What I learnt cycling Corner to Corner
The publicity department at my former employer, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, asked me what I learnt from the trip. After a month’s reflection, I answered in this way:
In a nutshell - three ways of being:
● Be kind.
● Quieten the voice in your head.
● Anything practical is achievable in bite-sized chunks.
Be kind
News can leave one feeling powerless with little hope for the world. However, we all contribute through our work, activities and passions. We can also contribute by being kind.
We experienced kindness throughout our trip and it made such a difference. An example: in Kirkmuirhill, south of Glasgow, suddenly there was a deluge and the road became a river. We were soaked through. An older cyclist on the other side of the road saw us and intimated an offer of tea. He turned out to be 79 year old Stuart, returning from a 22 mile cycle. Once inside the house shared with his wife Anne who had recently had a stroke, he couldn’t do enough for these two sodden cyclists, offering us towels, lunch, beverages, cakes, and letting us dry out till the rain stopped and we could get on our way.
Quieten the voice in your head
Many people said to us things like, “I couldn’t do this, but you can because you are athletes”. Actually, we are two senior citizens with associated ailments. We achieved this with robust planning and a positive attitude.
We all have a voice in our heads. An internal monologue, always right and adverse to development. Some think it is who they are, rather than just a part of you keeping you safe and simultaneously, imprisoning you in your norm. Mine’s aptly called Alphonso Grumpy-Nothing-Right, and this YouTube video explains its destructive effect in relation to this trip: https://youtu.be/2dc9A5-4Qag
I had looked forward to our 12th annual family group mountain bike cycle from London to Devon and loved it, but dreaded the 2616 miles thereafter. I originally planned the Land's End to John o'Groats (LeJog) section as a supported road trip, with at least one more cyclist, a car carrying our heavy bags thereby putting less strain on the bikes and us, its driver fetching and providing sustenance and being on call. I re-planned it when it became clear there would be only two of us, with support and a third cyclist for just 5 days. Lorraine and I would have to carry clothes for all weathers, bike parts, maintenance equipment, everything, including getting food at the start of each day (shops being few and far between) and deal with any issues which arose. The first 5 days of the road trip were hell for me, co-inciding with the heat wave, massive climbs and steep drops. I felt this was impossible. I looked for but couldn’t find a way to back out. It was like a one way trip to a guillotine. Why, oh why, was I doing this?!
The moment I realised I could achieve it, it became a breeze - 55 mile days climbing 4500ft were just that, and with so much to see, experience, people with whom to engage and share. Pleasant, exciting and glorious. There were no big problems. The bikes performed. We dealt with a tyre valve issue and one slow puncture, the latter on the last day.
There was still a daily internal battle, with a diminished voice urging me to back out, stop, anything but carry on. I was determined to complete it.
Anything practical is achievable in bite-sized chunks
Once all the planning had been done, overnight stops booked, minimal training completed, it was down to us cycling the route. That was best broken down into bite-sized chunks: don’t think of the whole route, not even the following days. Just think about today. You get going. Before long, you’ve done a mile. That’s 2% of 50 miles. In 4 miles, that’s 10%. In another 5, you’ve completed 1/5th. Experience what is around you and a few more calculations, and you’re over the halfway mark, and there’s less to do than you’ve done. And so on.
Going forward
The Corner to Corner website disseminates the output of months of research, 9 so far, to other cyclists to save their time, promotes children’s hospice fund raising and enables people to be involved. Eight published Land’s End to John o’Groats routes were analysed for the LeJog section, with their best bits stitched together to create the quietest, safest, practical route. This thoroughness was used to create the rest of Corner to Corner round Britain.
After all the photos have been annotated - I have learnt so much about where we went during this process - route data will be analysed, some sections revised and tested and a video created. Bibliographies will accompany each day route.
Generally, 70% of children’s hospice funding comes from the general public; 68%, at Haven House. Raising £15000 for Haven House is on-going; we are over the halfway mark, so there’s less to raise than we already have!
Anyone wishing to participate or with questions can contact me via corner2corner4havenhouse@gmail.com
Best wishes, Ralph