Portugal peddlers

Hear how Andrew Hirst and two of his fellow planners fared as they faced a charity cycle challenge.

Our mission: Cycle Portugal Mileage: 465 miles Duration: 6 days Fitness level: Reasonable

Saddle up

As I’m now in my early 50s, I am at the stage where if I don’t stay fit, I end up fat and whilst there is only one letter difference, the difference to my happiness, confidence levels and even concentration is immense. I have never been a gym lover; I really don’t like running, so cycling was the obvious choice for me.

I’d already done a series of cycle challenges, the UK coast to coast ride and even Venice to Rome with my colleague Jason Lowe (in 2020). I’d learned two things from those. Firstly, that like anything in life, having a goal motivates me to train and secondly, that raising money for charity makes all the hard work worthwhile. We knew the pandemic had taken a huge toll on charities up and down the country, especially those who rely on public fundraising and we wanted to help in some way. Plus, our efforts would be doubled by the Equilibrium Foundation.

So, we sat down at work one morning and decided we would find another cycling challenge, tougher and longer than the last and aim to raise more money than ever before. We decided on Cycle Portugal which required us to cycle the entire length of the country.

Peloton preparation

The peloton for this Portuguese challenge comprised of myself, Jason Lowe (early 50s) and David McKendrick (late 40s). We are colleagues, financial planners and friends but this challenge would put our usual easy-going natures to the test. Our approach to training differed as we were all at varying levels of speed and ability. David hadn’t even been on a bike since he was a kid, so he upped his game and arrived with full confidence in his cycling ability, whilst Jason and I knew what really lay ahead!

The uphills

Whilst we had all trained for the trip, it’s fair to say, we could have done more, although I’m not sure anything could have prepared us for the unseasonable heat – a whopping 32�C! We even acquired another couple of fellow riders, forming our very own mini group.

We knew from the start we weren’t going to break any records; this was all about staying strong mentally and physically. We each hit ‘the wall’ at different points in the journey at which point, we would slow down and

encourage each other to keep going, finishing each day as we’d started…together.

The downhills

We saw some breath-taking views and passed through wine regions, charming villages, olive groves and wild scenery. We cycled for 10-12 hours each day and rewarded ourselves with the most mouthwatering suppers and obviously a glass of ‘vinho’ to wash it down. The best part was catching up with all the other riders in the evening to dissect the day with tales of

breakdowns, wipe-outs, muscle cramping and all the other ailments that go with endurance cycling.

The unforgettable result

We raised a whopping £21,000, which was split between each of our chosen charities. We’re truly proud of our cycling achievement, but knowing how we’ve made a difference to the charities is exceptionally humbling. For instance, the donation to Claire House paid for seven families to receive counselling and support following the loss of a child. Thank you so much to everyone who supported us. Unfortunately, our Virgin Giving page is now closed, however, if you would like to know more about the charities we sponsored or would like to donate directly to them, please use the links below:

Reuben’s Retreat:

www.reubensretreat.org

Claire House:

www.clairehouse.org.uk

My Name’5 Doddie:

www.myname5doddie.co.uk

Anyone up for a challenge?

We booked our trip with ‘Discover Adventure’ as we have always found their organisation and support to be superb. If cycling is not your thing, they also offer trekking challenges both worldwide and in the UK. All the adventures are graded in terms of how challenging they are and if I have learnt anything, it’s a fantastic way to step outside of your comfort zone and achieve something to be proud of. If our trip has piqued your interest, visit www.discoveradventure.com.