A reason for hope

As I wrote here back in November last year, the 3 months when Eoin was in hospital were incredibly tough. I'll never forget the moment when a lifeless tiny grey lump fell onto the hospital bed. He was immediately whisked away by the NICU crash team (they had less than 20 minutes notice that a 26 weeker was on the way) with a GC score of just 3. He was incredibly poorly and it was 6 hours before we were even allowed to see him. Much of that day is now blanked forever. He was on a ventilator but I have no memory of seeing that. I remember going home and telling Eoin's siblings that he had been born. I have no idea when I went back to the hospital, who with and how long for. What followed was 3 months of daily commutes to the hospital. Bradys and desats became routine, the apneoa alarm going off commonplace and sleep something other people did!

This post though isn't intended to dwell on the past. Last week, and two days after I got back from Paris, Eoin was 3 years old. This is him:

Cutie, isn't he?! Not when he's fighting with his brother and sister he's not! The point though, is that despite everything we've been through, we have been incredibly lucky and have a 3 year old little boy to show for it. He had the terrible twos worse than his brother and sister. He's a tiny little fella (he's wearing some clothes that his brother wore at 12 months!). Overall though, he's doing pretty good considering the start he had in life. We know not all outcomes are as good as ours was (which is why we continue to raise awareness of neonatal issues) but hopefully this story will give hope to families out there who are going through something of what we experienced. It is hard not to, but don't dwell on what might have been, but thrive on what is.

Don't forget to check out my brand new blog Kill the Dragon!!

Just one more thing!

As many of you know, I used Google Latitude last week to update my location. You can also get your history downloaded which results in cool maps like this one...(click on it to see a better resolution version)

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 9th phonecast

Time to go our separate ways

With the obvious exceptions of getting married and becoming father to three fantastic children, last week was the most incredible experience of my life. Running the London Marathon was ok, but ultimately I was just relieved to get it finished. The second time around the spectators and thousands of runners just irritated me! Other running events are a challenge, you feel sore afterwards but it is a shorter lived experience. Canoeing as a teenager was pretty awesome but didn't quite match last week (although crewing the Devizes to Westminster for my Father came close). Since stopping canoeing (that's a different story for another time) I have tried climbing, squash, fencing and a host of other sports only to be disappointed. Last week though was the culmination of efforts on so many different fronts. I had cycled many miles in training and in atrocious weather. I had managed to get a pretty decent amount of sponsorship along the way and for a charity and cause that I truly believe in, and I had also managed to raise awareness of neonatal issues. All these components together helped to make last week so special, even before we get to the fantastic riding, great friends and superb memories.

And now it’s over.

Not so quick grasshopper. Along with the others I met last week, I have been fighting the emotions of being glad to be home and relieved it’s over, along with a real desire to get back out there on the roads. The combination of the adrenaline high from cycling and the knowledge that what I’m doing is helping a good cause is hard to beat. In short, I love the feeling of making a difference! How can I possibly just bring that to an end? I’m not going to be going out doing another week long cycle any time soon, but I do want to keep making a difference. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know I took great motivation from Discovery Road and in particular the passage towards the end about making a difference. As a result, I am pleased and excited to announce that I have a new blog, Kill the Dragon, that will be all about just that, making a difference. Little by Little will also continue as a neonatal issues blog, but Little by Little has got bigger and bigger and it's time to go our separate ways! In short

• Little by Little will focus on neonatal issues, news articles and so on.
• Kill the Dragon will focus on making a difference. This will include my activities both challenges but also other activities aimed at raising awareness, as well as the actions of others.

The exact content of each will be refined with time but that is roughly how they will be split. I do hope many of you will continue to read Little by Little and also Kill the Dragon, but whichever you choose, do please keep on reading. Without the support of family, friends and anonymous users of the internet it would be like banging my head against a brick dragon!

Final Day - Compiegne to Paris

Take action. Have real experiences. Make lasting difference to at least one person. Create change. Kill the dragon.

Mileage - 63 miles (cumulative 386. Current estimates for the 'detour' on Wednesday mean this may be as high as 395)

The final day dawned a bit cloudy but still fine (how lucky were we - no rain all week!). Having been given the option of a late start, Team Jelly Baby set off 40-45 minutes after many others and after pretending to take it easy for 3 miles, cranked it up and still got to the first water stop first. On the way we went up the final (and perhaps most enjoyable) hill. Switchbacks along the way and great views, followed by a great setting for the final water stop...

Big Dave, Doo, Allen, myself, Craig

Leaving the water stop we had another 15 miles or so until lunch. For only the second time of the challenge (the first being the previous day when I had knee pain for half an hour) I struggled. The last 8 miles or so before lunch being a real slog. And I finally felt that the crazy chase through France was catching up on me. Fortunately the great food on offer at the lunch stops weaved it's magic and I was good as new as we left the lunch stop for Paris.

