Jack's Alternative Road to Paris

Far be it from me to speak for my riding companions…

One such companion has decided to give us the story of his Road to Paris. When I first began this blog, I opened up the floor to anyone who wanted to contribute and he has taken me up on that offer. I'd advise reading Sunday's post first.

So here you go: Jack’s Alternative Road to Paris, or “Heavy Hangs the Ham”.

“It is hard to know where to start with my Road to Paris; and whether this is an important mile stone for me is debatable. But let’s say it is though: maybe even more so for me than for Alice with her dangerously small (but really large) step into the pocket-emptying, energy-stripping, wormhole that is cycling.

As this post ties in with Bleeding Edge’s intro to our upcoming trip to Paris, I will begin my Road to Paris in the same place. But I will get to the finish by an alternative route. By the finish, I mean now, which is the beginning…

So...

Not long ago, two friends of mine decided that they would run the Paris Marathon....

OK, this is sort of true: it starts at the start, so to speak, but it isn’t the full story. Those friends were not Fred and Simon, but Luke and Adam, and it was November 2009. I was an unfit twenty-year old Maths student at Birmingham University – you may have struggled to notice if you’d followed me around for a week, but I promise it was true. My aim was to cut down on alcohol consumption, actually do some work and get fit enough to run a marathon. I managed the first two of these, considering myself to have failed the third, stumbling across the finish line in what I saw as an unacceptable and ineligible 4hours 47 minutes.

I realise I have started a long way from the finish line so let’s push things forward.

September 2010: Birmingham Half-Marathon. 2 hours 5 minutes.

November 2010: Surfing trip to Morocco - No sport (or surfing really) but I meet a guy called Aarran Brennan. In a drunken flex of muscles we agreed to race the Majorca 2011 70.3 Ironman.

January 2011: Pinnacle Sentinal 3.0 2010 Road bike purchased.

March 2011: Bath Half-Marathon. 2 hours and 20 minutes (Don't ask).

May 14 2011: 70.3 Ironman completed in a painstakingly slow 7hours, 47 minutes and 36 seconds (who’s counting right?). This was, most importantly, nearly 2 hours behind a smug Mr Brennan sitting with a beer, waiting for me at the end. There is a picture of this, but…

Matt had already entered the picture with regards to my future cycling ambitions by dragging me around Richmond park once for my only >100km training ride before the mountain in Majorca. In a way, Alice's eventual introduction into the nascent Dalston Cycling Club was less haphazard than my own: It was certainly a lot more structured and better planned, although that wouldn’t be hard.

July 8 2012: the aim, L’Etape du Tour Act 1 - 145km with nearly 5000km of climbing. Enter Bleeding Edge and an ever-expanding team. This meant actually having to ride properly and by April and our first preparatory sportive in Sandown, my fitness was improving. A long day in Wales later showed me how far away I still had to go and when July finally came round it was obvious that I had failed to prepare. That day in the Alps between Albertville and La Toussuire-Les Sybelles all got a bit too much: I failed. After 90km I was made to stop and sit on a coach to be driven the rest of the way. Once upon a time, a video documenting my day, but it’s gone. Its jovial tone slowly got weird and by the end, there were tears. I Hate Failing, Especially when you only have yourself to blame.

9 months later I arrived back into the country after a trip, well-documented but unavailable, and heard about this ride to Paris. I have nearly 3000km under belt since that horrid day in the Alps and hope I am a different machine: one which will not struggle with what ought to be a casual 3 day ride and fun-filled weekend in Paris. A machine that should be flying on a new set of wheels.

Should. Be.

I take a different view to Bleeding Edge in regarding “quite how much would be involved in taking on such a challenge from scratch”, hence is why I agreed to be involved straight away. I love this sort of challenge, partly because I like the idea that it could be done with little to no preparation (ironically, my downfall in the past). But, that way, maybe there is a larger sense of adventure. As such, if my brother (who is also running the marathon) was to try and hold me to a claim made last weekend, placing a racing number and a pair of running shoes in front of me the night before Paris swapped traffic for runners (and before a beer), I could still find myself on the start line on Sunday morning.

Buying a road bike on a whim and cycling for 3 weeks straight, eating up 1500km with just a small ruck sack, up and down the east coast of Australia is the best thing I have ever done. I have learnt the hard way that the key with these things is to know the size of the beast, set your targets and prepare accordingly. To me this beast isn't that big. Success for the team would be us getting to the end. But because of where this is placed in my cycling timeline, success for me perhaps relies on the manner in which I reach the end. But that's for the road, my head and I.

Apart from Alice’s initial appreciation of my faith in her to complete the ride, she has definitely revelled in doubt surrounding her chances of finishing. I think in this has helped motivate her to get out on those cold mornings and will be the reason she will do well - maybe this is something I could learn from. Others may doubt her, but have still helped her out with her preparation, something I have failed to do. I did once agree to go on a ride with her but waking up very hungover unsure as to how I had ended up where I was and 3 hours after we agreed to meet kind of killed that plan. The lead up has also been hindered by the weather, I don't ride in the rain, and due to this we have not yet ridden together as a team. This, however, will provide an element of surprise when we all finally get out on the road together.

Although I have never actually seen her ride a bike, I am sure Alice will breeze it. Evidently, I think the wall that sits in front of her on Thursday morning will turn out to be much smaller than she thinks. We will roll at a nice speed and if at any point we hit a hill Matt, on his fixie, being an extremely nice guy will put himself in front and help her up. I should know: I have sat on that wheel many a time. He can also do this because he is safe in the knowledge that if he wanted to, he would get to the top first.

I blame Bleeding Edge for the next bit, we haven't yet ridden together this year and whilst eating steak the Friday before our departure he hinted that going through Surrey (really the only hilly part we will encounter) he will be dominating.

Fine, I accept your challenge and I will wait for you at the top.

Thursday for me symbolises the start to a summer of success that this time will have been earned. It will also include the UK 70.3 Half-Ironman and a 24-hour walk in the South Downs, another feet to be taken on by the new look Alice.”

END

But you knew that already…

Follow @_BleedingEdge_ on Twitter and there should be some updates along the way!