David Coats Blog

It’s been a while since I last posted - apologies - I simply haven’t been arsed - especially now we have light in the evenings!

So much has happened  since my last post; loads of training for the Randonnee, a trip to St Mary’s to watch The Saints lose, Sean and I having a quality weekend in Brighton and a couple of good nights out in London. I’m not going to reel off my experiences however, i’ve had instructions from a certain colleague to be more creative in my commentary! Time to reveal something, err, creative, then?!

The summer really is on its way, despite last week’s chill. Alex, Chris and I sat in the beautiful warm sunshine on the seafront yesterday lunchtime with a portion of Brighton’s finest sausage and chips. It was so warm I even felt compelled to expose my bare chest which promptly cleared the seafront of seagulls, scared of the biggest pigeon chest ever! The dark winter evenings have gone now too of course, so this evening, I went out on my new mean machine for a ride in the delightful, if a little misty, evening sunshine.  I managed a one hour road ride at pace between Hove, Shoreham Power Station, and Rottingdean; 16.6 miles. An average of 16.6mph (of course).

So where am I going with this? Well, this time next week i’ll be preparing to embark on my first attempt to realise a dream I have had since I first came to Sussex 8 years ago; to cycle from Brighton to Bath in a day.  Next Thursday I’m hoping to complete the ride in 12 hours. I’ve mapped out a non-motorway coursevia Pulborough, Winchester, Stonehenge and into the south of Bath via Norton St Phillip. The full distance is 119miles - which at today’s average speed will take 7 hours! Of course, maintaining 16mph for 7 hours would put me in the bracket of elite tour de france cyclist, which of course i’m not, so at an anticipated 10mph, it should take me 12 hours.

I’m really looking forward to it. The route takes me through parts of Mid Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m hoping Jim and Alex will accompany me - if only for part of the way. There are plenty of ‘chicken runs’ on the way with train stations to take the weak back home :-). If anyone fancies coming along too - let me know! Jonny?!

I’ve fallen in Love. I thought i’d make it official.

Not with a women. Not with a man. Not with an animal (although animals are involved).

With the South Downs!

I now understand why the hills surrounding Brighton are an area of outstanding natural beauty. They truly are outstandingly beautiful and I am addicted to them! I’ve been dreaming about them in my sleep, living my days thinking about my next trip to see them and spending all my money on equipment to help me enjoy them more. Love I tell you! I never thought I’d enjoy the country so much - but I guess I am from the West Country. It must be in my genes!

So as if Sunday wasn’t enough - Alex and I got up at 5.45am this morning for our now weekly Wednesday Devils Dyke run - and what a day for it. We watched the bright red sun rise over the Dyke and span down over the dew covered fields, scattering sheep (and their poo) from our path as we headed toward the hum of rush hour traffic on the A27. Along the West Hove seafront, the tide was almost fully in, but there was a summer calm about the waves as they gently lapped at the pebbles. We made the run in our best time yet - 18 miles, 1 hour 36 mins - yet I got to work feeling alive, not tired.

I sat in a meeting itching to get out, chewing my lip, transfixed by the jets as they left vapour trails in the clear blue sky. The client must have thought I was mad! As soon as it was over, I hurried out for a long lunch in the sunshine of the Laines, treating myself to a Gourmet Burger! At 6, I cycled home for the first time in the light, the starlings gathering over Brighton Pier, the Sun setting over the West Pier - that same red it had been 12 hours earlier over the Dyke. Best of all - there were people - albeit only a few - but people chilling out on the sea front with an evening beer watching Summer arive.

Maybe I’m pre-empting it - maybe it’ll rain now for 3 months. But Summer is coming. Its definitely coming.

And I can’t wait.

Yesterday, Alex, Jim, Dana and I attempted our second Eastbourne to Brighton bike ride via 40 miles of the South Downs Way. This time, we woke to a clear blue sky, warm sun and refreshing breeze - perfect cycling conditions - especially when compared to the driving wind, rain and hail of two weeks previous. We were above Beachy Head by 10am, travelling over the pedestrian only (oops) cliff top route of the South Downs Way and down to Burling Gap via the Road. Our route once again took us off the South Downs Way, through a random field and into Friston Forest which was still very muddy and still great fun to ride through. Once we arrived in Alfriston we had lunch and chilled for a bit before the gruelling 1 1/2 hour almost constant uphill trek to Southease via Firle Beacon and the Beddingham Hill transmitter towers - the part where at the first attempt the rains came.

We reached Southease at 3pm, this time wet only from sweat, but with Dana really struggling. He decided to call it a day and catch the train home, so we took a little break. Big Mistake! We knew we only had 3 hours before it was dark - and slightly naively thought ‘we’ll be fine!’ We headed off at about 3.30 down a long rocky track before we turned through a filthy slurry covered field and up one of the steepest hills i’ve ever walked (not a chance of cycling up there!) Once at the top, covered in cow sh*t - we slowly climbed past lots of bottoms - Loose Bottom, Stump Bottom, Long Bottom, cows bottoms, Jim’s Bottom - until Juggs Head where the boys shot (I crashed) down through a steeply sloped forest to the A27 - only to be faced with yet another 250metre long rocky climb to the highest and final point - Ditchling Beacon above Brighton.

