After my plans to cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats were abruptly halted by a vicious dog, I felt the need to fill the aching achievement void of the last few months. Still unable to cycle long distances due to my injury, and with time running out before starting Uni in October, I looked... Continue Reading →
I need to find some patience….. RIGHT NOW!!
"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." Leo Tolstoy Today is 13th June 2019. Today was meant to be my glorious final day in the saddle. The day when... Continue Reading →
It was a dog wot dunnit
After weeks of training, preparation, organisation and fundraising, I was ready. I had one last training ride to do on the day before setting off down to Lands End to start my 1000 mile ride for Yemen. The planning had been exhausting and I was looking forward to finally getting on the road to complete... Continue Reading →
Lands End to John O’Groats…. training and preparation
Having decided to take on what is known in cycling circles as LEJOG or the 'granddaddy of British cycling challenges', the first thing was to set the date. I didn't want it to be too hot or too cold, so somewhere between April and July. And I wanted to get to Scotland before midge season,... Continue Reading →
My 1000 mile cycle challenge for Yemen
After leaving Qatar, I decided to combine my passion for cycling with my love of Yemen and the Yemeni people and take on a big cycling challenge to raise money for the Save the Children Yemen Crisis Appeal. I am cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats - one end of the UK to the... Continue Reading →
Adventures in the Maghreb… Marrakech parks and gardens
Marrakech Souq is the biggest Berber market place in Morocco, and has changed little over several hundred years, since its creation in the 11th Century. The souqs of the old medina (city) are surrounded by a 19km wall which has 12 impressive entrance gates to ease the flow of traders passing through this important North... Continue Reading →
Adventures in the Maghreb… Marrakech…Souqs, snails and sheep heads
I must be the only Brit who had never been to Marrakech.... at least that what it seemed, so packed was the BA flight with folks who were returning to a city that felt to them like a second home. For me, it was my first experience travelling to North Africa and even then, it... Continue Reading →
Qatar Cycling Adventures – A night under the stars Part 2
Having found a nice little spot to spend the night, on a sandy spit, east of Al Khor, stretching out into the Arabian Gulf, I parked Grey Legs and spread out my towel. I changed out of my cycling clothes and hung them out to dry on the handle bars. The spit was raised out... Continue Reading →
Qatar Cycling Adventures
A night under the stars With Eid AlAdha approaching and the weather cooling to a mere 40 degrees, what better time to plan another micro-adventure and this time to do something I've been dying to do for a long time - sleep in the desert under the stars. After little sleep and an aching back,... Continue Reading →
Camel heaven pt 2: Bath Time!
After spending some time at the races, we jumped into the car and followed behind Mohammed Islam in his pick-up, as he headed towards his stables. It really is an entire Camel city in the middle of the desert. Row after row, block after block, dusty alley after dusty alley of stables for the camels,... Continue Reading →