One Month to Go!
As you may have seen, four lawyers and avid cyclists from BPE – John Workman, Tim Williams, Kathryn Johnston and me, Matt Jackson – are undertaking the Extra Mile Challenge in September, the 17th to the 21st to be precise. This will involve riding over 500 miles in three days through some of the best French countryside, from Le Mans to Poitier. All our efforts are for charity and all the funds we raise will be split between the Extra Mile Charity and our own chosen charity, The Footprints Foundation, who aim to tackle the problems facing disadvantaged and vulnerable young and elderly people, and those with significant health issues.
It will be a hard task, but someone’s got to do it!
With less than one month to go, each of the BPE cycling team have started ramping up the training so that we’re in ‘peak’ condition for this challenge! So, what have we been doing?
This weekend I rode the ‘Malvern Mad Hatter’ sportive, a very popular summer cycling event with a fantastic route that took me through Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire as well as a stint over the iconic Malvern Hills. I did manage to get the wettest I have ever been on the bike – who knew it was possible for it to hail in August? But, as Bear Grylls always says, “If it’s not raining, it’s not training!”
Kathryn raced her first half-ironman challenge at the weekend and did herself – and BPE of course- proud with a brilliant time. Kat took on a 1.2 mile swim, quickly followed by a 56 mile bike ride and a half marathon, and despite three tyre punctures and some pretty horrendous weather, she is already planning the next one!
John and Tim are “carb loading” – and I’ll say no more on that one apart from the fact that, perhaps the carbs were more liquid than might be expected of the elite athletes ready to undertake such a challenge!
Don’t forget to look out for the next update on our Extra Mile Challenge, where we will be sharing our route together with an overview of our plans as to how we are going to tackle the bike ride. We will also be gearing up for some of our own personal challenges – such as overall top speed and most miles – so if you have any ideas to appeal to our competitive natures, please get in touch.
Of course, we must pass on a very big thank you to our brilliant sponsors, Brewin Dolphin, GillFoxJames and Pro-Bolt, who have so generously supported us in this effort.
You can stay up to date with our progress via our Twitter page and on our blog in the lead up to the event, as well as coverage each day during the challenge to let you know of what’s been happening. Watch out for #extramile2015 on social media!
If you would like to know more information about our trip or would like to know how to support us, please call 01242 224433 or email bpe@bpe.co.uk.
These notes have been prepared for the purpose of articles only. They should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice.