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]]> <![CDATA[Not quite the end .........]]> Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:51:35 GMT
Running in
. . . . . As we arrive via La Linea the huge rock of Gibraltar looming ahead, the skies clear & blue, we were nearly there.  We just needed to get past the Spanish police with the camper & meet up with my Mum & daughters Katie & Chantelle whose flight had arrived on time at 11.00.
Mike, Dave & I got in the queue to go thro passport control & as we passed thro we heard a loud cheer & screaming & could then see our family & friends waiting in the crowd with a cameraman & reporters.  My immediate thoughts were what a fantastic reception & so need to see everyone with big hugs & kisses but why is the cameraman pointing at us?  Little did we know that Stuart Green, the Gibraltar media person we had met with a couple of months earlier had arranged for this.  We were then ushered into MOD property & met up with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment who was going to run with us thro the town to the Naval HQ in the docks.  We waited for my Dad to come thro with the camper & he did to a great round of applause from everyone.  We now had a few press taking pictures & TV crew filming.  We set off with flashing policeman in front & the soldiers running in columns behind the 3 of us.  We had the Baton & its flag as we ran across the runway & stopped for a photo shoot then on thro the town with the flashing police bike stopping all the trafficBang.  A great feeling of pride shone from all of us & our team.  We arrived at Naval HQ on the docks to rapturous applause from about 100 soldiers & naval personnel.  The Gibraltar commander came forward to meet & greet us.  Wow! What a fantastic reception, better than you could ever have imagined.  And that was not all!  I had noticed a large gun positioned on the dock facing out to sea.  We were now invited to fire a live round in honour of The Sunshine Challenge achievements.  So the 3 boys stepped forwards for some PR shots & ear defenders placed.  With some trepidation in my thoughts the Commander gave the signal to the Sergeant Major to commence procedure & I was instructed that on the 2nd command to fire I was to pull the top lever with my right hand & be prepared for the gun to recoil.  So on the 2nd fire I pulled the lever & an almighty bang with a lot of debris went all over.  The smouldering brass shell then came shooting out of the back onto the floor & a big round of applause.  After this were a couple of TV interviews & off to the Caleta Hotel & a night out with the team to celebrate.
                                               THE END

]]> <![CDATA[Day 43 Friday 30 September Final Day Part 2]]> Sun, 02 Oct 2011 06:42:06 GMT


The alarm was set for a 7 am start but both Mel & me were awake at 4 am.  We stayed awake thinking about the final day & the target we had of 45 miles to the Gibraltar border for 11.45 & the police escort planned thro the town.  The plan was to set off at 7.30 with everyone in the camper, to travel back up the road to the Algeciras road & RV with Chris & Mike Senior.  Chris would then travel on to La Linea, park up & then go over the border wTrioith his cameras & wait for us.  Mike would then bike with us to San Roque & RV with the camper van & support team to transition into running gear.
I decided in my mind that I would cycle on my own back up the mountain in the dark.  At 7am I say my own good-byes to the mountains, the fab roads, the Spanish people & all the special moments of the Sunshine Challenge.  So a quick bowl of Cheerios & off up the stony track to the mountain road in the dark with both front & rear lights flashing.  The air was fresh & warm with 3 owls hooting to each other & mountain goats rustling in the bushes somewhere alongside probably wondering what the lone cyclist was doing in the pitch black.  Then I had an idea to put on some haunting Andreu Bocelli music just as the first light was beginning to break.  This brought a rye smile to my face as I looked out across the mountains & nodded an appreciation thanking them for providing such a fantastic experience & allowing us a safe passage.
Soon after the camper passed by with Dave & the team ready for the RVAndy's dream at the top.  We were all soon whizzing from Gaucin on our way to our next RV at San Roque.  2 ½ hrs & 40 miles later we met up with the camper after a quick adjustment to the route& cycling on the Mediterranean motorway for 6 miles without getting stopped.
So now to the final leg running into Gib & across the border 
without any hiccups . . . . . . .

