When I agreed to blog again, I thought about the topics I’d like to cover and how to make them interesting. One of the things I thought I’d do each week or so was update you on my cycling achievements since the last blog.

So this week, I have cycled a total of 0 miles. Zero. Maybe not the best idea I’ve ever had then!

If you speak to any cyclist and ask them how they prepare for a ride they will give you a number of different strategies – some, for example, like to do interval training, or focus on the hill climbs, or practice parts of the route they will be riding. But one thing they will all tell you is ‘you need the miles in your legs’.

Whilst that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do a 75 mile ride every time you go out, it does mean that you should a) actually be going out and b) increase the miles you complete.

Not riding for a week, therefore, isn’t really recommended. But one of the advantages of blogging – publicly – is that I have now shamed myself into addressing this. After all, I can’t report having completed no miles again in my next blog. Not only would this be embarrassing, it’d be pretty boring for you guys too.

So I am going to commit, right here, to completing at least one ride of 40 miles plus, with the aim of riding at least double that, in total.  I might even try and throw in at least one of the three most testing climbs on the ride.

On my most recent cycle rides, I’ve tried some interval training – mixing speedy segments with some gentler paced recovery sections. This is partly to try and increase my fitness, and also to try and add variety to some of the shorter rides I do.

I’d love to tell you the technical and fitness reasons for why this is a good thing to do, but they’re largely beyond my comprehension. But what I do know is that varying your heart rate while exercising is a good thing to do, and I think you’ll even burn more calories. If you want to give it a go, I’d recommend one of the many fitness apps that exist, or have a look through some issues of Cycling Plus – every issue gives some useful hints and tips that will hopefully help you reach your goals.

I’ll let you know how I get on in my next blog.

And in the meantime, if you need more inspiration than I’m providing, why not take a look at my blogging colleague, Nigel Lowe’s posts. I’d like to commend him on his training and fundraising efforts, and wish him the very best of health too – he’s doing all that whilst battling Low Grade Lymphoma.

I don’t know exactly how it’s happened, but I appear to have agreed to do the Jennings Rivers Ride again in 2015. This is despite the fear, pain and moderate panic that crosses my mind whenever last year’s ride is mentioned!

Ok, so I might be exaggerating somewhat, but it is fair to say that I found the ride a challenge. Not only was it the longest ride I’ve ever completed, but it was also the most hilly and arduous.

To be honest, I was quite pleased to finish the ride, especially given the pain I felt shortly after reaching the summit of the first (and easiest) mountain pass –Whinlatter. At that point, and for most of the twenty miles that followed, I wasn’t sure that I would make it. But I did, and I think that the reason that I’ve agreed to do the ride again this year is because the sense of accomplishment I got when I reached the end was just unbelievable, and hard to even put in to words.

The other reason I am happy to do the ride again is because I know much good the Cumbria Community Foundation can do with the money it raises from the event. I know from my contact with the Foundation that they do amazing things for people and communities in the county, and in times of austerity and government funding cuts, this is even more important.

So I’d be really grateful for any donations anyone might be willing to give, to support this work. Last year I raised £900, and this year I’d love to get this up to a round £1000, but I’ll be pleased with whatever I get. You can donate at www.justgiving.com/icurwen.

I’ll try to update this blog every couple of weeks with updates on how my training is going. I’ve recently done a couple of longer rides, but these haven’t been too hilly – I’ll need to incorporate these soon, if I am to improve on, or even match, last year’s effort.

For anyone considering doing the ride – ignore everything I’ve just said. It really is great fun, and if you like cycling, you’ll no doubt find it a doddle!

The recent email from the Foundation suggesting it was time to recommence blogging, with less than ten weeks to go until the Rivers Ride, struck fear through me.

A couple of weeks ago, after a winter where I continued my training, I was feeling confident. However, a recent injury has made the start of this year’s training a much more daunting affair.

In fact, on a cycle ride in early February, I outperformed a friend and long time cycling partner for the first time ever. It felt alien to lead the pack and to be able to continue at pace as my friend slowed down. In fact, I felt I had a bit of an insight into what it must be like to cycle with me. I found myself surprised when he wanted to stop for a rest, thinking we’d only just had one.

