'A Cyclist and His Desperate Housewife' The Movie

My latest attempt to see if that continues to be true was to try and cycle up the very famous, tough and unforgiving, Mount Ventoux at the bottom of the Alps, six times in one single day. I would be only the 13th, and oldest, Britain to achieve it. 2886 metres of climbing in one day.

'15' certificate - for swearing, sorry :)

I believe that very normal people can achieve far more than they think they can, both physically and mentally.

My latest attempt to see if that continues to be true was to try and cycle up the very famous, tough and unforgiving, Mount Ventoux at the bottom of the Alps, six times in one single day. I would be only the 13th, and oldest, Britain to achieve it. 2886 metres of climbing in one day.

The mental challenge went to my wife. Would she accompany me? Which meant being on standby for anything going wrong and the likelihood of having to follow me up the lonely mountain in the car sometime after midnight.

Small things, please thin cyclists...

I don't want a high powered job, I don't want membership of a private gym, I don't want a wardrobe full of clothes, I don't want expensive holidays and I don't want a fast car. All I wanted was for a small piece of card to have 6 stamps on it and prove I had completed the challenge. Small things, please thin cyclists...

No turning back...

All the hard stuff was sorted before we got there; wife convinced to come, mother-in-law convinced to babysit, kids happy dad's disappearing for a few days & Audrey happy her birthday party didn't have to be postponed.

Now just the easy bit, cycling 8,886m up and down Mount Ventoux six times in 24 hours, accompanied by my wife. Start time 5.30am.

This is what happened...

There is never a right time. Helen would never be confident enough, I would never be fit enough. It would never happen if we left it until 'tomorrow'. This is what can happen when you just do something.

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