]]> <![CDATA[Day 43 Friday 30 September Final Day Part 1]]> Sun, 02 Oct 2011 06:15:49 GMT Elvis lives
Today is Elvis Day & up for breakfast at Algondonales & the Casa Parra, a fab little B&B with it’s own pool.  So for a cold swim first thing to chill the legs & prepare them for the morning run.  Breakfast was a real treat with fresh melon, strong coffee & soft boiled eggs with toast with is all sat around a sunny table with spectacular views across the mountains.  But on thing I had forgotten was my haircut.  In a moment of quick decision I had been to the local Spanish barbers & had a short-back-&-sides; so a panic thought!  But then, do you know what it was an absolutely fantastic experience so I do not really care how it looks.  With the sun baking down & bringing all the mountains, hills & lakes alive with the blue Mediterranean skies, we were running along a twisty, windy road heading for the mountain pass to Gaucin.  It was hard running this morning & when running for over 40 days, one minute you can feel on top of the world & the next knees throbbing & just want to stop & rest.  So remembering Elvis day I put on some old rock & roll numbers this passed away a few more miles.  Then approaching the top of a huge hill there he was with a big lens on his camera, my cousin Chris & Mike Senior & our team, my Dad with the camper.  After welcomes & hugs we were off continuing the run for a further 5 miles, donned with an Elvis wig & the ‘baton’ which today served as a microphone as we all had a rendition of early Elvis music & dancing across the white line along the roadside. 

So now Dave, Mike & I set off ready for some big mountain climbs & this was proved right immediately hitting 12% gradient long road climbs.  Mike & I pull away racing up & down the mountain passes hitting a top speed together of 47.7mph, each trying to get our nose in front & taking a sharp bend & then climbing again heading for Cortes.  With a heart beat high at 140 & sweat pouring, up a 12.2% road again I wanted to maximise my last big day so out came the iPhone to video & capture this moment with falling off!  Mike & I miss our turn & get lost in Cortes eventually finding our way out of this high mountain town & down towards the valley below.  Stopping to call Dave to check his progress we find he has done the same so we tried to guide him back on track & we head off again slowly waiting for Dave to catch up.  After hitting the bottom & going over the railway lines we speak to Dave again & establish that the road he told us he was on the last call was in fact a higher mountain pass so he turned round & headed back down.  Now we were headed up the other side so stopped for a café-con-leche & some fruit & cold water to refresh.  After dipping out heads in the cold water stream running thro the venta café, Dave came by puffing & struggling to achieve any rhythm.  He was not happy with the mountain roads & found them hard & giving them a right old rollicking as we all set off.  After a while we stopped to get some water & biscuits into Dave & tucked him in behind us to pull hime into base camp for the night in Gaucin.
It was time to head for ‘home’, all three boys free-wheeling the next few miles into Gaucin.  The evening was spent reading out best wishes from our family, friends & sponsors.  This was my first night in 42 I had a couple of beers & hell, they tasted good, although went straight to my head!  So to bed for the final night of the Sunshine Challenge.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 42 Thursday 29 September]]> Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:15:04 GMT Left the camper this morning ready for 81 miles, which was perked on a busy street in Lora del Rio.  We created lots of interest this morning & last night with local people.  One mother & her son came to say they had visited London last week & that she was taking her son to school so we gave her one of our posters for him to show off at school.  This morning was our first partial cloudy day running on straight moorland roads with what look like cotton plants growing & olive plantations?  To avoid the mundane running I put on some early blues tracks & started to rock & roll along the white lines & also put on some black rimmed glasses with no glass & just had a giggle.  As we pass thro a busy village a little old lady smiled 7 said in her old Spanish accent “Ah Elvis Presley” & continued walking by.  This made me think about music is such a good way to communicate & gave me an idea.  As my cousin Chris North & friend Mike Senior are joining us for the final 2 days we should have an Elvis day.  So tomorrow is such a day, a good laugh & a bit of bopping in the streets.
And so to the bikes for the last jumbo ride of the Sunshine Challenge; 70 miles & we planned it this way because we thought that it was the last of flat lands before the Andalucía Mountains.  We got the first 30 miles in the bag with the only real observation being our sore under carriages (my big boil has decided to double in size & was extremely painful & uncomfortable on the saddle).  So we road into a garage for a Maxibon ice cream & cold water.  Now refreshed we set off again leg creaking.  I have noticed that until the legs are spinning & the blood flowing through then they do not want to work & it is better to wait until a natural downhill to get this going instead of forcing it.
