A Weekend in Warwickshire
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away four foolhardy fellows decided to take up a challenge to cycle 400 miles in 24 hours. This is their tale!

Excitedly we arrived at the Prodrive circuit Kenilworth early on Saturday morning all ready to start out challenge. Well I say we I mean Phil and Bill arrived early as required to register the team and pick up some supplies. Padraic and Richard arrived later (but not late)! Already a pattern was beginning to emerge for Padraic whose just in time philosophy provide some nervous moments for Phil during transition!

Course familiarisation threw up a new variable which we had not factored into our planning... wind. The back straight consisted of a one mile stretch with a slight gradient and a constant headwind. This was definitely the hardest part of the course and was generating a lot of discussion amongst all competitors. Naturally we devised a perfect risk mitigation strategy... just go for it!

At 11:00 we lined up for the obligatory group photo. The atmosphere was bubbling up nicely as the participants discussed tactics on how to achieve 400 miles. There were an awful lot of shiny new bikes on display but we were confident that our well used steeds would be up to the journey. Unfortunately the question was whether our bodies would prove as reliable! As regular commuters and  casual cyclists we knew we faced a stiff challenge in keeping up the required pace to reach 400 miles. Over the previous few weeks we had devised a strategy whereby we took it in turns to complete 5 laps in one hour. Plans to cycle for two hours overnight were abandoned as we felt we would not be able to keep the required pace going for that long. On the downside it would mean less sleep overnight but we aimed to counter that by ensuring we had sufficient rest when we were not on track. No running or gym sessions for anyone during the breaks! Our camp was located near to the entrance which minimised the distance travelled to the transition area. Unfortunately our rota would leave us 2 laps short of our target but we felt confident that we could squeeze them in at some stage. So planning all done it was fast approaching the time to deliver.

In the previous weeks we were all prepared to execute an efficient handover of the team's timing chip. Phil had researched the most time efficient method to do this and we had practised it on our dress rehearsal a few weeks earlier, fine tuning it like a well drilled F1 tyre change. However all this effort was to prove wasted as it transpired that each rider would have their own timing chip and we would have to handover a scrunchie (yes a scrunchie!) on transition to the next rider.

Bill was our lead rider. In a bid to avoid a pile up the organisers set up a staggered start. Bill took his place in the transition area and at 12 noon the klaxon sounded to launch 24 hours of cycling. 3 minutes later Bill crossed the start line and we were on our way. Slowly we started to build up the lap count. As we got more familiar with the track we recognised the areas where we could gain some time, what position on the road was best for cornering and where the potholes were! The first transition changes gave us plenty of opportunity to improve the process. We came prepared with walkie talkies so the incoming rider could alert the waiting rider to their arrival time, which we hoped would make our transition as effective as possible. This was the theory! A pen full of riders wearing the same jerseys and a communications breakdown meant  Padraic could not be found at one point. A few seconds later the panic was over as he appeared from the sea of Lycra to receive the team scrunchie. Lesson learned. The incoming rider should confirm when they were in the home straight so the waiting rider can get a prime position in the pen. Over time this became less of an issue as the riders began to naturally spread out their transition times whichever there were fewer riders waiting and we were easier to spot. We were soon running like a well oiled machine with very efficient transitions.
 
After our 7th session we found ourselves in 14th position, which was a major surprise. During our laps there were faster riders passing us but it appeared that our average speed and level of fitness was putting us ahead  of teams which may have been reliant on one or two strong riders to bear the brunt of the challenge. We decided to aim for the top 10 finish knowing that our personal challenge would be to make the keep our pace up over the 24 hours. With our goal in mind we were determined to achieve it. We set out to complete our 5 laps as quick as we could, and If we were lucky enough we would ‘draft' behind another cyclist. In plain English it means finding a buddy on track so you can work together to drag each other along. This makes a huge difference in cycling as the riders following get a chance to keep the pace of the lead rider without the same effort. Phil was particularly good at this and his buddy of choice was CFO Alan Stewart. No doubt Phil's bonus will reflect all the help he gave Alan on track!

Excitedly we tracked our progress overnight, both in terms of time and position.  Consistently we were completing our 5 laps in the 55-60 minute range which was giving us the extra time we needed to get our additional laps complete at the end. Cautiously we felt that staying out for a 6th lap might prove a lap too far for all of us. Saving our energy for a sprint lap at the end was the preferred strategy. Slowly we were rising up the table; 10th, 8th, 7th, 5th. Analysis of the team charts showed that the top 2 teams were out on their own with the third team a couple of laps ahead of the next 5 teams who were all level on the same number of laps. If Lady Luck smiled on us with regards to punctures and falls then we knew we had a chance. Overnight we heard some horror stories which made us realise that we needed an element of good fortune. One cyclist hit a safety cone and ended up going over the handlebars whilst there were about 100 punctures over the weekend. 

