taking forever and with no technical experience may get the better of me but I will keep trying. Great views.
So the challenge in numbers in total since the start:
Days completed: 38
Total Miles Cycled: 146
Total Miles Walked: 164
Total Miles Run: 4
Total Miles covered under own steam: 314
Total Height Gained under own steam: 16,748 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 2
Days of Conservation Activity: 2 1/4
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Curling Matches played in: 1
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 0!
Weight Training Sessions: 2
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 1
People Met and Hands Shaken: 158
Pots of tea shared: 5
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 1
Pills popped: 162
And most important of all – Money Raised as at Day 30- £2,267.00.
Considering I started this challenge 6 weeks ago very quietly with no target beyond a fiver, thanks to the brilliant advice from a friend of mine, I am absolutely thrilled and again thank you all. So far that is £75.00 for each and every day that I have managed to find the will and energy to do something worthwhile and my goodness it has been worth it for my peace of mind, for my healing and for the five wonderful charities you are supporting through your generosity. Long may it continue.
Thank you for joining me on my own personal journey and encouraging me to walk, cycle, climb, paddle, sport and do good deeds each day to ‘Beat the Beast’ while helping to improve the lives and life chances of so many more people through sponsorship. The Five Charities that I have selected to support are:
- Cancer Research UK – My Father Succumbed to Lung Cancer; a couple of friends are currently fighting cancer and I am fighting a brain tumour. Let’s Help to Beat Cancer Sooner.
- The Prince’s Trust – Inspiring and preparing disadvantaged Young Lives for success.
- British Red Cross – helping those in need around the UK and the world whoever and wherever they are.
- World Wide Fund for Nature – For a Living Planet and a Future Where People and Nature Thrive.
- Help for Heroes – Support for our Wounded and their Families.
To learn more about my story that brought me to this point, how I plan to ‘Beat the Beast’, what activities I plan to do within the challenge and why, please read About The Challenge, from the menu above.
Thank you
Yours aye
Archie