Gary sets off on his Land‘s End to John o’ Groats virtual cycle challenge
Gary Owen, Xenomorph’s European Sales Director, is participating in a virtual cycle from Land’s End to John o’ Groats to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month and 19th November is World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
We will be following Gary’s progress on his virtual ride on this page and providing regular updates on the timeline below.
Please support research to find a breakthrough in new treatments and improve the speed of diagnosis by sponsoring Gary – his fundraising page is below.
For more information on the vital work that Pancreatic Cancer UK are doing to combat this terrible disease, please visit: https://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: https://pcam.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/
Thank you.
“I am undertaking a 1,083 mile virtual ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK, commencing on October 15th to coincide with my 36th anniversary of starting work in the financial services industry. Originally, I was signed up to complete a 100 mile challenge in the PrudentialRide100, but this was cancelled due to COVID. So I wanted to push myself further and what better way than cycling the length of the UK?
I am planning to have this ride complete by Christmas Eve meaning an average weekly distance of 108 miles. The rides will be a mixture of virtual cycling using the Zwift app, and going out on the roads of Kent at the weekends.
Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and treat. I lost a very close friend at the age of only 42 to this terrible disease and I want to raise funds to help improve the diagnosis and treatment. This cancer has the lowest survival rate of any cancer, with only 7% living past 5 years from diagnosis. 24% of those diagnosed will die within the first year of diagnosis.
Other cancers have seen marked improvements in their detection and survival rates. More research needs to be done to ensure patients have more of a chance to live post diagnosis.”
15th October 2020
16th October 2020
Day 1 - St Michael’s Mount
So day 1 was interesting. I kicked off the ride whilst involved in the weekly Xenomorph all staff catch up. I can safely say I have never attended a business meeting in cycling shorts and sitting on a turbo trainer! The plan for day 1 was for a steady 30 miles, using a route on Zwift.com called The Three Sisters in a virtual land called Watopia. All was going and I had climbed up the first timed climb and mountain and had ascended and descended the volcano (it’s a virtual world, no hairs were singed) only for my rear tyre to puncture at the 28.5 mile mark. On my LEJOG journey I am currently just east of a small village in Cornwall all Praze-An-Beeble. I have so far passed St Michael’s Mount on the south coast. I am aiming for 31.5 miles today to make up for missing the 1.5 miles yesterday with a mechanical. This should take me to Truro and will leave me with only 1,023 miles still to cover!
16th October 2020
20th October 2020
The Eden Project
So 3 rides into my epic journey and I am still in Cornwall! I have just passed by the Eden Project. Today’s ride was more of an effort and I covered my 26.5 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes. I have lost 2 kg in weight and, so far, I am loving the challenge. On the map I am in the village of Looe and will be continuing on today with another 25-30 mile ride, taking me towards the Devon/Cornwall boarder. Plymouth is approximately 25 miles away so should be a good place to aim for today. I am really happy to report that fundraising is going well and I am at 24% of my £3000 target. A massive thank you to all that have donated so far. If you haven’t here’s the link – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/GaryOwen1
21st October 2020
Ride 4: The First 10%
Ride 4 was a 33.5 effort on a circuit called “Bigger Loop” which is 33 miles long and has an elevation gain of 2,224 feet or 678 metres. The Zwift app makes me suffer up the climbs with the main climb taking me 34 minute to complete, this was tough. Back in the real world, this 33.5 mile ride took me out of Cornwall and into Devon. I am currently just on the outskirts of the English Riviera towns of Paignton and Torquay, places I used to holiday at when I was a lad. I have also completed the first 10% of the ride having now covered 108.3 miles in 6 hours and 10 minutes. This is a bit slower than I would have hoped, but I am sure I will get quicker as my fitness improves.
21st October 2020
23rd October 2020
Into Week 2
So week 2 of my journey commenced with a 28.7 mile ride up from the English Riviera past Exeter and on towards the Dorset border. The next section of roads will take me past the village of Branscombe, possibly most famous for the container ship which foundered off the coast in 2008 and people from miles around came to pilfer what they could as items as large as motorbikes were washed ashore in shipping containers. However, I remember this place as the location that my wife and I fell in love. Ah soppy stuff! Not long before the road turns to the left and I start riding up England towards Scotland. So far 160 miles covered, only 923 to go.
