Russell Ashford

My Activity Tracking

4,773
mi

My target 220 mi

Please support my Ambitious Challenge!

This will be the toughest challenge I’ve ever undertaken on a bike. I will be cycling 220 miles in a single day on Sunday 22 June 2025. Starting in Manchester and finishing in London.

Seeing first hand the challenges that autistic children face, this is an opportunity for me to support a cause I care deeply about, I’ll be leaving my limits behind to raise vital funds for Ambitious about Autism.

Ambitious about Autism is the national charity standing with autistic children and young people. They champion rights, campaign for change and create opportunities for autistic young people and their families.

How your support can make a difference

£5 could help parents and carers experiencing challenging situations access vital information and support through the Talk about Autism online platform.

£10 could buy seeds and gardening equipment for our horticulture programme. Our ‘Seed to Sell’ initiative helps autistic children and young people enjoy time outdoors and develop their entrepreneurial spirit.

£25 could reduce loneliness and isolation through an autistic young person accessing a special interest group through our Ambitious Youth Network.

£50 could support a family in crisis. Our family support team provide telephone advice and guidance on welfare, health, and legal matters.

£100 could provide autistic young people with one-to-one careers information and guidance. With very few autistic people in employment, providing this support is vital to accessing the workplace.

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My Achievements

Shared page

Self-donated

Added a profile pic

Added a blog post

Received 10 donations

25% fundraising target

50% fundraising target

Fundraising target reached

50% distance target reached

Challenge complete!

My Updates

May - A test of Mind & Body

Sunday 25th May

The good weather continues into May. This long spell of dry and warmish weather has been perfect for training. Although the start of May was more about DIY than riding. With a week off work, I planned to balance decorating with a couple of training rides, culminating in my longest ride to date.

On Bank Holiday Monday, I rode to Croome Court with Dave and Claire, who is taking on her own challenge in June, riding London to Paris for Cure Leukaemia. A chilled 70km was a good start to the week before the paintbrushes came out.

Mid-week, there was an opportunity to do a 250km ride with some mates who were heading from Bromsgrove down to Chepstow, over the Severn Bridge, and back. It sounded great, but with DIY commitments and the nervous anticipation of taking on my longest ride ever a few days later, I decided to pass on this one.

On Friday, 10th May, with the painting mostly done, it was time to pick up Lis and Loz and drive to Usk. We’re taking part in The Three Hundred Audax. The route distance (300km) and elevation (3,000 m) was similar to M2L, albeit with the notable climbs were towards the end. I was feeling a little anxious about this ride, but I had a fuelling plan, and Lis and Loz have their TCR pairs strategy to do 5-mile (I’m working on converting them both to Km’s) swaps on the front.

It was an early start (although not quite early enough as we missed the official start). A beautiful route took us towards Monmouth, looping via Tintern to Chepstow and over the Severn bridge to Slimbridge for 2nd breakfast. After egg on toast and coffee, it was back over the bridge and onwards to Talybont-on-Usk, on the edge of Bannau Brycheiniog. Salty chips and coke were consumed before the Llangynidr climb, the biggest hill on the route. I promise after 160 km that one hurt. It was now 17:30 and we still had 80 miles to go. I could’ve happily stayed on top of the hill in the warm sun, but ushered on by Lis, we set off back towards Raglan for a final reverse lap of the starting loop, arriving back to the square in Usk at 22:06, in time for a beer.

It was a long day, 16 hrs in total, and the longest ever ride for Lis and I. Psychologically, it was a good boost to have completed it. It’s made Manchester to London feel a little less daunting.

On the 18th May, four of us rode to Edgehill to watch two friends take part in the Banbury Star Road Race (and bag more tiles), getting another 150km in the legs.

With one month to go until M2L, I’m feeling prepared, but there’s still time to improve and hopefully drop a few more kilos.

The next blog update will be following the event, but I’ll be sharing images and progress updates on the day via Instagram.

