Friday, 5 April 2013

Stay Away from the Buttercups - The Book

Photo by Anne Dickins
It felt so wrong; laid out in a car park with my body shivering and wrapped in blankets.  Caring words came from those close to me whilst a sense of urgency and concern could be heard in the voices of those directing others.  I had to get up but my body wouldn’t move.  Why wasn’t I riding my bike?  I had to get to Winchester.

If you are a cyclist, the appeal of the South Downs Way in the South of England is one of the Must Do mountain biker’s rides.  To complete the full 100 mile length is one thing but to achieve it 3 times in succession is in a league of its own.  The book describes the journey of the Triple ride, which dips into several technical areas that may help you achieve your next cycling quest.

For those who have a dream or a crazy goal, the book takes you on the journey how my crazy goal was conceived, established, planned and conquered.  Even when my body was giving up on me for the second time, the deep rooted focus and determination gave me the strength to see it through to the finish.

The book is just not about me setting out to achieve a personal goal.  Along the way many other people joined in with the journey by being part of the support crew, riding with me along the route, following my progress on-line, commenting on the Singletrack World forum, or joining in with the Twitter conversations.  It is the contribution by all the onlookers and supporters that has made the journey so memorable and worthwhile.  I want to thank everyone for volunteering to play their part and helping me to make a piece of history.

After the ride I was physically and mentally broken.  Putting my experience into print has helped me through the recovery process.  I also want to share my journey with you to inspire and assist you to achieve more than you think is possible.