Unfortunately it ended all too quickly

Three and a half days in and I ended up sick at Swan Lake. I stayed there for over a day hoping to feel better but didn't I am now heading through to Calgary via a rather convaluted transport route but it should work. I feel a bit better but still washed out, weak and not eating very much at all. Gutted that I quit but not much my body would do for me. Sometimes it is so hard to accept that it just isn't going to happen. Perhaps I gave up too 
soon but I am still not anywhere near up to riding 100 miles + a day.

It was probabably some water I drank. I wanted to get through flathead valley and not spend a night out in the wilderness with the bears which is why I did 260 miles in the first two days. 

The riding I did do was great and I met some amazing people; hopefully they all stay strong
and get to Mexico. The Flathead valley is a stunning place and I saw a bear (from a long way off...). 

Thanks for all your wishes and donations to charity,
Heather

And so it starts

I will be riding in less than an hour. I have done quite a few long challenges but nothing like this and it's proving a bit of a psych! I met one of the other woman riders this morning - Suzanne from Oregon - and she feels the same as me - nervous, emotional. She said she's never like it either so funnily reassuring that it's not just me feeling like this.

I don't know how often I will be able to update this blog but please keep your messages coming in I can pick them up on my iPhone and sometimes I will REALLY need them!

Just wanting to get down the trail now....

Cheers,
Heather

Isn't that nifty?

I can see that Aidan has managed to hook my spot tracker up to this blog. From the two links just below the top picture you can click and see that I am currently stood on the bridge in Banff (actually I am in the YWCA about 50yards awy) but that is pretty cool. You can now track me via this blog! Thank you Aidan!

Bike packed

Here is a picture of my bike all ready to go. I took it yesterday at the trailhead behind the Banff Springs hotel. This is the start of the race and where we will all be lining up on Friday. There are more and more racers arriving in Banff now. Tomorrow night there is the first screening of 'Ride the Divide' a film all about the 2008 race from the perspective of three different riders.

Hopefully the film will make me more excited than nervous. I haven't been this nervous about anything for ages. Just want it to start now...

Not a bad view from the high street

I am in Banff and it is a great town in some beautiful mountains. Just about used to the time zone now. My bike is all ready to go and I think I will become alot less nervous when the start time finally arrives at 9am on Friday (4pm BST).

I have been spending a bit of time riding my bike and lots of time drinking coffee and eating cake. I think that will be turned on its head by the end of the week!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my just giving page - over there on the right ;o)

Think Pink

The bike I am riding for the Tour Divide is a rather splendid frame built by Ira Ryan. I met Ira last September whilst riding the cent cols challenge; he loves riding bikes and is a true craftsman, bike frames are his trade. Ira was fantastic in that he agreed to build me the frame (he has a looong queue for them) and pulled out all the stops to get it to me in time. He is based in Portland Oregon, one of the cycling capitals of the world as I understand.

The frame was delivered two weeks ago and I have since ridden it plenty, it is lovely. I will post a picture of it all built up and ready to go sometime soon.

The last graph for five weeks?

I am singlespeeding the Tour Divide. So just one gear for all that way. Deciding which one has been interesting and probably a bit too geeky. The other day when I was riding I decided plotting how ratios differ would be 'interesting'. Some may find it so anyway and I am afraid I am one of them.

I am riding a 29r bike with a gear set up of 32:18 this is about the equivalent of the standard 2:1 ratio of a 26r, and lies on the red line on the above graph. Sheldon Brown takes into account crank length but I am not going to go there (just yet). I am going to have another glass of wine instead.

What it is

The Tour Divide is a 2745 mile 'race' that starts in Banff, Canada and finishes at Antelope Wells, a US/Mexico border point. The route follows the established Great Divide mountain bike trail. It normally takes people two months or so to ride it in one hit, the race record stands at under 18 days for the men's record and just over 24 days for the women's record.

Racers must be self-supported in that we each will carry everything we individually need. We can buy stuff in shops and stay in motels etc. but this won't always be possible so I will be carrying kit to sleep out when I need to.

I say 'race' because this ride is going to be so much more than that! I have never been to Canada or the US and the mountains look stunning.

The race website is here

www.tourdivide.org

it is a good read with lots of information and great pictures. When I start the race you will be able to follow my progress on a googlemap on the race website as, like every other rider, I will be carrying a spot tracker

I will be trying to update this blog when I can. Hopefully Aidan will update it from time to time too. I have never used twatter (sorry twitter) but I may manage to sort it out before I start. Along the way your messages of encouragement will make a real difference to me so please send them to me if you feel like it! I am also raising money for the mental health charity Mind so please donate if you would like to.

Last weekend before I fly...

I can't believe it has come around; I've been planning for this one for a while. I started to think about going for the Tour Divide a few years ago after a few of my friends Alan, Steve, Bruce and Matt went over and rode it. All of them had epic tales to tell and it made me want to go.

Now I am just about ready. Ira Ryan has built me an awesome frame, Jd Cycles in Ilkley have worked magic by getting a bike load of replacement (at times rather esoteric) parts for the bike I had stolen in Leeds a few weeks ago, building me wheels and all sorts of other stuff and I have managed to get some decent miles in my legs by cycling off-road across Wales, Scotland and England over the last few weekends.

Yesterday I got out in Calderdale for a blast with Rich, a true single speed aficionado. It was brilliant! One thing I have been loving over the last few months is getting out on the mountain bike for long rides again, something I haven't done enough of over the past few years.