Whilst we were fortunate enough to not get any punctures it was not all plain sailing or easy going for us. There were times overnight when it was tough to keep going on. It’s cold, it’s wet and you are on your own unless you can buddy up with someone to help some laps go by quicker. However we were determined to hit 400 miles. Firstly there was personal pride at stake. Secondly we had to deliver for all our sponsors. Thirdly and most importantly we had to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes. We were doing this for cancer charities. That pain in our behinds would subside over time. How does someone with  bowel cancer find the strength to fight pain on a daily basis? Our legs may have felt like jelly, the pit of our stomach may have been churning and our lungs were burning but would this really compare to the pain and anxiety that a cancer sufferer goes through? No it wouldn’t. Any pain and discomfort we were in was only temporary. We had to grit our teeth and get on with it.

On a sunny Sunday morning we woke up to find ourselves lying in 6th place. We knew what we had to do and we were determined to deliver. Buoyed by breakfast we set about chasing the teams ahead of us. Despite our exertions to date, we were managing to keep our pace up and were even getting slightly faster as we targeted a top 5 spot. At the end of our scheduled 24 sessions we were 55-60 minutes ahead of schedule. At an average of 11-12 minutes a lap this gave us the window to complete at least four laps, possibly 5 depending on how fast we were. We all set off again for one more lap, digging deep calling on all our reserves. We had the M&S CZ and M&S SS teams in our sights for fourth spot. The laps rolled on and we were all setting quick times to keep us on target. As Phil handed over to Padraic for the last lap there were 25 minutes left. Could we fit in two more laps? Padraic put the foot down and soon a call came across the walkie talkie. He was at the top of the home straight with the M&S CZ rider in his sights. Bill would have time for one more lap and he was gagging to get back on the bike. Padraic managed to pass the Czech rider just before the finish line but he was heading out on another lap rather than swapping so Bill had to pass him again. One super quick transition later Bill was chasing him down. With Ben Hunt-Davis mantra of “Will it make the boat go faster” in his mind Bill chucked the walkie talkie as it was unnecessary weight. He was a man on a mission. Nervously the rest of us gathered at the finish line. The other members of the Czech team were there but it turned out that they didn’t appreciate Padraic’s banter so they swiftly moved on behind the finish line. Psychologically we had them! Either that or our lack of showers in the previous 24 hours was having an effect!

About 10 minutes later we saw a rider approach at speed. We looked at our watches. That can’t be Bill, we said. No, it’s too early. Definitely cannot be.... it’s Bill (or the Bullet as we now know him!) Bill has pulled his fastest lap out of the bag when it mattered. There was no sign of the Czech rider. We knew we had 5th in the bag. We met in the transition area and Bill had four gold medals round his neck. Our medals may not have had the prestige of an Olympic gold but we all knew that we worked hard to earn them. Soon after the race we found out that we had nicked 4th spot from M&S SS by 1 lap, beaten the Czech team by 2 laps and has just missed out on 3rd place by one lap. It was a thrilling and exciting end to a great weekend. The one thought on our minds, how do we make the team go faster so we can win the next one!

On Monday morning we discovered there was an additional benefit to having completed this event when it became apparent that our team had made quite an impression on a number of M&S employees. Laura Wade Gery knows Bill as the guy who was in the team that came 4th with Phil and Alan Stewart are now firm friends due to their shared love of cycling and opera, although not necessarily at the same time! Unfortunately there was also some bad news which did dampen our spirits somewhat. Bill’s bike was robbed from his car rack in Wimbledon on Sunday evening in broad daylight. Police are believed to be on the lookout for some bored tennis fans who took the opportunity to cut loose on their day off. On the bright side he now has the opportunity to buy a brand new bike!

Some of you may think we are crazy to do this. Well we were! However there were 5 cyclists who did this as a solo challenge. Matt Cruice from HR managed to do over 320 miles before he had to limp off injured. Phenomenal! However you should all remember that it does not matter what you do when it comes to doing something for charity. It’s all about awareness and getting the message out there that for things to change it take ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We all have our personal challenges and fears we overcome when we do something outside our comfort zone. It’s not the distance or the time which makes the challenge, it’s the human endeavour to do something which makes a difference and to achieve a goal. Thanks for your encouragement, your support and more importantly your donations. Remember, when it comes to charity a little can go a long way!

Thanks
Bill, Padraic, Phil and Richard