Sadly, this feeling of superiority and confidence in my training didn’t last long – a squash injury soon put paid to that. As a result, I have managed very little cycling over the last month or so – at the gym or otherwise.

The worrying thing is that my innocent sounding ‘Baker’s cyst’ continues hang around my knee making its presence known.

However, this weekend’s temporary arrival of summer meant that I simply had to get out – injury or not. I’m happy to inform you that I have been out for a couple of rides and have enjoyed them both. I was alarmed to notice a visible drop-off in performance, but was pleased to quickly recover my passion for cycling and reassured that the knee injury didn’t prove much more than an irritation.

So I’m now hoping that embarrassing Strava segment times will make me focus on increasing my speed, and the thought of completing a 75 mile ride will quickly scare me into increasing the length of my rides back to something worth cladding myself in toilet-trip-hindering lycra in the first place.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

The title might be a cliché, but it really is true. With just one weekend left to go, there is very little time for further Rivers Ride training.

It was with this nauseating thought in mind that I planned my riding for the weekend that has just passed. I knew I needed to do a long stretch out, and that I would really like to do the climbs I’ll be doing on the actual ride. I’m pleased to say I accomplished both of these on my two rides.

I started my weekend with a nice 25 loop from Bassenthwaite, over Newlands and Whinlatter. Whilst this was a short ride, the mixed weather and the two climbs meant it was a very useful ride. And it ticked off two of my Rivers Ride climbs.

On Sunday, I went out on my second ride, and did a longer 50 route which also took in two passes. This time I did Honister and Whinlatter from the other side. This ride was a useful part of my training, and I learned that I can make it up Honister in one go. It is hard – I felt like my head was going to explode at some points, and I’m pretty sure I looked like a balloon blown up to far – but I made it.

I also learned that I really need to get my ride fuel plans sorted. As those of you who have read my Hardknott blog will know, I don’t always manage this and leave myself short.

I did this again on Sunday’s longer ride. The first half was pretty pacy, and a number of new Strava records were set. However, after a lunch stop in Keswick, the second half of the ride felt very different.

I chose a delicious vegetarian mezze for lunch. However, this carb rich meal wasn’t the fuel I needed mid-ride and weighed heavy for the rest of the journey.

I managed Whinlatter itself reasonably well, but after this point I didn’t have much left in the tank. (Other than some falafel and houmous which served only to weigh me down.) Thankfully I managed to crawl (almost literally, or so it felt) to the finish line, with the lesson learned.

So my plan for the ride itself is to stock up on energy gels and bars, which are handy, give you the instant hit you need, and are light – especially when I think of them sitting in my stomach! I will have a carb-rich pasta dish the night before the ride, and a slow release breakfast like porridge on the day itself.

Should I also take a Thermos of soup with me, just in case I really struggle? I could have a picnic halfway round!

In the meantime, I plan a few more cycles out, probably with a couple of hills chucked in for good measure, to hopefully reassure me that I can indeed manage 75 miles and three passes in quick succession.

There’s only one way to find out!

Don’t forget, you can sponsor me should you wish to. Simply visit www.justgiving.com/ian-curwen.

A training routine

I’m pleased to report that since my last blog, I’ve managed to get into something of a training routine. I am also pleased to report that I am noticing an improvement in my performance.

This routine involves at least one long cycle ride a week, of at least 40 miles or more, and ideally two. I am even trying to ensure that these training rides include one challenging hill or pass.

The result of this routine is that I have been able to strike some passes off my ‘must cycle’ list. In recent weeks I have completed Hardknott Pass (West to East) (the term completed is used very loosely here!), Birker Fell (both ways), Whinlatter Pass (both ways), Newlands Pass (West to East).

I’ve also managed a series of shorter climbs and the satisfaction of finding these getting easier is hard to express in words without using terms that would get me banned from blogging again!

Most of my rides are with a good friend. They’re always enjoyable, but as he’s much fitter than me, can be a bit of a moral crusher.

