Well this is my first post on my new blog! The idea behind it is to share my thoughts and experiences as I train for a 24 hour mountain bike race at the end of June, 2009. A lot of my friends have said"You're nuts!" and well, they could be right. The idea of riding a bike offroad for 24 hours solid is daunting even for a bike mad nut like myself but the challenge appeals to me and hopefully the sense of achievement at the end will offset the sore backside and aching body at the finish line.
Enough about the race for now and some about the reason for this blog. Most people reading this blog will know that I have 2 wonderful children! Both boys, Jack and Rohan, and both very active and excited with life. What you may not know is that Jack had a rough start to life and spent some time in hospital from 3 months old to deal with it. He was diagnosed with a tumour on his neck just below the jaw line and had to have it surgically removed. That resulted in a series of other complications that as this blog goes along I will detail.
Jack was given the most amazing care while in hospital. He spent 5 weeks in the Intensive Care unit at Royal Childrens Hospital in Brisbane being cared for 24 hours a day by a dedicated and sensitive bunch of doctors and nurses. I could never thank them enough.
So what's it got to do with a bike race? Well, some of my friends and family have decided that they will sponsor me to do the race with all the proceeds going to "Working Wonders"http://www.workingwonders.com.au/ which is the fund raising foundation for the RCH. I am asking for pledges that will be payed directly to the foundation (I won't collect any money) and I will post them here. Kooky I know, but I figure anything I raise is still more than nothing. Thats it in a nutshell. Laps around a course on a mountain bike starting at midday on Saturday and finishing at midday on Sunday the following day. Sounds like fun huh!
You are nuts! But is the best possible way. Much love brother. Where do i pledge?
ReplyDeleteomg on so many levels - have to say I'm having a little chuckle at my mental image of you goin round and round and round all through the night - what happens if you start to doze off?
ReplyDeleteI will put details up of how the pledge thing can work. There will be some parameters so that the pledges/sponsorships don't become enormous. Thanks Don!
ReplyDeleteWell Sarah, if I doze off by then the bike will know its own way around the course so I should be fine. The course is about 12km long so I won't get bored for the first 12 hours!
Gday champ,
ReplyDeleteTrent just sent me the link to your blog. I have to say that the complication you had with Jack completly left my mind and I feel very ashamed by that having gone through the last 5 months of hell with our Emma. Your cause is a great one my old friend. Childrens hospitals across the world are performing miracles everyday and need support from where ever they can get it. Now to this race. Quit your jibba jabering, it's only a day. Feel the burn, love the burn! Remember rocks are your friends and lactic acid is for the weak. Pedal pedal pedal!!! Oh yeah it would be a real challenge if you did it on cyclocross bike but on a softy bouncy mountain bike you get no sympathy. haha
Well done mate and good luck.
Talk to you soon champ.
Love to the family.
Mark