Hi all,
I have been selected to ride the Rapha Festive 500 in one day at the Herne Hill Velodrome this December. 500km, in one go, around a 450m long cycling track.
To give it some context, 500km is double the length of any ride I’ve ever done and is the equivalent of riding from London to Newcastle. And for added spice (and lunacy), I’ll be doing it by completing 1,112 mind-numbing laps of an outdoor velodrome.
This challenge gives me the heebie-jeebies, it's both exciting and very daunting. It is also big enough to try and raise some money for a charity very close to my family's heart right now, the Weldmar Hospicecare. As many know, my wonderful Mum has recently passed away after a long battle with bowel cancer. She was an inspiration to all in how she handled the situation and I love her more than anything. Weldmar’s compassionate approach has been a real help on this journey and eases our minds knowing that there is a variety of support available whenever needed.
I’ll also be fundraising for the HHV, who provides such a fantastic service for the London community as well as being one of many outlets involving the bike for me in this difficult time.
The miles are one thing but the main challenge will be the monotony of those laps for over 18 hours in the cold and the dark. I’ll need some motivation to keep me sane so any donation big or small will hopefully see me through!
One of my best mates @jmurray2701 is also fundraising for Weldmar in the New Year, running 100 miles in 24 hours, so be sure to check out his effort as well. I reckon mine is harder but it’s not a competition or anything…
Thanks, George