However, my recent improvements have meant that now when out on a ride, if I shout loud enough, and the wind is blowing in the right direction, my mate might just about hear something. In fact on a recent ride, on one of the passes, I thought I could see him. Turns out it was a car. A car far in the distance.

On top of the training rides, I’m trying to build up my cycling at the gym too. As I mentioned in my first ever blog, this isn’t the most exciting of exploits. It’s mildly amusing to see the speeds you can achieve when on a static bike and realise just how unachievable they are on our roads in our weather.

With only three weekends to go until the Rivers Ride, I plan to continue my twice-weekly regime, and have got my sights on a trip over Honister. Really, I should do the daunting triple-header of Whinlatter, Newlands and Honister, which finishes the Rivers Ride, but I’m not prepared to commit to that just now!

Finally, if anyone would like to sponsor me, I’d be eternally grateful! Go to www.justgiving.com/ian-curwen. (Did I mention I broke my back earlier this year?!)

An enjoyable stretch out with the Rivers Ride crew and a new road bike have made this one of my better weeks, training wise.

In fact, given that I did some training, it’s actually been my best week.

The ride was rewarding for a number of reasons, ranging from fantastic weather, the good company (thanks to Tom Foster and Gary McKeating), the beers in the sun upon completion, to familiarising myself with part of the main ride route. Oh and best off all, I managed to climb Whinlatter for the first time ever.

There are a few reasons why I managed to achieve this, of which jelly babies and the thought of a pint at the end are clearly two of the most important.

My new bike might also have contributed. I’ve now moved from a heavy, hybrid bike with wide tyres to a light road bike with slick, think tyres, and I am amazed by the difference it has made. Climbing hills has gone from being a chore to a challenge.

I’m delighted to say that no only has the bike provided me with the perfect excuse to get out more, but it has also motivated me to try and provide a little structure to my training.

My biking regime has always been one of getting out whenever I can. Well sort of. It’s actually one of getting out when a friend contacts me to suggest a bike ride. I must admit that I have struggled to motivate myself at times to go out on my own.

However, since I got my new bike (thanks go to Keswick Bikes, who are supporting the Rivers Ride), I’ve found I’m willing to go out on my own, willing to find new routes, and more shockingly, am willing to embrace hills.

The last one is definitely the biggest shock. As a larger man, I’ve always avoided hills like the plague, for fear of failure and well, the pain. This included going down them because, in my mind, descending a hill meant I would have to regain the altitude at some point later in the ride!

My new bike seems to have been designed for getting up even the toughest of hills. In fact, on my most recent ride, I actively sought out the hills to see if I could beat them.

So far, I’m pleased to say I’ve succeeded.

Of course, none of this is really down to the bike but rather my improved fitness, thanks to my thorough, structured, and dedicated training regime.

Surely?

Last time I promised to update you on my experience of changing a tyre and cycling through a ford. It might not be immediately clear why these two experiences are connected, but in this case, it is my failure that links the two.

I’ve already said just how much I have loved cycling since I got back into it. Not only do I get out as often as I can, I also spend far too many hours fixating over lycra and bits of metal that do something or other to help improve the performance of something or other.

However, despite this, I am still a novice, and two recent experiences only serve to emphasise this.

The first came, a couple of weeks ago, when I decided to change the inner tube on the bike I have borrowed from a friend.

I won’t bore you with all the details of just how epic this failure was, but suffice to say, my hands were black, the air was blue, and an hour after starting the ten minute job, I was almost finished.

I would say I felt a sense of satisfaction at this point, but to be honest, I had no idea whether any one of the processes I’d just undertaken was completely wrong and liable for catastrophic failure.

My second failure was all the more amusing – for everyone other than me. I decided to take a shortcut on my route to meet a friend. It was only when I set off that I realised this shortcut included crossing a river via a ford.

I didn’t know much about how to do this – again, my technical knowledge is somewhat lacking – but I had a plan. That plan was to get off the bike and walk over the footbridge.

