Happy 2010

well, we are now half way through January and I have not been out on my bike for more than 5 minutes since Cuba!!!

having just had a new set of mag pedals and some lovely winter gloves I think I need to get this show on the road (or the trail to be more accurate).

There is (s)no(w) excuse anymore….,. well no more snow anyway.

Time to lose the Xmas excess and get riding in the cold, wet mud!

Cheers and Thanks for Reading
Barny Jnr

They think it’s all over…..

Well, it is now! (to coin a phrase)

After all the training and the tension and stress and nerves, the waiting is over and we have finally done it. Iain and I have spent the last 8 days in Cuba and we have completed our trip without incident or accident.

First, I just have to say that I am so please Iain came all the way from Australia to join me on this trip. It has made it very very special. Thank you.

Next I would like to point out what a wonderful, beautiful and lovely country Cuba really is. The sights, sounds and people all make it truly wonderful. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you get over there as soon as possible. Especially if the USA get more involved and start to commercialise the country, you need to see it before that happens. Personally, I think too much USA involvement would ruin the innocence and beauty of the country.

So, on to the trip:

Day -1. Iain arrives from Australia early and I meet him at Heathrow at silly-o’clock in the morning. A good day spent catching up.

Day 0 – Flights. Started well on the Sunday.  Arrived at Gatwick on time and met the rest of the team….less one. Dan (our leader) had to drop out due to his wife being ill (good luck to you both). So we were down to 5 strong.  We met up with the Yorkshire lot (strange bunch… all dressed in matching green T-shirts) and headed for the lounge! A little bit of luxury before the simplicity of Cuba (and Airline food). Sitting on the tarmac for an hour didn’t help get things going but eventually we are off and 9 hours of movies on a 2" TV screen with poor contrast and colour to follow. I’d highly recommend MOON as a good film to watch btw.

Day 1 – La Habana and transfer to the bike place. 3 hours on a coach was not a good start to my morning but there we are. The bikes are fitted out and there are some surprises….like a 17" bike for a 6’3" fellow…. huummmm…. nice! We then had lunch before setting off on our first short day riding. 50Km later of mostly flat but pot-holled roads. Not overly pretty or interesting but good to be on the bikes.

Day 2 – A different bike this time. Rockhopper 19" frame. Much closer to my 21" at home so at least I was able to ride without hitting my knees into my chin! More interesting ride out from 8:30am for 96Km over hills and rivers, trees, villages and towns. A really good day. I think this was my 2nd most favourite as it was a challenge but it was also the first day we saw Cuba and its sights. We met some children and families and saw how hard life can be for Cubans.

Day 3 – Trinidad and up some more mountain roads. A bit frustrating this day. Only managed around 40Km today but it felt more like 10 ! We were stopped from riding by a national bike race for a few hours midday which really hurt our distance.

Day 4 – Cien Fuegos and Santa Clara are both beautiful towns. Very different but equally wonderful. My favourite day by far. 89km ride across the Escambray mountains (800m above sea level) and down into Santa Clara. Very hilly with lots of up and down riding. We finished at the memorial of Che Guevara and the national museum. A very emotional end of the day for me personally. Suddenly, the reason we were there was very apparent. This was all about Henry and making a difference for other children and families and I let it out. I can only thank Julie (Mi-Jooly as she was known) for her support on that day.  We stayed in a hotel above the Dam near Santa Clara with the most beautiful morning views possible. Sun rising above the lakes in the mountains. It doesn’t get much better than that…. even if I was sharing with my brother!

Day 5 – A short day to finish with around 70km riding to be done to take us the end of the day. We finished in Cien Feugos at a hotel by the seaside with flags and banners and a band and cocktails and a very happy and emotional bunch of people.  Riding a lot through towns and small villages we got to stop and meet children in schools, families in their homes and everyone we met was a real pleasure and joy.

Day 6 / 7 invovled walking alot (no more bikes) around Havana and this was a little of a disappointment. I don’t mean that against La Habana as it is a wonderful city. However, after the rural areas of Cuba, to come back to a city, without our bikes, was a little weird. Laurie said something that hit home. It makes you feel guilty for enjoying the city considering the reason we were out there. She is right. I was feeling guilty. Again, that day and evening were spoilt slightly by my guilty feelings. However, it is a wonderful city and has some fantatsic sights. We saw government buildings, Che’s offices, military bands welcoming a foreign dignitry (Mexico we think). 

The funniest thing was to watch the regimented band and demonstration for the officials on the steps with guns and cameras and music playing…. all the pomp. Then, when the command to stand easy was shouted, it was if junior school playtime had been announced. Everyone just dropped weapons or trumpets or drums, and milled off for a leak in the bushes! Very funny.

Finally, after just a short 6 hour wait at Havana airport (with only a couple of tourist stalls, and a very limited cafe for company) we managed to get a plane to take us home. We nearly didn’t though…. watching the line during boarding we sat back thinking, "We’ll just wait till it clears then walk on". Good plan…. if we had been watching the correct line!

So, Last Call for Mr Barnfield….. and we made the plane!

What can I say about the trip?