14th November 2020
Anniversary Ride
So Saturday 14th November is the anniversary of my friend’s death of Pancreatic Cancer and the reason I am doing the LEJOG challenge this year. Unfortunately, I have been struck with a virus (not THE virus) and this has had a massive effect on my ability to ride. I am recovering now and working towards getting back on track for the ride. On Saturday, I rode 42 mile which was the age of my friend when he died. I will keep cycling and will get to my goal. Only 783 mile to go, I am 200 miles behind schedule, but will catch this up in no time at all.
14th November 2020
17th November 2020
Oxford
Well at this stage I should be hitting 50% distance covered, but my virus has slowed me down so I am now 33% distance covered so 172 miles behind. On the road I am in Oxford heading up towards the midlands where I could virtually meet my daughters as one is in Coventry and the other a little further up in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Each day I am pulling back about 12 miles on my distance deficit so I will be on schedule in no time at all, especially as I am planning on a 100 mile weekend to commemorate World Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day which is on 19th November.
18th November 2020
On towards Banbury
So I continue to eat back into my mileage deficit. Today’s push saw me leaving Oxford and pushing on towards Banbury. Only had time for a short blast tonight as work commitments got in the way. Only 22 miles today. Still planning the big rides at the weekend, so fingers cross I stay healthy. Officially I have now had half of my 70 days to complete my challenge and I have covered 35% distance. However due to illness I have only actually ridden for 14 of the 35 days. Distance covered – 376.6, 707.2 to go!
18th November 2020
24th November 2020
Sheffield
A really solid week’s riding last week. I am working hard to catch up the miles. I am just 95 miles behind schedule as of today. I have hit Sheffield having cycled 197 miles last week. This is down to pure bad maths as I had targeted 200 miles in the week. On my last ride I thought right that’s it 20 more miles to go. I dutifully stopped having covered 20 only to realise I needed 23! At least now I am in the right county as far as my schedule goes, so hope to catch up fully this week and next.
25th November 2020
The Peak District
Another mechanical issue yesterday. I was riding along happily 15 miles into my planned 25 mile route when my laptop crashed losing all data! Ah what a nightmare. Reboot and start again time. So yesterday I actually covered 40 miles, but only 25 will count. Call the first 15 a warm up! I have just hit into the Peak District and have now officially passed 50% of my distance. I have 28 days remaining but still aim to finish before Christmas Eve. I am relying on staying healthy and not having any more major mechanicals. I have already had 3 punctures, electronic sensor malfunction, 1 snapped chain (replacement bike needed for that) and now a laptop that has bluescreened! Still in the past 12 days I have managed to cycle 362 miles leaving me only 85 miles behind schedule now.
25th November 2020
8th December 2020
Into Scotland
Virtually, I am deep into Scotland. Having crossed the border at Gretna Green, I have made my way north through Edinburgh, over the Forth Road Bridge and am now in Perthshire. There are still 254 mile to go, but I like to focus on the 830 that I have already covered. My legs are now starting to feel the miles and it is taking me a little while each ride to find my comfortable rhythm and what gear my legs want to pedal at. Some days it is low gear high cadence, others it’s high gear low cadence. I shouldn’t say it, but I have gone without any major mechanicals for over a week now, so fingers crossed I can complete the remaining distance well before Christmas Eve. Please keep donating to the cause. Every penny is greatly appreciated and spurs me on when I really do not feel like riding on a particular day (usually Sunday mornings are the worst).
17th December 2020
The Penultimate Postcard
I am guessing this is my penultimate postcard from my Lands’ End to John O’Groats journey. I have now covered 1,020 miles leaving just 63 to go. I will finish this by Sunday meaning that I would have completed my mission inside my time limit by 5 days despite losing 24 days to a combination of sickness (21 days) and mechanical failures (thank God for Amazon next day delivery)! I am sincerely looking forward to receiving my last post card when I reach John O’Groats and the knowledge that my next ride will be for fun, but probably not for a good couple of days.
17th December 2020
21st December 2020
John O’Groats
So today I rode the final 37 miles to complete my Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK. A massive THANK YOU to my colleagues, clients, friends and family for all of your kind donations so far. If you haven’t donated, but would like to, my link is at the top of the page.
