So proud of my son & daughter in law

Pussygalore · 13-07-2015, 07:57 AM

Our son David and Anna his wife have just completed the Rat Race Crossing, they mountain biked from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Scarborough, coast to coast over 3 days, a total of 196 miles. We met them at the finish and they are so pleased they managed to finish it was the toughest thing they've ever done and never done anything like that before, the lake district was the toughest and David said it was like taking your bike up Ben Nevis and down the other side, continually up and down, next day on the moors was better and the last again all up and down. Anyone interested in the same sort of thing have a look on the Rat Race site and good luck if you are.

here they are at Scarborough at the finish

sandy · 13-07-2015, 08:16 AM

Great to see youngsters doing positive things Ann, but rather them than me, too old now:0)

Pussygalore · 13-07-2015, 08:32 AM

my son is 39 so not so much of a youngster but he's still a boy to me, he has a lot of trouble with his knees having badly dislocated one last year and has arthritus in both so he always had doubts as to whether he could do it. David did the last 20 miles one legged as his bad knee had totally packed up but luckily that was on the roads so he could pedal with just one with a bit of help from Anna. They just made it in time to have their total time recorded with about 10 mins to spare so weren't the first by any means but they did it and even if they don't do anything like it again at least they've had one adventure, I wish I'd been brave enough to have done something like that, there were several older riders in their 60's who did very good times so age doesn't have to hold you back but you need lots of determination to do something like that. Plus they live in suffolk so only have flat/gentle countryside to ride in, they've been away a couple of times on holiday to wales but have never done more than 20 miles in a ride and never met anything like what they did at the weekend, they have been doing as much on the bike as poss but with both working don't have the time to ride like many of the riders and didn't think they'd make it but they did and are chuffed to bits.

sandy · 13-07-2015, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

my son is 39 so not so much of a youngster but he's still a boy to me, he has a lot of trouble with his knees having badly dislocated one last year and has arthritus in both so he always had doubts as to whether he could do it. David did the last 20 miles one legged as his bad knee had totally packed up but luckily that was on the roads so he could pedal with just one with a bit of help from Anna. They just made it in time to have their total time recorded with about 10 mins to spare so weren't the first by any means but they did it and even if they don't do anything like it again at least they've had one adventure, I wish I'd been brave enough to have done something like that, there were several older riders in their 60's who did very good times so age doesn't have to hold you back but you need lots of determination to do something like that. Plus they live in suffolk so only have flat/gentle countryside to ride in, they've been away a couple of times on holiday to wales but have never done more than 20 miles in a ride and never met anything like what they did at the weekend, they have been doing as much on the bike as poss but with both working don't have the time to ride like many of the riders and didn't think they'd make it but they did and are chuffed to bits.

Are but compared to me they are youngsters:0)

CherryBrandy · 13-07-2015, 10:03 AM

wow how fantastic ! Younger than me too but I couldn't do that at that age either and you have to be dedicated. and lovely photo too. I thought it was Australia when I first saw it! Good old Scarborough you cant beat our beaches! just our weather !

Pussygalore · 13-07-2015, 12:57 PM

took some planning and it wasn't cheap! two hotels one at each end, entries plus a coach back from Scarborough to Whitehaven total £1100 and it wasn't even for charity. If you wanted to raise money you organised that yourself, someone must be making some money they even had to pay for food at the two overnight camps the only free food was at one food stop each day and they had to put up and down their own tents each night and morning, all that for a T Shirt medal and free icecream. That didn't include their car park fees at whitehaven, petrol or us driving up from Solihull yesterday to see them through the finish and bring all their bags and bikes back and drop them off at their hotel, we couldn't have had time to drive them back to Whitehaven hence the hotel last night or the space in the car for them, two dogs, bags, tent and two bikes. I think we slept as well as them last night, if they want to do something like that again it will need better planning!.

They had to go back to Whitehaven because their car was there and then drive to us this afternoon to collect their things and stay overnight and home tommorrow in suffolk the whole thing has been nearly a week with them comming to us last wednesday to drop the dog off then go to Whitehaven thursday to sign in etc. We didn't get to see any of Scarborough and haven't been there before as we had to wait for them and daren't leave the parking place we'd managed to get right near the finish still the bit we saw, the north beach was very night and it was blooming hot waiting with no shade anywhere we all got sun burnt. Next time they want to do something like that I think we'll rent somewhere sort of in the middle and then we can help set up their tent and do the transporting ect. Someone reckoned they had burned 1500 calories not including what you normally use.

vikki · 13-07-2015, 06:51 PM

Brilliant achievement and congratulations to them. I suffer with bad knees so can understand the pain but I was told by a specialist that cycling is actually a very good form of exercise for bad knees as there is no impact on them - not sure your son would agree with that at the moment!!

emma_mcraf · 13-07-2015, 07:06 PM

A wonderful achievement for them both. I can't even ride a bike......