April - Lighter nights & longer days

Saturday 3rd May

March ended well, I finally got my road bike back from the Cycle Studio who fitted a new crank due to the Shimano recall. I've also fitted 28mm tubeless tyres to increase comfort.

I gave both the bike and my body a good test on 30th March, with a 100km ride down to & over the Malvern hills. Which also got my veloviewer max square to 29x29 (if you know you know, if you don't google tile hunting)

April started well with a good period of dry (but a cold easterly wind) weather. With the start of BST there is more time to ride. On the 5th April Loz (who is training for this years TCR) & I completed a 170km loop via Wellesbourne for lunch, then north via Warwick and Kenilworth before turning back west to enjoy a tailwind back home. It was a good ride with no cramps and speed was inline with my M2L target of 24kmph.

On 12th April I completed my 3rd longest ride with a 187km ride from Bromsgrove to Chester via the Pontcysyllte aqueduct & the racecourse ground, home of Wrexham AFC. The fans were welcoming and somewhat bewildered how far we'd ridden. One fan donated £30 to my M2L ride. After enjoying some refreshments we had a steady 40km to Chester. We rode back the following day, putting another 140km in the legs. All in all a good weekend of pedalling.

April ended with a little less cycling and bit more drinking & eating to celebrate my birthday. I'm now looking forward to May, when I’ll be undertaking my longest ever ride with a 300km Audax along side Loz & Lis who are taking one the ultra TCR 2025 as a pair. This will be a good test of mind and body. Read how it goes in the next update in May.

March - Spring is springing

Saturday 29th Mar

I'm pleased to say training is going to plan. I've completed few 100km rides in the past month & have been joined by few mates, two of whom are also training for their own epic ride across Europe later this year.

I've achieved my first weigh goal to get under 90kg, next one is 85kg & Ideally I would like to be 80-82kg when I take on M2L in June.

8th March saw the first proper signs of spring, two of us headed out towards Warwick & Stratford Upon Avon for a 100km ride, stopping at the excellent Garden Shed café in Wellesbourne. And yes there were a couple of new squares along the route.

A week off work allowed for a solid block of training. Getting 275km in and riding with some inspirational people who've all completed some epic challenges, like riding the tour du France a week ahead supporting cure leukaemia.

A bit of lurgy got the better of me towards the end of March so I've taken it easy over the last week. I'm back on it now & looking forward to getting a 200km ride in during early April.

February - More like the plan

Sunday 23rd Feb

The two key elements of the plan are going in the right direction, my weight is down 7kg since Christmas & weekly distance is increasing, ending Feb with a 200km week.

Tile or square hunting continues to be a motivator for distance, elevation and getting outside at this time of year. Despite the weather, I've managed an outdoor ride every week so far this year, something I'm aiming to keep going all year.

The first and last weekends of February were both about getting some tiles in more hilly areas of the Midlands & increasing my maximum square. Starting the month with a 50km figure 8 route around the Wyre Forest with 900m of climbing it was hard work, but this got me to 28x28.

My plan includes at least one long ride each month, the last weekend of Feb was a 120km loop down to Cotswolds, and yes there were a few more tiles involved. 1200m of climbing and a shredded rear tyre after a puncture meant it wasn't a fast ride, but this was about time in the saddle and endurance riding. Overall, it felt good and I'm starting to feel the benefit of the midweek sessions on Zwift & Rouvy.

Spring is just around the corner & I'm looking forward to the longer days & longer rides as I build up to a single 200km ride in April.

January - Follow The Process

Thursday 23rd Jan

January is never an easy time to get outside for a long ride, but I have a plan & you’ve got to follow the process.

I’ve been sticking to the plan & increasing my weekly distance. Doing shorter Vo2 and threshold rides on Zwift or Rouvy whilst also doing 2 or 3 yoga, core or strength sessions each week.

On the 17th Jan, after a week of freezing but dry weather. There was a small increase in the temperature, reaching a balmy 7°c. Add to this a well timed day off work meant I could do my planned 100km ride for this month.

