Fred Whitton Challenge

He must be mad!!!
 
…the words spoken by Speedymad Dave on hearing I had entered the Fred Whitton challenge, a 180km cyclo-sportive in the Lake District with over 3500m of ascent including the infamous Hardknott pass with gradients surpassing 30%. Cycling Weekly describes it as ‘The Daddy of them all’.
 
I don’t know Speedymad Dave. He is a friend-of-a-friend who has completed “the Fred” and, as the name suggests, is athletic and quick. Two words no one uses to describe me.
 
A second concerning insight occurred when a friend quietly said ‘I was scared driving up Hardknott pass in my car. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’
 
The final nail in the coffin of optimism happened at work when talking to the only person I know who’s completed the Fred. ‘Everyone talks about going up the mountain passes, but the most terrifying part is going back down them especially if it's wet’.
 
As November ended, I resigned myself to the realisation that the next 5 months were going to be hard work.
 
Fast forward 4 of those months to today. Where am I now?
·        Athletic & quick? No.
·        Good at hill climbing? Not really. I live in flat part of the country.
·        Got the right equipment? Yes, sort of, but constantly in doubt.
·        Injury free? Mostly, but turns out this training step-up has not come for free.  
·        Full of confidence? Improving but I remain anxious.
 
Perhaps I do myself a disservice. I’ve cycled nearly 3000km, given up alcohol, dropped 9.5kg in weight since Christmas, and improved my power to weight ratio by 27%. Not bad considering I have four weeks to go and a mammoth proof point ahead of me next weekend on the 20th April (a story for different time).
 
Given the nature of this challenge and how far it’s stretched me it seems appropriate to do some fund raising. I’ve chosen The Duddon & Furnace Mountain Rescue Team, one of the small local volunteer charities that the Fred supports. Someone, I forget who, joked it was a down payment for future services extended to me. They might not be wrong. I’ve seen enough YouTube videos to know the Fred is a busy day for the Mountain Rescue team.
 
I would be lying if I said I had a personal story linking me to this charity. I don’t and I hope not to. If you can find it in your means to donate a small sum, I would be very grateful. Even small donations make a big difference to this charity.
 
One last word. None of this would be possible without the constant support of Mrs. Forster who will be cheering me on in the Lake District on Sunday 12th May. Thank you for your patience, xxx.