Quick update of some of the things I’ve done this year!
I signed up to do Ride London this year in aid of The Bike Project – a charity that takes in second-hand bikes, refurbishes them and donates them to refugees and asylum seekers. I love what they do, giving people with little income a way to get around and a community to belong to if they want it. I had signed up to be a bike buddy with them when I was between jobs last year, and had done some cycling with a woman from Syria, helping her to be more confident on roads. Once I was back in work it was difficult to find the time to be a bike buddy so raising funds while doing Ride London was the next best thing. Joel signed up too. We only managed one training ride together beforehand but decided to stick together on the ride. I was slightly nervous about the eight-hour time limit – would we get round in time?
Getting started feels very slow – you join a long line of people on bikes snaking along to the Embankment, but once you get going it’s a joy to cycle on main roads that are normally not accessible on a bike. Parts of the route felt quite crowded at times, but then the road would widen again. We stopped a couple of times to eat, and I was glad I’d taken lots of snacks with me.
We finished in just under eight hours and it was brilliant to cross Tower Bridge and be met by Kat, Flo and Thea. I got my London Classics medal having done both the marathon and Swim Serpentine in 2017. It was a great event and I really enjoyed riding it with Joel. I’m glad to have ticked it off, but don’t expect I’ll do it again.
Run for your life 