12/09/2021
Long post warning. TS Eliot said “If you aren’t in over your head how do you know how tall you are?” Well as far as cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) with the Ride Across Britain (RAB) I know exactly how tall I am. I am 583 miles tall out of 970 miles and 32,684 feet high out of 52,507 feet. In fact, I have shrunk a bit. When Matt and I first took on the challenge in 2018 I was 875 miles tall.
This time, I made it to 20 (ish) miles past Gretna Green, Scotland from Land’s End, with a cycling time of 52 hours and eight minutes, which is still an amazing feat. However, a sudden upset tummy took its toll on me and after Lockerbie I was advised to rest out the remainder of that day’s riding (Stage 6, which finished in Edinburgh). The broom wagon (the bus that comes to sweep up riders who are not completing the Stage) was rather busy with people with a full blown stomach bug that had made it’s way into camp. At the time I thought my ‘issue’ was simply endurance sport related fully expected to ride the next day but later that evening it was apparent I would also need to miss Stage 7 as well.
The roads on Stage 6 (just south of Carlisle to Hopetoun House, Edinburgh) are not the smoothest and quite jarring on the body and Matt felt a jolt at one point which affected a knee. He set off on the morning of Stage 7 from the Edinburgh base camp and over the Forth Bridge but found the pain in his knee prevented him from applying pressure to the pedal downstroke and knew continuing would do him more harm than good. He’d had a great ride until then but has done LEJOG before and so had nothing to prove, so he made the sensible decision to retire for the day on Stage 7.
Now the RAB “machine” is an incredible beast. Around 1,200 people (riders and support crew). It is constantly moving. As riders set off, the base camp is dismantled and moved to the next evening’s place. This involves dismantling and then re-erecting 1,000+ tents, marques for eating, drying, medical facilities and physio, moving toilets, shower blocks, generators, bike storage equipment, full catering facilities not to mention everyone’s luggage as well. Hearing of Matt’s injury and seeing many people having their ride terminated due to the stomach bug I needed to make a quick decision – would I be well enough to ride Stage 8 or should I pull out now where we could get home more easily before the RAB machine took us into remote Scotland? I decided that our sadly 2021 RAB journey was over.
I’d had a great, albeit challenging, time to reach Scotland. Cycling into a headwind through hilly Cornwall and Devon was tough but enjoyable. The next three days from Bath to Carlisle were in scorching heat, climbing through Shap Fell on THE hottest day of the year was crazy. I was so pleased that day because as a slow rider I’d managed to stay ahead of the dreaded broom wagon by a good hour, only to start the tummy troubles towards the end of that Stage but still completing the day’s ride well before the cut off time.
They say that completing RAB is 40% preparation, 40% head game and determination and 20% luck. Well, I know I definitely ticked the first box and that I am strong and fit enough to cycle LEJOG - but not in just 9 days! However, I do struggle with the second one – personally I find the strike system of being too slow (three strikes and you are kicked off RAB) particularly challenging because it places pressure to put your head down rather than to simply enjoy the ride. I kept moving rather than stopping to take photos of our beautiful countryside. The pressure doesn’t make you cycle any faster but just eats away inside you instead. I didn’t get any strikes for being too slow. In fact, I got to base camp each day earlier than I had when we did the ride in 2018.
I did get to meet and ride with some amazing people (and catch up with other lovely riders from 2018 too), and some of their stories behind their reasons for doing RAB are truly humbling. Between all of us riders so much money has been raised for so many different charities which is brilliant. Staying at base camp on the morning Stage 7 I saw quite a few people having their ride ended early for one reason or another and witnessed their crushing feeling of having failed. I don’t feel that way. Knowing the dedication, commitment, training and time it takes just to get to the start line and take on the challenge is phenomenal and that means that anyone who makes the start line is anything but a failure. The organisers say anyone who completes up to the end of Stage 3 with no strikes is physically fit enough (baring injury) of reaching the end of the ride – that’s where the other elements (head game and luck) then come into play. I am pleased I reached Scotland riding strongly each day until tummy issues took over.
To those people who have sponsored both Matt and myself, thank you so much. I hope you understand why we completed just the England to Scotland leg of the ride, riding 581 miles in just over 5 days (for Liz) and 654 miles for Matt in 6 days and assure you every you penny donated will benefit elderly people to overcome loneliness and feelings of isolation thanks to the work of the Formby Befriending Scheme.
For those of you wondering if I will every try this again? Well, they say the definition of madness is trying the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. I came back to RAB for a second time stronger and fitter than our first time, but it clearly wasn’t to be. I therefore think that it is time for a new, different adventure.
Thanks so much for everyone’s kind messages of support and encouragement whilst we were on the ride. They were and are much appreciated x




