The Durham Cow's Chase The Sun North 2019 (by tandem)

[@stephenhowlett7494]

I've just come across your video and it brought back so many wonderful memories of riding the inaugural CTS North that year with Jen, Paul & Sue and supported by my wife Bev. It has to be one of the enjoyable rides I have ever completed, even though we arrived at Prestwick just after sunset, but hey it's not a race. The roads, countryside, support (especially at Elsdon & Hermitage), camaraderie, weather and route were superb. Even the midges could not spoil that day. It's a far nicer and less frantic/dangerous route than CTS South which I attempted the previous year when I bailed out at sunset (just before Cheddar) due to inadequate lights on the bike. Plans to undertake CTS Italy the following year (2020) were scuppered by Covid-19 and as I'm past 60 now with a brand new hip and another one needing to be fitted shortly, my long long days in the saddle are now in the past, but thank you for your fabulous video - absolutely fantastic!

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Stephen. CTS North is the only version we've done and like you, the plan was to do the 'Italian Job' in 2020 but the situation's moved on somewhat now I feel. Nevertheless, that ride generated a lot of good feeling and I certainly hope it's not the last time you get to share your cycling stories which I very much enjoyed reading. Thanks very much and never say never. Take care

[@terrynunn4643]

Really enjoyed your video.

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Thank you! Good to see that it's still doing good work. All the best

[@oldmengosouth4201]

Just wanted to drop a note to say thanks for a great video. Our team watched it as part of our recce/prep for the route this year which we completed with 35 minutes to spare before the sun set at Ayr. We have 2 videos of our efforts on our YT channel. Thanks again.

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Glad it was of some help and well done on a successful effort. I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to watching the videos very shortly. All the best and keep moooving! Scott

[@theordinaryathlete]

Ahhh 2019 how I didn't appreciate thee at the time. Great vid.👍🏻

[@thedurhamcow3535]

I don't think many of us did. Thanks for the comment and all the best.

[@davypeverley445]

Thank you,top notch vid, you've made my mind up,training starts now!🍻see you in June.

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Sorry for this reply being so hopelessly late Davy. We're supposedly doing CTS South in June 2021. As I said to Rob above, we'll have to see whether it happens at all. Hope the training's going well given the unforseen problems. All the best.

[@elizabethwarrick209]

Great to watch after having had Diane talk about it. Nice to put faces to names too. X

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment Liz. All the best.

[@paullake4406]

Hi, great video and very well done, a double ton is never easy! I've just done the C2C in a day and I'm looking for next years challange and I'm looking at Chase the Sun. One of the reasons is I'm Yorkshire based but my family live just outside Straiton in Crosshill, do you go through Crosshill on the way up to Ayr? I t would be great to pass my parents house on that type of ride.

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Thanks, Paul. It's a great event - super chilled; I can't recommend it highly enough. Unfortunately for your plans, it uses the B7045 from Straiton to Maybole, passing through Kirkmichael instead of going through Crosshill. I guess you can either have a word with the organisers or get your parents to pop out to the Kirkmichael Arms and you can make a brief stop there as we did! All the best. Scott

[@jameshoey303]

Loved your vid...very interested in non carb approach....are you keto people and if yes...what advice do you give for food fuel before during following event...want to cycle on keto approach to fuel. Advice welcome

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Hi James. Thanks for the comments. Yes, we both eat low-carb and it's worked very well for us, particularly with regard to health as well as performance. Although some sports teams have or do periodize low-carb nutrition - I think mainly for managing weight-loss and satiety - for us it's a lifestyle. I've no experience regarding the periodized approach but low-carb (keto) as a lifestyle generally requires a period of fat adaptation (where the body begins to accept fat burning as the priority fuel pathway) - it certainly did for me anyway. During that time (which can last from days to months) you'll possibly feel somewhat lethargic and unlikely to want to exercise. To be honest, if I was still racing on the bike, I'd probably still be eating carbs because the performance profile of a keto diet is a steady and sustained one rather than providing energy on tap (which, of course, you need to take with you and be consuming constantly). Conversely we're able to do whatever we want without the need for additional calories, and for as long as we want. Energy conversion takes a little bit longer however: in an 80-mile club ride I usually start at the back, if not off it, but long before the cafe stop it's all good. The only thing I ever consume on rides, regardless of distance, is coffee. In short, the longer an activity is the better I feel (Chase the Sun suited the approach perfectly - we ate what we ate to stop our stomachs rumbling). As a piece of general advice I'd say don't mess about with carbs if you're a keto athlete although there appears to be evidence that it can be done successfully. Personally, I have well-evidenced reservations about the effects of processed sugar in the body which is why I no longer touch the stuff. Just for context, we're both in our sixties and having eaten as we do for over five years now. There's a lot more I could say - particularly with regard to exercise and ageing and what that's meant to us - but feel free to ask if you've any further questions. All the best. Scott

[@robsmith2329]

Great vid .. I grew up in the north east now live in Devon... I'm going to do this in 2022, How did you get back from Scotland?.. Do you have a strava link for the ride?

[@thedurhamcow3535]

Hi Rob, This was our local CTS as we live in Durham (can't remember if I pointed that out in the vid). We booked a B&B for the night, a few metres away from the organiser's hotel. Friends drove our car which has a specialised roof rack for the tandem, over to Ayr from Durham and we all had a leisurely drive back the next day with a picnic at Lochmaben. It was really nice. I had a strava disaster en-route and wiped it (in fact I think I caught the moment on the video). I have the last fifty miles incorporated into a 100 mile loop because we trained on it the week before. I can probably put the whole route on strava if you want it. We've registered for CTS South (again on the tandem) this year. Whether it happens is up to the gods however. Have you done it? I can heartily recommend CTS North (it'll be tough if the weather's against you though).