We entered a town & on a roundabout there was a full size Phantom jet & the next one a 15ft chicken: not sure what the real significance was??  Now we started to hit some hills & I was relieved as it was a good reason to get out of the saddle.  With 20 miles to go I hit the front & climbed hard & fast pulling away from Dave & pushing on.  With the blood now flowing & my heart rate up to 137 I had realised that we had hit the hills & mountains a day earlier than planned.  What a fantastic site & I was going to make the most of it.  I turned the next corner & hit a 12% gradient, which was great fun & hard.  The next 16 miles was all spectacular climbing in mountains & I managed to eat a fab jam sandwich whilst on the move.  Now coming down on the twist & turns & some loose stones; got to be careful whilst still rushing it.  I hit a large stone & lost it on a bend.  Thank goodness I got back in control & thanked everyone I could think of as it could have been a bad fall.
So now arriving in Algodonales, a lovely mountain town I met up with the girls & Dad.  I went back a few miles to guide Dave in as he was struggling with the heat.  A dip in a cool swimming pool sorted everything & homemade chicken a la crème to bed for an early night.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 41 Wednesday 28 September]]> Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:15:17 GMT Set out from last nights amazing hotel in an old flour mill next to Llerena railway station.  The hotel was full of old colonial architecture, art deco style.  This was once a complex self contained unit making flour from the wheat from all around.  Our rooms were en suite with huge tiled bathrooms great for having a cold bath to relax the leg muscles & get the blood pumping then to massage each muscle & stretch for 40 mins.  I put the bed cover onto the tiled floor to do my stretching to complete the routine of recovery.  This includes laying on my back butted up to a wall with leg straight up against the wall.  This helps clear the leg muscles of lactic acid.  Andrea, our friend & karate expert showed me this one whilst in the Pyrenees.  It really helps so whilst upside down I drink the Hydration Mountain Fuel & update Facebook & Twitter then write up the blog.
So this mornings run was quiet & peaceful with lots of azure magpies twittering along the way.  Then further along the way I also spotted a hoopoe & stone chat.  A little bit further along I heard this frantic squealing in the bushes at the road side.  So I cautiously took a closer look only to find a stoat with it’s teeth in the neck of a huge mouse like rat thing with a one foot tail.  This huge mouse like thing was twice the size of the stoat but was having the life sucked out of it.  The stoat saw me & kept darting in & out of the bushes not wanting to loose it’s catch so I put the iPhone on video & watched it come back to eat the moving mouse’s head.  Anyway, that’s enough of that & I had the evidence so the stoat was guilty as charged & the run continued.
So now I noticed how clear & dry the air quality was & the 50 mile view across the plain & the sun glowing in the azure blue sky feeling so -------- & lucky to be here.  I spent most of the run talking on the phone to close family friends & sponsors.  In between calls I noticed how the landscape was totally olive groves with the Spanish owners grooming their olive trees with old axes ready for the next crop.  Then we passed a sign saying Welcome to Andalucia & immediately hit a 3 mile hill climb.  Stopped for some cool water dripping out of a pipe.  This refreshed my head to complete the 3 ½ hour morning run.
So now for a wash down in the famous green bucket – lunch – then off on the bikes to San Nicolas, Constantina & Lora del Rio.  Lots of ascent & descent, head down & backside up & only 40 miles of cycling tokk 2 ½ hours.
Just to say that this part of Spain has many Roman fortresses on hills & other historic monuments.  A fantastic country to explore.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 40 Tuesday 27 September]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:41:49 GMT Merida to Llerena is the target today.  Lets hope things are a little more straight forward as it’s going to be very hot - & it was as the temperature average was 87 degC with a max of 96.  Before setting off we worked out our target RV’s for the final 5 days.  With contact from the ABF on Gib they have now arranged for us to have a police escort from the border to the castle, our finishing point.  My Mum 7 two or our daughters, Katie & Chantelle, are flying out for the final day.  Contact was also made with Chris North, my cousin, who is flying out 2 days prior to the finish to join the Challenge team.  Something we are also excited about & really looking forward to is Mike Senior, our valued friend & a major player in the Sunshine Challenge team, also coming out to run & bike.  Mike also did the whole UK leg including kayaking the Thames.
