Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving forward.

If I've learnt one thing over the last few years participating in endurance races its often simply a matter of keeping keeping on regardless of the punishment that gets thrown at you. Injustice and what we think we are entitled to are readily replaced by circumstance wether it is favourable is simply a matter of perspective. This philosophy has got me passed many a trial and kilometre and allowed me to compete in many ultra challenges and raise much needed funds for worthy causes.It was recently brought to my attention that memorial sites were targeted by mindless vandals not content unless there causing harm to others so this provided Northern angelz with the perfect opportunity to raise funds for the RAF beneveolent fund. I chose this firstly out of respect and a keen interest as my two amazing daughters attend the local 455 squadron based in Morecambe where one has just become flight sergeant.

Furthermore growing up Manchester and knowing family who worked to build the Avro Manchester twin engined bomber, a modified Manchester, the Avro Lancaster, the most famous bomber to emerge from the second World War, was born. The war time production of the Lancaster was over 7,000 with almost half of these being built at Chadderton while the remainder were manufactured at other Avro sites or under licence by a number of aircraft companies. Avro Lancasters of No.44 Squadron. R.A.F in 1942.Chadderton's design team continued to introduce many aircraft including the York, Lincoln, Lancastrian, Tudor and a host of others, but the most famous were the Avro Shackleton maritime reconnaisance aircraft which served with the Royal Air Force for over 40 years and the mighty Vulcan delta-winged jet bomber which became the backbone of Britain's nuclear deterrent force.

The choice who to raise funds for pretty much made itself.

Choosing a worthy challenge was very natural as I had been toying with the idea of riding to Manchester for a couple of years after completing a 30 kg Bergen ride from Carlisle to Morecambe early in 2013 and several other distances including the Way of the Roses .Fitness wise 2017 had been a liitle sluggish and I was dying to sink my teeth into a big challenge to kick start the years fundraising.

This challenge started on the shore at Morecambe bay under the watchful eye of its favourite son Eric and passed through Lancaster, Garstang, Preston Chorley Over Rivington pike and Winter hill down into Bolton and through the outskirts of old Manchester and on to finish at Angel Hill war memorial in Blackleys boggart hole clough less than five minutes from the AVRO factories that closed down in 2012. 5 years on and soon forgotten along with many deeds that allow us the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted today.

The build up to the challenge had gone without hitch and I was feeling pretty confident about my ability to finish in around 7 hrs dependent on the weather and terrain on Rivi and Winter hill. sponsorship had been great and Iain Exeter at ram run had donated a Season pass for 2 as an incentive which massively helped raise our grand total "what a legend". The guys down at Red rose Recovery had kindly provided me with a pit stop at there office in Preston which was going to be needed as it was a frosty morning and it had only just stopped raining as I set the watch asked and Eric to bring me sunshine headed through Morecambe on the cycle track to Lancaster and linked up with A6 route towards Garstang. Where I stopped for my first refuel off the day with the SIS bundle I had procured to help fuel me on the ride.

It is widely acknowledged in the sports world that dehydration increases cardiovascular strain, thermal strain, glycogen utilisation (in turn depleting valuable stores in the body), muscle lactate production (contributing to muscle fatigue) and the perceived rate of exertion

so I was taking no prisoners as if the above stuff is good enough for Froome and Wiggo its good enough for me .

I usually drink about 500mls of fluid 2 hours before exercising to allow time for any excess to be lost in urine• Then drink a further 125-250mls immediately before exercise and then drink small amounts regularly, aiming for 125-250mls every 10-20 minutes. this way you can maintain optimal performance by replacing at least 80% of sweat loss during performance.

As I approached the outskirts of Preston Eric had done me proud and I admired the sunshine and chem trails overhead.. The real test of today was going to be the ascent of Rivington and Winter hill the total ride ascent was over 4000 ft and not forgetting I was on a mountain bike with a 35kg backpack.

I’ve also always taken great interest in the mental state of elite athletes and competitors. I research regularly how these men/women are able to withstand some of the most brutal training in the world. I found a recurring theme called the 40% Rule. when your mind is telling you you’re done, you’re really only 40 percent done. To get uncomfortable to figure out what our baseline is and what our comfort level is and just turning it upside-down.”The 40% rule, is the reason why even though most people hit a wall at mile 16 during a marathon, they’re still able to finish. This was the strategy that was going to get us up and over those hills. as it had seen me through many a swamp and along neverending road in my pursuit for self mastery over the past 5 or so years.

