April Update

• Month Training: 83 hours
• Monthly Road Miles : 1148 miles
• Hours to date : 422 hours
• Mileage to date : 3647 miles


I got into the RAAM for two reasons (1) to be part of a team that rides across America in 7 days and (2) to raise awareness and money for Prostate Cancer. I am fairly sure I will be in Oceanside on June 12th (baring a disaster) so it’s time to start trying to get some money for Prostate Cancer. My just giving page is www.justgiving.com/adamndenton any amount is really appreciated and does make a difference. Naturally I am happy to take cash / cheque / bank transfers or text-to- donate (text ‘RAAM’ to 70700 and £5 will be given to The Prostate Charity).

On the training front. Hypothermia was a bad start to the month. It was my stupidity, I had a waterproof with me but on the 60km back to home I chose to leave it in my pocket. As long as I kept moving I would probably have been OK. I punctured. No lasting damage but six hours spent under a duvet shivering suggested it wasn’t my best judgement call!

As the RAAM gets closer training intensity has increased. Riding faster, pushing harder on hill training, and lifting more weights (squatting 130kg repetitions - nearly double my body weight). As part of this masochistic training phase I joined Farnham Tri club for a 110km time trial up and down the A31. Saddle position wasn’t 100% right for the race set-up and as a result I couldn’t pee without pain for a week.

Then it got worse – I managed to pick up Norovirus. Lost 4kg in a day, spent 2 days completely incapacitated and probably didn’t fully recover for a week. I am still 1.5kg lighter than I was the day before the virus struck.
But even with a few little setbacks it has been a really good training month on the bike. With more light the London commute is possible, either one way or return. 2/3rd of the trip is good riding and a 1/3rd is through central London traffic (good for something - a career as a courier? - but probably not the RAAM). This has given me the chance to add up to five hours and 90 miles a day training into a work routine which has been a bonus. I have finally logged more mileage than the RAAM after five months.

The other bonus was a trip across France with the team riders. 560km in 16 hours over 2 days. Great roads, good weather, pretty scenery and satisfaction that we completed the trip (fast). Tim (my brother) sacrificed half of his bank holiday weekend to support which made a big difference – in particular scouting a detour route out for us at the end of day 1 to avoid GPS navigated trip for 40km down a dual carriageway.

So, a big month training in terms of hours and mileage. A couple of minor set backs and a few niggles but nothing serious. Only four weeks training to go….. the RAAM still doesn’t seem real or comprehensible – I am sure it will soon.