A rapturous reception

It's fair to confess we're all feeling a little embarassed to have been so silent since the night before we arrived. No excuses but here is an update for anyone still looking...   We cycled the last 20 miles to Samye Ling in the most unsettled weather conditions of the whole trip but in fine mood, knowing that soon our destination would be within sight and our aims accomplished. Appropriately enough our fiercest rain squall was reserved for the exact moment we passed the sign marking the beginning of Eskdalemuir.   O the dreadful wind and rain continued for most of the week but there was a long enough pause for us to change into our team dreamflag shirts after an extremely welcome pause of our own making at Vin's, where we enjoyed warmth, towels, tea and his shiatsu chair, before departing for our final leg (and on our last legs in some cases).   Nobody at the gate at 3 minutes to 1.45 and the Ling appeared to be deserted. Then someone popped around the corner of phase 2 to ask us to wait a few more minutes. We imagined Border tv must not have been ready. Finally we entered the courtyard to find it full of cheering well wishers formed into a corridor for us to pass through 4 abreast. At the top of the temple steps Akong Rinpoche and Lama Zangmo were waiting with white scarfs, bronze plaques, and mugs (printed with our ugly mugs). Seb and Colin were also there waving elderflower champagne around, hugs from beautiful girls, a speech from Rinpoche and more much deserved applause for the support team followed.   Lots of big smiles all around too!!   Thankyou to everyone who was there, to all those who were so generous in their kind support . There's still a bit more epilogue to write but it's lunch so that's all for now.   Will

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Day 7

And we're getting there! Up early at 6.00am in anticipation of some hard yorkshire hills.
Three counties in one day. Left from Lancashire at 7.00am to follow our route through some beautiful countryside on quiet, empty roads. Sun trying to break through some threatening clouds, never quite made it. As soon as we hit North Yorkshire the temperature dropped rapidly, stayed low for the rest of the day.
Stopped for tea at the "Old Naked Man" tea shop in Settle where we sampled their excellent cakes. Fast ride to Ingleton for lunch and then on through the Dales and over the moors, into a fierce headwind, for some amazing riding through bleak and spectacular scenery into Cumbria More killer hills but we're used to them now. The grapes are helping me onward...
Arrived at the old chapel in Kirky Stephen in good time.
Early start tomorrow for Scotland!

Day 6

Rest day!
Only 20 miles riding then arrived at our amazing camping barn which had to be 500 years old. Planned to rest, spent the day mainting bikes 'til 11.00pm. All slept on mats on the floor. A good nights sleep.

Day 5

Left Hartington early, soon realised the reality of the day. Big hills, hard riding. 11 hours in the saddle.
Massive uphills, followed by some spectacular and fast downhills. Scenery beautiful. Mostly. We did stop in Glossop for lunch...Fell asleep with head on a banana. Very tired. After lunch we enjoyed a 1 hour climb up on to the South Yorkshire moors. Pretty hard going. Finally made it to the hostel at around 8.30.
70 miles. A lot of hill climbing. Toughest day yet.
Some interesting injuries throughout the team, nothing to stop us yet though...

Day 4

Left Birmingham in pouring rain, didn't let up for most of the day.
An emergency change of clothes at Lichfield over lunch, then back to the rain and the miles.
Started on the serious hills today, painful.
Hit a large rock at about 18mph, loud crack, hands off bars, split second wobble, miraculously stopped with bike OK.
Arrived in Hartington late, to the fantastic news that Helen and Richard were driving all the way from Manchester to massage our aching limbs! Needles, oil, tough treatment to the legs, bit of whingeing then miraculously fresh legs in preperation for the hardest day.
Thank you both. You really are stars.
Late to bed, thoughts of the big hills to send us all to sleep....