However, when I reached the ford and saw a ‘gang of lads’ congregating, my bravado overtook, and I decided I’d simply continue through the ford.

I decided the best option was to go slowly but to try and keep on moving. This seemed to work until about halfway through the river, when I looked down and saw the moss-covered route I was taking.

I was probably about two seconds later when I crashed into the river, from a speed of 5MPH, to the sound of laughter from the lads. Thankfully they weren’t recording for You’ve Been Framed. It wouldn’t have been a pretty sight – I look different in lycra to the people in my magazines!

It was only when I got home that I realised my current cycling magazine has a feature of riding through fords (Though, to be honest, I am not sure it would have made the slightest bit of difference if I’d read it first).

These two experiences have made me realise that I should probably get to grips with the technical side of cycling. If only because I don’t want to take an hour’s enforced break, at any point on the Rivers Ride.

Thankfully, there are no fords on the route.

In my last blog I talked about getting back in the saddle following my accident, and I hoped that it would soon follow. I’m pleased to say that since that point I’ve been back on the bike and have done a number of rides.

I won’t lie, before I set off on the first of these rides, I was a little nervous – What if I fell off? What if I no longer liked it? What if I simply couldn’t remember how to ride a bike?

Thankfully after just a couple of minutes I was well and truly back in the saddle and back in love with cycling and none of those concerns were valid. Even more thankfully, my back suffered no pain at all, and the ride was a reasonably paced meander to help keep my fitness up.

I realised two things when back out on the bike – firstly, that I really do enjoy a cycle ride – both the uphill and downhill sections (though I did those at a much slower pace than was previously the case – lesson definitely learned), and secondly that there isn’t a better way of seeing some of this area’s fantastic sights.

My first ride took in Dent before a coastal jaunt to St Bees; but since then I have cycled through the Wasdale Valley, Ennerdale Valley, Croasdale, the Solway Coast and visited many of the areas small towns and villages – including a memorable stop for a truly giant and utterly undeserved ice cream in the sun at Allonby.

I’m pleased to report that my rides are getting both longer and faster, both of which will be crucial when it comes to finishing the Rivers Ride. At the moment, I feel confident that if I continue to progress sensibly, I will have no trouble completing it.

I should point out that when I say ‘no trouble’, I mean no new trouble relating to my back. The struggle to get up the Lakeland passes will be just as real as it was last year and on every other ride where I’ve experienced them.

In future blogs I might tell you about my laughable bicycle maintenance attempts and my experience of cycling through a ford. That’s if I want to embarrass myself further, anyway.

On Friday 15 February, I volunteered to write a blog on my preparation for and experience of the 2013 Rivers Ride. On Sunday 17 February, I fell off my bike and broke a few bones.

I’m no expert, but that’s not how I think you should prepare!

Since then lots of people have asked me whether I plan to get back on my bike, and whether I’ll be sticking to flat routes. I must admit that in the day or two after the accident, I wasn’t sure I would get back on my bike.

However, after seven or eight weeks of recovery, I am now sure that I do want to get back on. After all they do say you should get back on the horse!

I’m not sure yet exactly when that will be, but I hope it isn’t far off – I’ve started cycling again at the gym and it has reminded me just how much I love it. Admittedly, it’s not quite the same when the view is the walls of Whitehaven Sports Centre rather than the Eskdale and Wasdale valleys I’d became accustomed to, but it’s certainly a start.

The other big unknown at the moment is whether I’ll be fit enough to do this year’s Rivers Ride, but I really hope so. My gut instinct is that if I follow my exercise plan and take the next few months of exercise slowly and sensibly, it might well be. But I’ll let you know how I get on.

In the meantime – to anyone who is considering taking part in the ride – I would simply say, do it! Despite the weather last year, the event was fantastic, and a great experience for everyone I spoke to. The course is challenging but achievable and takes in some of Copeland and Allerdale’s most striking scenery.

On top of this, you’re raising money to support the fantastic work that the Cumbria Community Foundation itself does to support people in the county.

When you’re struggling up Honister and Newlands – especially if it’s raining horizontally – you’ll be wise to remember that!