Refuelled and defrosted at Preston I began the Challenge with earnest and powered through Avenham park towards Bamber bridge and Chorley . It was warming up quite nicely now and I got into a fair pace and began to decimate the ranks of 10 kilometres for what seemed an eternity and I passed the 30 mile mark and slammed headlong into my first mental wall of the day . 30 miles done 42 plus to go - inside I had a little wobble then quickly righted my thinking . quick SIS to refuel and back on it and within 5 minutes I caught my first glimpse of Winter Hill Rivington pike and Angelzarke reservoir sillhoutted by the mid day sunshine. Pretty soon I had crossed the reservoir and the Town of Pheonix nights was behind me , I resisted the urge to switch to Chorley FM and chose Some hardstyle to give me a rhythm to get me up the near vertical slopes that loomed in front with ornate little towers like something from the Prisoner "I am number 5" sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and that's a fact.

ENOUGH TALK TIME TO #CONDUCTYOURBUSINESS

Well I would love to report back that I cruised up those inclines with the athleticism of a moustached Tom Selleck in a factory Red Ferrari. In essence I probably resembled Luigi from Donkey kong more as the battle with gravity ensued and in the words of the wise philosopher Arnold of Schwarzenegger " loyalty is very touching. But it is not the most important thing in your life right now! But what is important is gravity! I have to remind you Sully, this is my weak arm! . . Weak arm? Oh my days after 45 plus minutes using the bike as a make shift ice axe , thank god I chose the partial knobblys or it could of been time to get to da chopper. I had to recompose and remind myself why I was here and that each step forward was one more beyond and out the lactic nightmare I was kinkily enjoying far too much . 45 minutes later I hauled my sweaty mess to the top and was greeted with full panoramic views across the whole of Lancashire . One more ascent to go and the matter of a mile and half through ankle deep marshes on an incline I kid you not! 1 hr and 20 minutes later it was time for a refuel as I was shaking with adrenaline from the exertion and amount of calories id destroyed in the past 3hr 10 minute battle of attrition.. IT WAS ACE LOVED EVERY EXCRUCIATINGLY LIBERATING MINUTE.

The descent into into Bolton was at speeds of 45 MPH and it the distance I could make out the Manchester skyline . it was all downhill from here or so I thought. after several detours and one big loop from Horwich to Farnworth and almost back again I picked the signs for Radcliffe and Scooted through Leverhule park and began one serious long climb that seemed to last for about an hour. The road cycling Gods on appollo mocked this mere mortal as I buckled under the weight of the Bergen sweating me back out all I could smell and taste was salt. Silly error I was becoming dehydrated and soon my legs let out a little spasm in my quauds.. To much attention to enjoying the burn and Some deep house a had set me up for torturous last twenty KM. On and on I was begging for Whitefield signs to appear so took a 10 minute R and R as my head had wobbled right off.. Funny thing fatigue and energy depletion. One minute quouting plato and trudging into the pits of Sodom and Gomorah the next as agile Linford Christie whistling little House on the prairie as we passed Crumpsall and end entered Heaton park. Revitalised I pressed on and cruised by the ICI building in Blackley village where my granddad had worked most of his life when there was adequate industry and jobs in That area of Manchester and if you lived in Blackley you were considered posh.

ONE MORE HILL TO GO

And as I crossed Rochdale road and entered Boggart hole clough fighting of the cramps DOMS and ring rust I cheekily reminisced of when I used to boss it in here at St Matthews RC high school as Unbeatable at cross country in 1st and 2nd year some 30 years previous. Where does the time go lots have changed but the clough was still majestic in its timelessness I dropped the gears and edged up Angel Hill and completed the 72 mile trip . JOB DONE

Special thanks to everyone in the background who helped make this challenge happen.

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.” Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

In conclusion When we fail to remember the past, we are condemned to repeat our mistakes and failures, whether it be nationally, personally, or spiritually. . One of the great flaws of our present generation is that we are so consumed with the immediate, we have never learned what ought to be remembered.