March report

• Month Training: 68 hours – incl 61 hours on a bike
• Monthly Road Miles : 713 miles
• Hours to date : 338 hours
• Mileage to date : 2499 miles


It’s dry and sunny and light. Like being on another planet. Flowers (snow drops at the start of the month and daffs at the end), warmer weather, dry roads – almost a pleasure to be riding.

As all pessimists know, every silver lining has a cloud. My cloud, the first cold of the winter and then, having just about got rid of it, a sore throat and feeling generally shitty and a bit run down.

No epic training camps this month but a solid month of training. Started with the Puncheur Sportive. Cold and icy, -8.5C leaving home. Paul crashed on ice, no lasting damage but a reminder that it is all too easy to end the RAAM adventure with an injury. Training is now almost entirely bike based with some core and flexibility work. Have added riding into / out of London into the routine which gives me a few more options and is more fun than a turbo.

The big trip of the month was, a trip to Glastonbury. The trip is almost exactly 400 km return, Dan and I rode it in a weekend. The ride was a cultural classic including 4 cathedral cities, a white horse, stone henge, wood henge, the shrine of St Swithum (at which Dan and I prayed for good weather) and Glastonbury Tor. Ride stats impressive (but not interesting!) except we did the return trip at over 18.1 mph (30 kmh). RAAM pace, and a big confidence boost.

The Glastonbury trip also clearly brought into focus was how important and valuable the support crew will be on the RAAM. Dan and I were supported by Marco on the way out, and Chris and Hugo on the way back. The difference having support makes is huge. It is partly physical, no need to carry everything you need with you and easy access to food and drink. But the real difference is mental. Having people to encourage you, to speak with (riders don’t really talk to each other on long rides), to joke with (Pirate radio!) and to share the experience with is invaluable. Without them it’s just another long ride. I always thought the two big take-away from the RAAM. One would be the satisfaction of working in a team and the second would be raising money for Prostate Cancer (www.justgiving.com/adamndenton). Now I am sure.

Final thought – where is Gordy? He was a team rider for one of the RAAM teams and wrote very entertaining blogs (Britney Spears Naked being one that springs to mind). Admittedly the blogs were, at times, controversial and politically incorrect. But Gordy has vanished without trace, just obliterated and censored for all time. In his last blog he said he knew he couldn’t be the best but would do everything possible to be the best he could be. Seems a shame he won’t get the chance to try.

Quite looking forward to April but not quite sure why!