Mando Marauders

Posted by: Joanne Finch | 18 July 2007

Sunday 15th July 2007, Liverpool held the 14^th Liverpool to Chester to Liverpool bike ride, and Mando, very bravely, decided to enter two teams.

Ian Snailham did most of the encouragement, motivating myself, Dan Prior, Adam Burcher, Simone Peter and Andrew Wishart to take part. I then persuaded my husband Reg to join us, and Ian did the same with his wife Beryl. So with two teams of four we were ready to go, we decided that we’d raise money for Barnardo’s the chosen charity for the event, Ian set up a Just Giving site http://www.justgiving.co.uk/mando and set our target at £500. Emails and texts were sent out to all family, friends and colleagues asking for support in the way of sponsorship and donations.

With a week to go the excuses started rolling in; Simone had booked a last minute holiday, a bargain she couldn’t refuse, so wouldn’t be able to ride. Andrew was snowed under with work and would have to work all day Saturday and Sunday to catch up, and then last but not least on the morning of the ride Dan pulled out with a knee infection.

So with only three hardcore Mando cyclists left plus spouses Ian pulled in the troops in way of his friend Terry. We all met in the Mando car park at 7.45 Sunday morning, with Ian, Beryl and Terry looking like true professionals in tight t-shirts and shorts, while Adam, Reg and I looked like we were just popping out to the shops. We donned our official Mando t-shirts even though they were a little on the large side and took the officially team photograph. We then set out to meet the other 2000 cyclists that were gathering at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel. It was here that we split into our teams; Ian, Terry and Adam planning to do the full 54 miles to Chester and back again, and Beryl, Reg and I hoping our legs would last the 30 miles to Chester so we could catch the train back again.

We set off from the start line in batches, with Radio Merseyside’s Roger Phillips (I think) helping us on our way, to be one of a privileged few to ride through the Birkenhead tunnel while it was closed to traffic. Within seconds we’d lost sight of Ian, Adam and Terry. Reg and I decided we’d make it through the tunnel at our own pace and wait for each other on the far side. I managed to make it though first and it wasn’t long before we were both racing through the streets of Birkenhead heading for the county lanes of Thornton Hough and Willaston.

To our surprise and delight the route was fairly flat, which allowed us to pick up quite a pace. We went from sharing main roads with traffic, to quiet country lanes and even ended up on a dirt path at one point. The ride was exhilarating especially when getting caught up in the numerous herds of professional racers that sped past.

Before we knew it there was the sign saying we had made it to Chester, we pulled up outside the Countess of Chester Hospital in a field where we checked in, Reg and I collapsed on the grass along with our bikes and sat rejoicing in the fact that we had made it without any chaffing or cramps. In fact we were pleased to say it was easier then we had imagined.

After a quick rest and time to pick up our DIY (please insert participants name here) certificates we got back onto our bikes and rode to the station where we caught the next train home to Liverpool. We were so busy chatting about the highs and lows of the ride and how our legs were really going to feel it the next day, that we completely forgot about the monstrous hill that lay between the station and a nice warm bath. Brownlow Hill and Edge lane are pretty steep roads and by the time we got near home our legs were burning worse than at any other moment that day. We wobbled into the house and collapsed, needless to say we’d had a really enjoyable day.

P.S Adam, Ian and Terry all made it round the full 54-mile route so well done to them too.

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