My USA bike trek for charity

Chris Armishaw, 50, made it across the USA in just 15 days. And he did it on his bicycle.

Chris, of Horseshoe Close, Billericay, undertook the gruelling challenge, known as the TransAm 3,000, to raise money for Action Medical Research.

The father-of-two, who works in Sainsbury’s property division, is hoping to raise £10,000 and currently has about £5,000.

He said: “It was punishing beyond belief, crossing the Appalachians in temperatures reaching 110 degrees. They just go on and on and on.

“I was burning 10,000 calories a day, not having any appetite due partly to the physical exercise, running a temperature, and not being able to swallow.

“There’s a script from an old TV ad that I remember watching, I think it was ‘visit Scotland’ that reads something like ‘only by crossing such a distant landscape can the mind map from abstraction such a territory’.”

Chris was helped by cyclist and author Neil Hanson, who helped to advise him on what routes to avoid.

He said: “Every aspect of TransAm 3000 is selfplanned and organised – it is not an event and there is no external support other than one crewmember who is handling the logistical aspects.

“The TransAm route from Washington across to San Francisco was put together over many long nights, researching different routes and different roads available across each state.

“Then the draft route was finalised with Neil, a proven TransAm cyclist and author of Pilgrim Wheels: Reflections of a Cyclist Crossing America.”

Chris has completed other cycling challenges since he decided to fundraise for the charity in 2007.

The charity supports work for childhood cancer, and other conditions such as Down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis.

Since then, Chris has qualified as a British cycling coach, completed the Race Across the Dolomites in Italy and raised £28,000 for the Action Medical Research by attempting the Race Across America in 2012.

In 2013 he became one of the first amateurs to complete 21 stages of the Tour de France.

TAKING ACTION

CHRIS said: “My commitment to Action Medical Research is driven by the funding they provide to find breakthrough cures for childhood illness and also by my relationship with the events team there.

“I have two daughters who were born and grew up in good health, so I have never taken this for granted. Having the opportunity to combine cycling and pushing myself further to support a great cause that means so much is a fantastic thing.”

To support Chris’ fundraising efforts, visit action.org.uk/sponsor/ transam3000

HERE ARE SOME OF THE EXCERPTS FROM CHRIS’S DIARY 

MONDAY, JULY 20: WASHINGTON DC TO MORGANTOWN The start of the ride on Day One out of Washington DC was perfect, following the Washington and Old Dominion trail, closed to motor vehicles and fairly flat, a perfect way to get nearly 50 miles out of the city.

Rode into Winchester after 80 miles and felt really rough, shivers and shakes, double strength Neurofen for the rest of the day.

The day ended without any frills, possibly the worst motel in town, got bitten by flees, no wi fi to update the blog and a room that hadn’t been cleaned for some time. The main thing was hot water and bath, to aid the recovery.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22: INDIANA TO ILLINOIS Feeling ill, very ill indeed, finally stopped at a pharmacy after exhausting the largest packet of double strength Ibuprofen brought from the UK. The pharmacist suggested bronchitis and sunstroke. Life is often full of surprises but after the brutality of the first two days, it comes as no surprise.

I have never before experienced the pain of coughing hard lumps from a raw chest, it’s not a detail that probably should be shared, but given the circumstances...

On the upside, there seems to be a small turning point that will hopefully make tomorrow an easier day, if there is such a thing out here.

The rest of the day remained uneventful, a brief conversation with a travelling mother and daughter in Rockville gave rise to more people from the US that have been to London and then caught the train to Scotland.

So many people we have spoken to have gone to London to then get the train North. No explanation or reason is ever given.

SATURDAY, JULY 25: KANSAS A very early start out of Sabetha KS, from the worst motel we’ve stayed in, just awful, seemed like nothing had been done to the room in forty years, cleaning and all.

The broken vending machine added little distraction from what was quite a depressing overnight stop.

We had been forced to stay at this motel by the general lack of availability of rooms and motels in the area. There is not a lot out here and the towns are small, few and far between.

Tomorrow will be much the same but we’ve managed to book a motel in advance, just a case of reaching it on time.

By comparison, the one we are in tonight in Phillipsburg is virtually the same price and a delight to stay in, no frills, just clean and welcoming. Shame there’s a 6.30am start. It is ideally placed right on Highway 36, now thankfully a single lane road.

The view of the early morning sunrise on the opposite side of the road offered hope of a good day riding to Phillipsburg, 170 miles with around 3,000 feet of rolling road profile. How wrong this would prove to be on what turned out to be the worst weather so far, alarm sirens going off in most towns by mid morning, welcome to Kansas, storms, winds and tornados.

After that, it was back on the bike for the last 50-mile push to Phillipsburg. The day changed completely, the skies cleared and what had been a cross wind changed to a slight tail wind. The ride was almost effortless, for the first time in two years since riding the Tour Stages it was again like riding with wings, averaging over 26mph all the way through. It was a pleasure to be on the bike, possibly the biggest pleasure since being out here.

Hopefully this will continue tomorrow.

THURSDAY, JULY 30: UTAH TO NEVADA What a day, very long but quite possibly the biggest day so far in many ways.

In some respects, the main thing from a riding point of view is finding the light, riding out of Utah this morning was so uplifting, unbelievable scenery, cooler temperatures, 70 degrees until late morning, flat roads and, a tail wind.

We had to change the route again, extending our destination to Tonopah, due to no accommodation. We were told to expect nothing in this part of the country, and there is nothing, just vast, empty spaces of nothing.

You miss one town or even a house and the next is 70, 80 or 90 miles away.

FRIDAY, JULY 31: CALIFORNIA Rode out of Tonopah this morning for just under 100 miles of more flat desert roads.

“Around midday, riding the very long Alpine like ascent of the Tioga Pass towards the gates of Yosemite National Park, the next 50 miles was like being carried by a new found light through the gates of paradise.

These are not just words for effect.

This is quite possibly the most uplifting, atmospheric, stunningly beautiful 50 miles of road ever ridden – these are the days or moments when you feel alive, truly alive.

I felt privileged and truly blessed to be able to ride here – and also to be the only person on a road bike in the whole park. I don’t mind admitting again that held back were a few tears of joy to get this far and to ride through such a uniquely beautiful place.

We are in Jamestown, California and within 130 miles’ striking distance of San Francisco, after illness, agony, pain and everything that crossing such a vast landscape can throw at you.

The aim is to bring it home tomorrow afternoon.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2: SAN FRANCISCO Not many written words today, just full of thoughts and emotions at reaching the end.

A relatively straightforward 170-plus mile sun-drenched ride from Jamestown to the outskirts of San Francisco and then briefly in the support car to cross a stretch of ten-lane Interstate and across the main traffic bridge into the city.

Riding along the Embarcadero, the Eastern waterfront and roadway of the Port of San Francisco, edging closer to the Golden Gate Bridge was, unsurprisingly, full of emotion, the end of the longest, hardest most painful and toughest challenge yet.

Reaching such an iconic landmark gave added specialness in bringing closure to a long and at most times painful journey, but at the same time marking a moment tinged with sadness knowing that this particular road had come to an end.