The Pennine Challenge in pictures (Part 5)

Steven Moore and Jonathan Dixon reach the 19 mile point.

The Pennine Challenge in pictures (Part 4)

Me (Mark Allison), Carlton Fletcher and Mark Cass at the 13 mile point.

The Pennine Challenge in pictures (Part 3)

Steven Moore and Jonathan Dixon begin the 3 mile climb up to the 1750ft summit.

The Pennine Challenge in pictures (Part 2)

Ian Glasgow and Michael Dunn at the 26 mile point.

The Pennine Challenge in pictures (Part 1)

Jim pausing for breath up Crawleyside Bank!

Mission accomplished!

I'm overjoyed to report that all 5 runners arrived safe and sound at Middleton-in-Teesdale this afternoon.

Pictured at the start line from left to right is Carlton Fletcher, me, Mark Cass and John Brettell (support driver).

Thank go to John and Mandy Baker for first class support.  Thanks also go to the running team for a tremendous performance today.

I'll post a full review when I've recovered but in the meantime it looks like we have raised around £900.  This will hopefully get matched by the Northern Rock Foundation.  Not bad for a 45 mile bike ride and 22 mile run in the Pennines.  Well done team!

And they're off!

Two of the Pennine Challenge runners, Steven Moore and Jonathan Dixon, set off from Castleside at 08:00 this morning.  They plan to run at a slower pace than the main group and with a 2 hour head start they should get to Middleton-in-Teesdale in plenty of time.

Jonathan had quite a hefty back pack at the start.  Amongst other things, he said it contained his comics, a catapult, some tuna sandwiches and a load of energy gels.

They started off in bright sunshine with virtually no breeze at all.  Let's hope the conditions stay like that.

The main group of runners are due to set off at 10:00.  I'll update the blog tonight, hopefully with tales of a safe and successful 22 mile run in the North Pennines.

The devil's horns!

Below is the elevation profile (via my GPS watch) for yesterday's bike ride.  Thankfully I just have to run half that distance tomorrow to complete this weekend's gruelling Pennine Challenge.   Is it just me or are the 2 peaks on the profile looking a little too much like the Devil's horns?  Very appropriate!  Those climbs were evil!

My recovery from yesterday's ride and preparation for tomorrow's run has involved lying on the settee watching numerous movies and finishing off last night's Madras!  I'm absolutely shattered after yesterday.  I can't wait for tomorrow! 

Heart, courage and power in the Pennines.

It was mission accomplished today as The Coach, Dunny, Patto (not pictured) and myself completed the 44 mile (or as it turns out the 45 thanks to the detour around Stanhope Ford) route from Castleside to Middleton-in-Teesdale and back.

I even managed to cycle home 4 miles from the finish line and I'm typing this blog entry with a well deserved King Prawn Madras on the way!

I'll post a full match report tomorrow.  In the meantime, I must say I was impressed with the lads on what was an extremely difficult day in the saddle.  The wind on the outward bound journey added a little something to the overall difficulty.  That Ian Glasgow has got the peddling power of a small power station and Dunny has the courage and heart of a lion.  Patto, meanwhile, was on a mission as he was "treating" his missus with a visit to the 20/20 cricket tonight and had to be back way before the rest of the team.

That's all for now!  The Madras is here!

Now it's a real challenge!

All of a sudden the Pennine Challenge has become a real tougher challenge.  I'm now more nervous than I was at the start of last year's big run!   Allow me to explain.  The cycle element of the team are now doing the route today (Friday), 2 days earlier than the runners (Sunday).  It's something to do with stag do's and golf rounds! Unfortunately, Fraser Scott has had to drop out due to a chest infection.  This is an ideal opportunity for me to step into the breach and keep the cyclists numbers up.  I'll also still be taking part in Sunday's run making this weekend's Pennine Challenge doubly difficult (and well worthy of sponsorship!).

At least I'll be in esteemed company.  The other cyclists are Ian "The Coach" Glasgow, Jim "Patto"  Patterson and Michael "Dunny" Dunn.  They are all used to spending a long time in the saddle over different terrains and in different weathers.  Michael has defied the odds by joining the team after only having knee surgery 6 weeks ago!  This surgery was as a result of a serious injury sustained on last year's Pennine Challenge.  I've used the words "hero" and "Michael Dunn" many times over the last 12 months. 

We will be starting at Castleside on the C2C route at 10:00, making our way to Middleton-in-Teesdale and then back to Castleside.  All in all, it's a nice hilly 44 mile round trip.  Cycling is not my normal thing but with over 60 Spinning classes since February and 187 miles cycled in the last 3 weeks I'm quite well prepared.  

Pictured above is the 11 mile point on the ride.  This is the climb out of Stanhope.  It's a nightmare.  Expect an update at teatime today on how it all went.