I made some good friendships, met some wonderful people (even those from Yorkshire were quite nice….sometimes!) and have some memories to last a lifetime. I also raised over £5,500 for our charity and together we have all raised over £60,000 for cancer research.

Go to Cuba if you can. You will not regret it and let me know…. I’ll come with you!

You can view some photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclecuba2009

Cheers and thanks for reading….

View From Down Under

Only 2 weeks left, ohhh a bit scary! however some good news today, when I signed up for this little adventure, I put a dent in the sofa at 113KG or 248lbs or 17.7 stone.  Fat git in anyones language. The dent measured 109cm round (42inch waist for the poms) as well. So I was probably on the way to a heart attack if I jumped on the push bike for 5 days.  regardless of how far i was going to have to peddle.

SO I made myself a little extra challange, not only raise money – but lose at least 13 KG and 10cm off the waist. I have been seeing the fantastic Mia the dietitcian and she has worked wonders coaching me– today I broke through the 100Kg mark t to come in (at a still portley) 98.9KG and 97cm waist.

time to go shopping nothing fits anymore.

anyone in Sydney wants help with diet see Mia http://www.bodyfusion.com.au/ 

oh yeah and the bike riding is coming along fine – even managed a game of netball today which is a first for me.

more ramblings soon

View from DownUdder

So back into training with a vengeance (no more excuses). I found out that I need to register by this week, this caused Sara and myself to have a good hard look at the cost of this thing. (more Sara than me) and the results is I can but only if I fly cattle class!! The time spent trying to find flights from Sydney to Cuba is unbelievable. So sod it I will go to London and meet all my fellow “sore asses in waiting” and spend sometime with the family on the way back.

Distance Sydney to Havana the direct route

• 7,930 Nautical Miles

• 9,125 Statute Miles

• 14 686 Kilometres

Or the Barnfield Route nearly twice the distance required!

Sydney to London

• 9181 Nautical Miles

• 10566 Statute Miles

• 17004 Kilometres

London to Havana

• 4051 Nautical Miles

• 4662 Statute Miles

• 7502 Kilometres

Total of:

• 13,232 Nautical Miles
• 15,228 Statute Miles
• 24,506 Kilometres

before I even set foot on a saddle, all I can say is those cigars better be good.

Thursday 26th Feb – the joy of cycling to work

A prevous diary entry from Feburary sums up riding to work.

“This whole slackness was not helped by a magnificent drinking spree on Saturday night at my next door neighbours 50^th birthday party. You know you have had a lot when you wake up and your tongue is black from red wine.

Other tell tale signs included

• Mother of all headaches
• Not being able to get up until 1pm
• Not being able to keep down the coffee at midday
• Being useless for the rest of the day, and feeling guilty that Sara is painting the spare room also with a hangover.

 I am officially a big girls blouse!

In order to sweat out excess drinking what have I managed this week?… 1 lousy bike ride to work. Although that was managed quicker than the previous efforts and felt a lot better.  time for a rant… Sydney car drivers have no clue as to the width of their small car. Nearly knocking me off. Silly bint didn’t even realise, well not until she nearly jumped out her skin (like I had) when I politely, but loudly banged on her window to explain,  in a rational way the errors of her ways. I think her answer was “sorry” but distinctly  looked like “F**k off”. Happy days.”

View From DownUnder pt 2

FEB 4th 2009 was the day I decided to do this, and I decided to keep a diary — this is entry no1

The bad news:  the wii fit told me I weigh 112Kg height 178cm- BMI – well clinically dead (35.33!!!). My Wii fit man who looked all slim and in my mind a mirror image of me went all fat & unhappy. A wake up call to my, sit on your arse in my office all-day life style!!  

Ok new goal, not only will AL & me raise over $10,000 dollars (shit just made that figure up in my head, gone and done it now!) and raise awareness, I will lose 20 KG and 10 cm off my exceeding large, but very expensive and pampered gut. The time has come to take control of myself.

More musings and weight related thoughts later.

View from DownUnder

Since being invited, bullied and generally scorned into taking part in a round the world tour which includes a stop off to cycles my butt cheeks  flat. I have taken the training and whole thing to heart.  current stats include buying a wanky cycle top (to give me the impression that I am Lance Armstrong) serviced the push bike and started cycling to work.

This bit takes a bit of preperation, needing shower gear and change of work attire to be strategically placed already in the office, so I dont have to carry it in a ruck sack. But, and here is a top tip for anyone thinking of getting fit by cycling to work — as well as a spare suit and shirt, shoes and ties take Socks and Knickers or you’ll spend a very pleasant day, like I did, going commando and sockless.

 

More inane observations soon.

Keeping fit… just!

So, more about the keeping fit part of this challenge.

My good friends at Sussex Bootcamp (Thanks Ben) have offered to train me. So during October I am doing bootcamp training in Horsham Park, three times a week at 6:15am. Ouch!

Thanks to Ben and Steve at Sussex Bootcamp for this wonderful offer as it fits perfectly with my trip so I plan to make the most of the punishment they will dish out!

More news on the effects on a weekly basis.

Cheers and thanks for reading.