By the time we reached Ditchling Beacon and the Dew Pond, it was getting dark and we were shattered. My fall in the forest had left me with a torn sock and aching calf where the pedal had jabbed into me. No Bother. The one consolation - and thought that kept us all going - the scenery. Looking back in the growing gloom at the beautiful white cliffs above Newhaven in the far distance, saying to ourselves ‘we were there’ was pretty good. Even if it had taken us all day!

So yes - it took us 8 hours. 5 miles an hour. Pathetic. Early days though I tell thee. Once a week and we’ll have it down to 4! Jokes aside - we must halve our time or we won’t finish the race. I’m going on a diet of Peanuts and Chicken - that should speed me up!

This morning Alex and I started early morning 6am Randonnee training. The plan was to start on Tuesday morning, however the wind and rain was so terrible we went back to sleep! In fact - Alex got up at 12 midnight to start his training, had breakfast and got changed before I informed him he was 6 hours early. Plonker. I only realised after i’d warned him that I could have got him back for his Betty Swollox joke and made him cycle to mine in the rain!

Anyway - I got up this morning at 5.55am, put on my sexy cycle shorts, jacket and helmet and sat on the bed in a kind of mystified dream state waiting for Al. My alarm had woken me mid-vivid dream about scouse picking me up to drive to Bath so I half expected him to walk through the door! Alex and I made our way out into the dark street and cycled up Dyke Road and on into the downs - taking the hard uphill route first. We reached the top of the Dyke at 6.45am to a beautiful morning sky. The pub at the top is being renovated leaving the downs feeling very isolated and devoid of human life, the gatwick flight path the only reminder you are in cramped little England. I was amazed at how flooded Sussex is too. This time last year we were issued with hosepipe bans - this year we have too much!

We off-roaded from here up toward the transmitters at the top of the Beacon before heading down the hill and into Shoreham along the main road. We attempted to find the off-road route via Upper Beeding and the old railway line but time was short - work was calling. We did bump into a few cows along the way. Wow! My favourite animals ever! We cycled along the sea front behind Shoreham Power Station and back to Hove in time for my normal 8am alarm call. Perfect timing.

Dyke Road off road cycle route - The Vital Stats - Time: 1 hour 49 minutes 50 seconds. Distance 18.95 miles. Average Speed: 10.3 mph. Highest Speed: 32.9 mph

Now i’m off to do a 10k run with Lottie.

Why?

The next challenge has been set. The Randonnee. The training started yesterday.

As the BHF site is down - a brief intro - the Randonnee is a cross country off road bike ride from Winchester to Eastbourne - 100 miles! The challenge is not only cycling cross country 100 miles - but completing the ride in 12 hours. Any longer than this and the rider is classed as retired. MENTAL!!!!!

Jim, Alex and I met at Brighton Station to cycle our inaugrual training session at 8am - on Sunday. Stupid Stupid time to be awake on a Sunday! Duncan had arranged a lads night out on Saturday - beer, rugby and curry - the perfect combination for fun but the perfect recipe for a sore head at 8am the next day! The ride certainly didn’t start well. We arrived to find Jim sitting with only one pedal attached to his bike. Great! By 12pm and a trip to Halfords in Hampden Park later - we were finally ready to start the ride - 4 hours late - but at least each of us had a pair of pedals!

We cycled along Eastbourne seafront and (walked) up the downs to Beachy Head, then down to Burling Gap and into Friston Forest. This part was great - we all felt pretty tired but the ride was exhilarating. Now I must stress - I’ve never been off roading before! Riding through a forest with half a foot of mud as a path is great fun. The bike slides around everywhere, you get caked in mud and twigs; get stones and dirt in your eyes, but its exhilarating nevertheless! I must mention the state of my bike at this point. Without front suspension, disk breaks and with only 6 working gears, the forest made it a challenge to simply turn the pedals let alone stop, go up or down hills! Jim awarded me cyclist of the day for riding such a clapped out unsuitable heap of junk!

We arrived in Alfriston - about 8 miles in for a quick break - at 2.30pm. Two and a half hours. We’re screwed! To complete the Randonnee the average speed has to be at least 8 miles per hour. We were doing less than half that!

Then came the rain - and god did it rain. We reached the top of the downs above Alfriston overlooking Arlington Reservoir and watched the land disappear under a thick grey blanket of heavy precipitation. We cycled for nearly an hour in the worst conditions i’ve ever experienced; lashing wind and rain which, at times felt like hail, until every millimetre of our bodies were soaked. By the time we reached the Transmitter towers above Southease we decided enough was enough. We weren’t even going to make Lewes, let alone Brighton. We arrived at Southease Station at 4.45pm - 17miles later. A speed just under 4 miles per hour.

I’ve got a lot of work to do before I can even think about getting half way on this challenge! What have I let myself in for!

On the plus side - thats a 13 mile run one Sunday and a 17 mile ride the following. Fit as F**k!!