Wyannis · 14-07-2015, 10:41 PM

Me neither Emma! I thought I was the only one. That is some achievement. Sounds torcherous to me though.

13-07-2015, 07:57 AM	#1
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	So proud of my son & daughter in law Our son David and Anna his wife have just completed the Rat Race Crossing, they mountain biked from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Scarborough, coast to coast over 3 days, a total of 196 miles. We met them at the finish and they are so pleased they managed to finish it was the toughest thing they've ever done and never done anything like that before, the lake district was the toughest and David said it was like taking your bike up Ben Nevis and down the other side, continually up and down, next day on the moors was better and the last again all up and down. Anyone interested in the same sort of thing have a look on the Rat Race site and good luck if you are. here they are at Scarborough at the finish Last edited by Pussygalore; 13-07-2015 at 08:09 AM.

13-07-2015, 08:16 AM	#2
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	Great to see youngsters doing positive things Ann, but rather them than me, too old now:0) __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

13-07-2015, 08:32 AM	#3
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	my son is 39 so not so much of a youngster but he's still a boy to me, he has a lot of trouble with his knees having badly dislocated one last year and has arthritus in both so he always had doubts as to whether he could do it. David did the last 20 miles one legged as his bad knee had totally packed up but luckily that was on the roads so he could pedal with just one with a bit of help from Anna. They just made it in time to have their total time recorded with about 10 mins to spare so weren't the first by any means but they did it and even if they don't do anything like it again at least they've had one adventure, I wish I'd been brave enough to have done something like that, there were several older riders in their 60's who did very good times so age doesn't have to hold you back but you need lots of determination to do something like that. Plus they live in suffolk so only have flat/gentle countryside to ride in, they've been away a couple of times on holiday to wales but have never done more than 20 miles in a ride and never met anything like what they did at the weekend, they have been doing as much on the bike as poss but with both working don't have the time to ride like many of the riders and didn't think they'd make it but they did and are chuffed to bits. Last edited by Pussygalore; 13-07-2015 at 08:37 AM.

13-07-2015, 10:03 AM	#5
CherryBrandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SE England Posts: 4,262	wow how fantastic ! Younger than me too but I couldn't do that at that age either and you have to be dedicated. and lovely photo too. I thought it was Australia when I first saw it! Good old Scarborough you cant beat our beaches! just our weather ! __________________ Horsfields, Spur Thighed, & Marginata

13-07-2015, 12:57 PM	#6
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	took some planning and it wasn't cheap! two hotels one at each end, entries plus a coach back from Scarborough to Whitehaven total £1100 and it wasn't even for charity. If you wanted to raise money you organised that yourself, someone must be making some money they even had to pay for food at the two overnight camps the only free food was at one food stop each day and they had to put up and down their own tents each night and morning, all that for a T Shirt medal and free icecream. That didn't include their car park fees at whitehaven, petrol or us driving up from Solihull yesterday to see them through the finish and bring all their bags and bikes back and drop them off at their hotel, we couldn't have had time to drive them back to Whitehaven hence the hotel last night or the space in the car for them, two dogs, bags, tent and two bikes. I think we slept as well as them last night, if they want to do something like that again it will need better planning!. They had to go back to Whitehaven because their car was there and then drive to us this afternoon to collect their things and stay overnight and home tommorrow in suffolk the whole thing has been nearly a week with them comming to us last wednesday to drop the dog off then go to Whitehaven thursday to sign in etc. We didn't get to see any of Scarborough and haven't been there before as we had to wait for them and daren't leave the parking place we'd managed to get right near the finish still the bit we saw, the north beach was very night and it was blooming hot waiting with no shade anywhere we all got sun burnt. Next time they want to do something like that I think we'll rent somewhere sort of in the middle and then we can help set up their tent and do the transporting ect. Someone reckoned they had burned 1500 calories not including what you normally use. Last edited by Pussygalore; 13-07-2015 at 01:07 PM.

13-07-2015, 06:51 PM	#7
vikki Member Hatched Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Gloucestershire Posts: 456	Brilliant achievement and congratulations to them. I suffer with bad knees so can understand the pain but I was told by a specialist that cycling is actually a very good form of exercise for bad knees as there is no impact on them - not sure your son would agree with that at the moment!!

13-07-2015, 07:06 PM	#8
emma_mcraf Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Devon Posts: 11,365	A wonderful achievement for them both. I can't even ride a bike...... __________________ Emma Testudo Hermanni 5.12.2:Theo, Tamara, Tabitha, Harriet, Isabelle, Clara, Oscar, Hugo, Oliver, Florence, Arabella, Esmé, Aurelia, Felicia, Claudia, Atticus, Celestia, Amaris, Tristan and Clementine Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca Doggies: 1.1.0 Chester and Lottie

14-07-2015, 10:41 PM	#9
Wyannis Member Hatchling Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: North East Scotland Posts: 501	Me neither Emma! I thought I was the only one. That is some achievement. Sounds torcherous to me though.

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