Day 3

Well so far so good.
Our list of counties visited grows - Middlesex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and now we've reached our 2nd big city - Brum. Ok it's not the most beautiful place we've been through, but I've been assured once again that it has more canals than Venice, and we have individual rooms in univ digs, so no snoring, and no complaints.....
Today's highlights were gorgeous Cotswold villages, cornfields with wild flowers, a few monster hills, which Pete loves to cycle down as fast as he can (and then pretend we were racing) and Andy likes to cycle up at top speed and we're still not racing.
Also a terrifying biker gang, who all looked a bit bemused by us taking off our helmets, as one of the team mistakenly thought they were at a funeral.
And an impressive Aussie couple in their late 60's who had cycled the end to end and all over Europe.
A sad farewell and many many thanks to Amy who had to return to the smoke this evening and a warm welcome to Maria who has just arrived.
Thankyou for all your messages of support.

Day 2

Made good time today, started to hit some decent hills, getting harder on the legs. Mantra helped! A couple more comedy falls, nothing serious. Fall count is 2,2,1,0 so far.....
Early night, all tired.
 

Safely in Stow

The end of the second day and as I write this the rest of the cycle team have gone to bed. It's only just past nine in the evening, but they're tired out by another 60+ miles in the saddle. I stayed up a little later to let our many readers know that we all arrived safe and well in Stow-on-the-Wold. Only one tumble today but, again, I'm not going to name names. We passed through a variety of landscapes today from industrial--we cycled right next to the enormous cooling towers of a power station--to stately--we stopped for lunch in Blenheim Palace. The weather was kind: cool and cloudy with just a spot of rain. We're just about holding up physically although, for me, unexpectedly, it's my knees not my muscles or lungs that are suffering. Tomorrow we're heading through Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon and then on to Birmingham where Amy will be leaving us. It's been great having her along in the support team so a BIG thanks Amy from all of us for all your help, and your wonderful puy lentil casserole. 'Parting is such sweet sorrow'.

Miles and mishaps

We set off on this, the first day of our epic 500 mile ride for kagyu samye dzong london, with the sound of conch shells riging in our ears and the flutter of katas around our necks. Residents and supporters turned out, despite the fine drizzle, to give us a heart-warming sent off. Thanks to all who came, and thanks to lama zangmo for her words of encouragement and reminder that all activities--cycling included--can be practice. I took this advice too literally when I let go of my attachment to the road crossing Lambeth bridge. Also known as falling off. It wasn't my--or the team's--last mishap of the day, but I'll leave them to tell you themselves (or not). I must add my thanks to our sponsors and superb support team. More tomorrow....

Day 1

So day one has finally arrived. All those weeks of hard training , all for this. I have cycled, run, swam, skipped with samten (who incidentally is a highly proficient skipper), stretched and prostrated, not to mention all the Tara, and I can honestly say I wish I'd done more. So I'm doing a few Tara mantras as we go along and hiding in the slipstream of my more athletic buddies.
I'm also indebted to mette for her Chinese remedies pack to soothe those aching muscles _ there is now a powerful aroma of camphor in our dorm reminiscent of school changing rooms.
+ther thanks must go to all those who sent well wishes and to everyone who came to send us off this morning. It was fantastic. Thankyou.
Also to Andy who turned up with an overpoweringly colourful set of prof cycling clothes for me, begged off his neighbour at the cafe in Richmond Park, who turned out to be an ex Brit cycling team member, so now I look like I'm sponsored by VW and all kinds of French companies. By the end of the trip I'm hoping to look more plausible!
A very big thanks to our trusty support team, for their joyful company and wonderful food. Also to Andy's folks who gave us tea and homemade cake and made us very welcome (it just so happened that our route took us past their front door). Andy says hi and will start bloggin,. When he's got his account set up.
Most of all thanks to everyone who's supported us and all those who've sponsored us, without whom all this would have been pointless.
Oh and the ride was great.

Day 1

We arrived at Streatley around 7.30, tired and looking forward to some food.
Thanks to Amy for a wonderful meal.
Great day's cycling included a lunch break (thanks to Elkie James, Amy and Ella for a great spread)  when it poured with rain and then miraculously cleared as we left for the afternoon session! There may have been a rainbow ;-)
Beautiful countryside, some spectacular cornfields followed by a well needed tea (brownies and flapjacks) stop at Andy's mums place.
tired now and ready to sleep.
Over and out......