Legendary food from the Extreme Catering guys. Also pictured Craig, Doo, Big Dave, Richard and Dennis

With just 30 to go we started on a ridge overlooking a smog of Paris with a hazy Eiffel Tower visible in the distance. What a sight! Countryside was gradually replaced by built up areas and we were finally in the madness of Parisien driving where frankly, anything goes. Hats off at this stage to the DA crew markers. How the hell did they manage to put orange markers up all the way through Paris?!
After spending a while clapping in other arriving riders from our bar-based vantage point we joined up with the whole group for the final 4 miles of joyous riding into the Eiffel Tower. Bells ringing, DA crew van blasting music (Amy hanging out the window) and enough critical mass to bring Paris roundabouts to standstill, we finally, after 9 months of training, over 3000 miles in the saddle, nearly 400 miles from Cambridge and 5 days after leaving Addenbrookes, reached our goal.

I wasn't expecting that after such a major event I would feel a bit of a downer, but as I write this, the fact that 9 months of training, 5 days riding and the huge goal has been satisified means I am indeed feeling a little at sea. Keeping positive though, what were the high points?

• The fantastic send offs and support I got at Addenbrookes, Harlow and Bliss HQ
• Arriving at Dover having been lost but knowing we were on the way to France
• Cruising along at 20-24mph in a group of 8 (two abreast) with such little effort
• The great friends I made who will be friends long after the soreness has disappeared (you know who you are!)
  
• Feeling stronger and stronger each day
• The support and camaraderie between riders
• The food that was put together in lay bys by a couple of blokes and a gas stove
• Riding in mad Paris
• Reaching the Eiffel Tower
• Seeing an orange arrow regularly
• The smooth French roads
• Keith's dancing on the pavement in Paris at some unearthly hour of the morning
• Meeting Rachael in Compiegne after she made the effort to come and meet us despite not being able to do the event herself
  

And the lows?

• The food at the hotels and the ferry
• 30 minutes of knee pain on day 4
• 30 minutes when the wheels fell off on Day 5
• The cold
• Now that the event is finished
• England v Algeria

And what have I learnt?

• It is possible to make a difference
• Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it
• "Let's go steady" is a lie
• I need new pedals, cycling shoes, a new chain and block, to remove my bike lock, get rid of my bell and to put my seat up 1 inch. Then I might be a decent cyclist
• Big Dave actually needs a bell
• Doo is nuts
• I want to do another one
• Jelly Babies, cups of tea and showers can cure pretty much any ill
• The meanings of the words 'lumpy' and 'undulating' are different to how 'normal people' would use them
• I have a great family who have supported me and allowed me to do this in the first place
  

So, now it's over,

Do I wish I was still on the road to Geneva? You bet!
Will I be embarking on a new challenge in the future? Absolutely
But am I glad to be home with Eleanor, Ciara, Connor and Eoin? 100% defininitely

Finally, it is poignant that I am writing this tonight. 3 years ago to the day, Eleanor had been in hospital for 10 days, I went in to visit her for what was fast becoming a routine evening visit, and a few hours later Eoin was born. As those of you who have read this blog from the start know, he nearly didn't make it and the turmoil of the next few months was to reshape our lives forever. If it wasn't for that experience, cycling from Cambridge to Paris would still be something other people do.

I'm off to find another dragon

(come back later this week for an announcement...)

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 8th phonecast

I HAVE MADE IT!!!

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Final Day

70 miles to go...
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ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 7th phonecast

Day 4 - Arras to Compiegne

Mileage- 80 miles (cumulative 323)

Sore legs!
"Take it easy" they said. "Nice rest day after yesterday" they said. Yeah right. A few miles in and Team Jelly Baby was zipping along at 20-25 mph without a care in the World! Flatter day today after the hills of yesterday but that saw us flying through 20 miles by 9.30 and getting to the lunch stop at 40 miles by 11.00 (we had to stop for a puncture!). With no prospect of lunch for a while we pressed on, had water at 60 miles and reached Compiegne by 1.30. Truly exhilarating riding with a great bunch of guys. We deserved those beers in the town centre!
So, just 70 or so miles remaining in the challenge. So far so good with the weather and my legs are holding up well. Both knees a bit sore after today and that's not the only thing that's sore. All in all though, the training has really paid off and I feel that I'm reaping the rewards of being out in such atrocious weather in the winter.
This time tomorrow I'll be in Paris!

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ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 6th phonecast

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 5th phonecast

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 4th phonecast

Day 2: London-Calais

Mileage - about 95 miles
Cumulative - 163 miles

Writing this a bit early (on the ferry) as I'll be too tired to later! The approximate distance is due to getting lost and not entirely knowing where we went! We ended up doing the final 14 miles on the A2.
Despite doing an extra 10 miles or so it was a pretty good day in the saddle. Regular water/lunch stops helped as did having a group to help! Very undulating course and very very windy.
After two days in the saddle we now have three more across France, with another early start in the morning.
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Off we go

6.25am Blackheath Common. It's funny. Last time I was here was 10 years ago as I was about to run London. The atmosphere then was incredible. Today smaller crowd but same atmosphere of excitement, anticipation and apprehension. The next time I see by bag will be in Calais!
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ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 3rd phonecast