This morning took us along a beautiful large river with many reed birds & heron & little egrets resting on the bank.  The bright green vegetation & crystal clear water was amazing as it trickled thr the bridge turrets as the morning sun sparkled.
Moving on to the bikes our heads were down & our tails up we cranked up the first 35 miles thro massive wide open plains with fields full of corn stubble & vegetation & the usual immaculate irrigation canals flowing all round the fields.  I could see how hot it was as Dave’s shirt was marked thro with waves of dried salt from sweat.  We are now drinking approx. 5 lit of fluid, mainly water & Mountain Fuel per day, topped up with the obligatory pm stop for a double café-con-leche in the oldest saloon bar we can find.  A great one we found today with 8 locals chatting & chewing under the canopy outside.  Dave & I ------ them & also ate our sandwiches & cake but no one bothers about this.  As usual we get chatting to the locals as they are intrigued about our journey.  The video is going on Facebook along with our daily video updates.  If anyone would like to view them please request Andy North as a ‘Friend’.
So now the final 30 miles & the temp is at 96degC & so many hills, one after the other climbing 3,500ft.  We are now finding that attacking the hills is great fun & getting stronger.
The dry heat of southern Spain, whilst a challenge to hydrate, it also provides so much energy & motivation on the bike, so long as the run is out of the way before noon.  Whilst the day is energy sapping, so long as we eat right you can cope with the days energy requirements.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 39 Monday 26 September]]> Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:26:39 GMT Beautiful morning, warm & sunny, long flat road with no cars but with lots of birds singing to their hearts content.  Skylarks high in the sky & sand martins twittering alongside me as they teach their young the acrobatic tricks.
During the lunch break a ranger came by on his horse.  He was in full uniform with a rifle in a holster.  We took his picture & videoed the ‘conversation’.  He was warning us not to leave a mess but was a friendly chap.
So to the bikes for what was to be an eventful afternoon.  We had to cover 70 miles so our first target was 45 for a double café-con-leche & sandwich for today.  We sent the support team ahead to find a campsite.  We were on a charge, a right good roll & soon clocked up 30 miles.  On an uphill out of the bush in a field with a rock we were amazed to find a family of Griffin Vultures resting in the midday sun.  As they spotted two strangers on bikes they took off with 7 ft wing span, huge & strong, circling over us.  We rested at 45 miles & after setting off Dave had a puncture.  This was only the beginning as his tyre had worn through & we still had 20 miles to go.
So 4 changes later we soldiered on each time only lasting a few miles.  So we came up out of a plain, found some sharp plastic at the roadside & cut some inner tube & made a support with a triple layer on the inside of the tyre & made sure Dave road slowly & carefully until we eventually arrived at camp 1 ½ hrs later than planned.  Straight away we set-to to replace both tyres.  We had used all our spare inner tubes so we were lucky to make it back & need to be careful during our last 5 days.
We all sat outside eating a lovely Bolognese Louise had made for us in the balmy hot evening.  Mel had sorted out the camper & caught up with loads of washing for everyone.  An early night for all except me writing up the blog & recalling all the days’ events.  This has become my final task of the day just in time for my Dad to grab it in the morning to type up & to try to get the WiFi working.  Dad has worked tirelessly to keep all our supporters up to date via the blog & has done a fantastic job.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 38 Sunday 25 September]]> Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:20:44 GMT After having a great 75th birthday meal last evening for my Dad, David North, with yummy cake, we set off running from our mountain lodge in Riomalo de Abajo across a mountain river with large salmon swimming. The air quality was crisp with Mediterranean blue skies & all around echoes to any loud noise.  Dave & I are in search of the start of what appears to be a mountain pass that should take us to our destined meeting point with my Dad, Mel & Louise in a high mountain village.  As we find the starting point of the track we remind ourselves that there are a small number of mountain bears in some parts of Spain.  As we climb from the valley below we discover a deserted village that must have been a hive of activity many years ago.  The further round thro a clearing in the trees we spot a huge concrete coffin with a huge cross on top.  It must be at least 100ft long: this is so bizarre & strange & raises lots of questions like what has happened here.  Earth quake, mud slide or some other bad thing?
We continue running up & up listening to 5 Live England rugby & this cheers us.  Navigating now using the iPhone Maps this takes us high into the mountain range as remote as I have ever been before.
At this point we start to see footprints in the sandy path.  This is fantastic running as it gets.  Just as we start to see many different footprints of large mountain deer, 2 hoofed prints & also others like bear prints.  At this time we start to hear this haunting, ghostly howling sound which echoes strongly around the mountain valley.  Along the way I picked up a sharp stick just in case!  At this point a large animal ran below us in the bushes & we stopped to listen but only saw the bushes moving.  Further along Dave thought we would have a laugh & went ahead & threw a large pine cone into the path behind & laughed as I prepared to defend myself with the stick!
So we crack on in haste & at this point we go off track & realise the iPhone wants us to go down a near vertical fire break .  20 mins later running down a near vertical scree slope between forest trees Dave takes a tumble.  He’s ok apart from a grazed leg & we carry on.  Now at the bottom & in the forest & off track we try to make our way thro the undergrowth & have to go up another near vertical track.  1 hour later we are back on track although we through with sweat.  It’s now 5k to our RV.  Arriving Lagunilla village square I tried to explain what we are doing to a shepherd with his 50 or so goats.  People are really friendly & all come out to meet us & to see our camper & team.  A big event for this small village.
After our tuna salad we are on our bikes & storming down a 1,000ft road with the sharpest turns yet.  Great fun.  The tarmac deteriorated & bone shaking begins.
Well, we now have 55 miles ahead of us & we knock out the first 30: really pleased with progress, although the time is getting on at 5.30pm.  After climbing over 1,500ft we hit another great twisty downhill & I pull away from Dave eventually arriving at the bottom of a valley with a huge reservoir.  We pull up together at some huge craggy rocks & am amazed by the ma y huge vultures soaring all around the craggy rocks but only 20ft away.  We ate our jam butties & watch along with other Spanish tourists this amazing spectacular.  There must be at least 80 or so Griffin Vultures & one other vulture, which I will have to check out later.  Back on the bikes we rock on the last 10 miles with one more twisty climb & straight descent.  It seems that each climb has one side twisty & the other straight & depends on which side you approach on.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 37 Saturday 24 September]]> Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:17:16 GMT

Set off this morning from camp at 8.30 running toward the range of mountains in the distance.  The run was slow & hard, hard to get motivated & hard to move the legs beyond a steady plod along a very long & straight road.  The break couldn’t come soon enough.  My only recall was of bulls & pigs in the surrounding fields & a lone, elderly Spanish cyclist who came alongside with his squeaking bike.  He spent the next 20 mins cruising at our speed with his continued squeak, squeak as he pedalled with such a slow cadence.  With his old face & big hearing aid he didn’t look up or acknowledge our presence once.
The afternoon consisted of a 10 mile ride to the foot of the mountains, a 10 mile climb to 4,000ft & a 10 mile descent consisting of 25 very sharp zig-zag bends.  This was great fun & the views spectacular across the mountain range.  Our campsite tonight in the foothills at Riomalo del Abajo is a chalet & I am looking forward to 10 hours rest before the next big day.

Note by ed: Andy refers above to the spectacular view & to the long zig-zag descent.  Now I knew what was coming since friend Bruce Furness & I had earlier surveyed this route & we were gobsmacked by the view & descent.  I had warned the bikers & our two ladies that the descent was, well shall we say different, & it certainly was.  I had the best view, but only occasionally, as the driver of the motor home bearing in mind it is a right-hand drive vehicle.  However, it must have been the only time there was silence75th yorks from the ladies with me – other than a few ooooh’s & aaaah’s.  Heaven!!
The 23rd is my birthday & the team went to great lengths to make it a super day.  Not only cards with brekky but the evening meal – pork, Yorkshire puds, onion gravy, cauliflower cheese, carrots, roast spuds, apple sauce (Dave’s special!) & to top it all a birthday cake with candles.  You have to know that all this was achieved using the oven in the van (chalet didn’t have an oven) & the boiling tops in the chalet.  A real tribute to those lovely ladies.

]]> <![CDATA[Day 36 Friday 23 September]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:45:09 GMT