Day 1: Cambridge to London

Distance-68 miles
Wow! What an emotional day! Finally I'm underway. The support today was great with several nurses and staff turning out at the start at Addenbrooke's. The NICU there always has an effect on me even three years on with the smells and sounds being so familiar. Today was no different although the mood was lightened when Eoin went racing down the corridor shouting for the 'inkibators'!
Next stop Harlow and again a nice welcome greeted us and it was nice to see some of the familiar staff.
Next was a trip into the unknown as I came through Epping and the 'wilds' of London. I managed to get lost a few times before finally crossing Tower Bridge and making my way to Bliss for a really great welcome and tea and cake! The final 5 miles to the hotel included seeing a gang chase complete with spades, knives and sticks and a cordoned off police area! Suffice to say I am glad to be at the hotel, waiting for my pizza starter followed by pasta!
85 or so miles tomorrow to Calais.

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We're underway!

Just completed first leg from Addenbrookes to home! Enjoying coffee and toast before getting back on the road to Harlow...



Time I wasn't here...

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 2nd phonecast

Final countdown!

With just 12 hours to go, the bag's packed and maps are printed!
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Completing the Circle

Did a really nice training session today - the last! I repeated the first one I did at the end of last year which started me on the road to Paris. Since then, I have done something like 3500 miles in training. I have had two crashes (and here). I have been out in the worst winter the UK has had in years, and I have seen some great sights. Slowly but surely the milestones have been passed; 50 miles, 100 miles and even 124 miles! When I think back, that first session was cold, wet, windy (most of them have been) and a slog (many of them have been!). Today, it was warm, still windy but not a slog. The transformation has been amazing. With 400 miles to go and 3500 done, you could say that the challenge is now almost over. I have noticeably lost weight (I do hasten to add I wasn't exactly a fat git in the first place!), I have got very fit (a 30 miler is now a short ride!) and I have raised over £2000 for Bliss. And now the training is over. I have kit sprawled on the bed, and the next time I get on a bike will be outside Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge to start the challenge proper. Time for one last observation to complete my observations from the past few months...

Nigel's Training Lore #1.
Routes well known to you by car are further or hillier when observed from the vantage point of a bike

Nigel's Training Lore #2.
Getting out for a ride whatever the weather may be admirable. It is also stupid

Nigel's Training Lore #3.
Putting an extra pair of ordinary socks on is no match for sub-zero temperatures in driving wind and rain in December. Get some thermal socks!

Nigel's Training Lore #4.
Over 2 or so hours in the saddle burns lots of energy - ensure you take on extra in the form of bars, gels or drinks.

Nigel's Training Lore #5.
Not all gels and bars are born the same.Try them in training so you don't find out you don't like them/they don't agree with you during your real event!

Nigel's Training Lore #6.
Actually, real food (pretzels, licorice, bagels, cereal bars) may work just as well.

Nigel's Training Lore #7.
Your bike has two tyres, so taking two spare inner tubes with you makes a lot of sense!

Nigel's Training Lore #8.
Not all training rides will be great, but another good one is just around the corner.

Nigel's Training Lore #9.
A training program is a guide not a rulebook. Enforced rest and 'listening to your body' will help to give your body the rest it needs. But at the same time don't use that as an excuse!

Nigel's Training Lore #10.
If you can design a figure of eight route it allows you to stop off at home half way round your ride which particularly in winter means you can warm up, change and go out again refuelled. It also means you're closer to home if you encounter any problems.

Nigel's Training Lore #11.
During a prolonged training campaign such as for something like London to Paris, there will inevitably be times when injuries get in the way. Don't fight through it, rest up, safe in the knowledge that overall you will cover the ground.


Nigel's Training Lore #12.
The Human body is capable of amazing things which dedication and determination can help bring to fruition.


A fitting way to end this post I think. Throughout all this, the most important thing has been to raise money for Bliss. The training has helped me prepare for this and to achieve something amazing.

Now it's time to kill the dragon.

ipadio: Nigel's phlog - 1st phonecast

Early Taper

After a very sore knee following the 80 miler last weekend I decided to take it easy this week. I did nothing all week (on the bike at least!) and then did 30 yesterday and 24 today, both without incident. I figure that after getting on for 3500 miles in training, missing a few miles at this stage shouldn't make much difference! Actually, the last two days felt really good. It's probably a bit late now given what I have in store in 9 days time, but I decided that only going out for around 2 hours is great! Compared to the 6-8 slogs over the last few weeks, it was great to go out, get some exercise and come back feeling as if I've done something without feeling shattered for the rest of the day! Indeed today I was back in time to join the rest of the family for coffee today - all very civilized.
So, 9 days to go. A couple of short commutes on Wednesday and Thursday, 20 miles or so next Sunday and that's it! Less than 50 miles left in training before we get to the start at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge...

Nigel's Training Lore #11.
During a prolonged training campaign such as for something like London to Paris, there will inevitably be times when injuries get in the way. Don't fight through it, rest up, safe in the knowledge that overall you will cover the ground.