I wanted to ride this distance at a low perceived exertion & without a cafe stop. I planned to eat every 10km & drink every 5km. There was no target other than the distance. I wanted to see how long it would take me. The route was flat & also included a few new tiles for motivation. I often experience cramp on longer rides, thankfully not on this time, but it’s something I’m very conscious of as the distance increases.

My ride time was 4:35 mins, with elapsed time of 4:42. Meaning an average speed of 22km/h. With improved fitness and lower body weight over the coming months this should increase.

Tiles are a good motivator

Thursday 23rd Jan

Last ride of 2024

Sunday 5th Jan

Not quite to plan

Sunday 5th Jan

In my last update I talked about using the autumn to drop a few Kg & improve my endurance. I’d like to say I’ve made some progress, but alas, I can’t. In fact the weight has gone in the wrong direction (it’s Christmas) & I’ve not ridden as much as I planned, due to work, lurgy and family life.

Thankfully the Christmas break gave me a little more time. This allowed me to increase my weekly distance to 140km last week. Riding in the mist & gloom, but motivated by spending time outside with others in my local club V-Sprint. This week I’ve managed 150km, although with the snow & ice about half of this was on the indoor trainer.

I’ve also put some time into creating a simple training plan. During Jan the aim is to maintain 150-160km each week, then start increasing weekly mileage by about 10 percent week. I also plan to do one (maybe two) long rides each month, starting with 100km in Jan & increasing by 50km each month. By mid April I should have at least one 200km ride in the legs, just short of my longest distance ever ridden. In May & with the benefit of longer days I plan to do a 12-14 hour ride & see what distance I can cover.

I plan to ride three times a week, with 2 short mid week rides to focus on threshold and improving V02 max. It’s not all bikes though, to keep some variation I’ve included some yoga, core and weight workouts.

My next goal for end of Jan, is to maintain 150-160km per week & lose 3-4kg. If you’ve got this far, thank you for reading & supporting me with this challenge, it’s certainly outside of my comfort zone.

When to start training?

Sunday 4th Aug

Since I started cycling in 2015, I've only ridden over 200km twice and this was back in 2018 & 19. Covering 354km feels like a massive and at times unimaginable challenge. I've said to myself it will be an eating and mental challenge as much as a physical one.

This weekend I rode 136km, just over 1/3 of the M2L distance. About half of this was solo as I went on a small quest to capture 5 new tiles (or squadrats) to extend my veloviewer explorer score. I find these a good motivator to ride in new areas. I used this ride to gauge both my average speed and to see how my legs felt. The good news is that my average speed was there or thereabouts at 24.6km/h. Close enough to the 25 target that I'd like to achieve over the full distance. The bad news is my legs were ready to stop, so I certainly have some work to do on the endurance side of things.

There are currently 325 days remaining until the start of the ride. The question I'm asking myself is, when to start training?

I currently ride a couple of times each week, so for the next few months I'm going to focus on dropping a few Kg's and using what's left of the summer & autumn to maintain this approach but add some longer rides into the mix to test out what works for me with on bike nutrition.

Winter will be a mix of outdoor rides and indoor sessions to maintain fitness ready to hit the ground with a good base as spring approaches. I plan to complete a few 250km rides in April & May before the big day.

Thank you to my Sponsors

£120

J P Alternative Education

Very good cause. Good luck!

£100

Dave Giblin

Well done Russell - amazing and inspirational!

£100

Phillip Davies

Good luck Russ, you'll smash it after all your preperation.

£100

Lin Ashford

Well Done Russ, you are doing brilliantly it’s within your grasp. Mom xx

£85

Barry White

When the real Barry White strutted into the Hanbury Turn on quiz night, the locals thought it was a tribute act — until he answered a tie-breaker by singing the chemical formula for ethanol in perfect falsetto. After absolutely crushing the quiz (including flawless rounds on “Playboy Centerfolds” and “The way to San Jose”), Barry also left no cards unturned when he won "Play your Cards Right", He took the mic, his deep velvet voice filling the pub like a warm gravy. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he rumbled, “I’m donating my winnings… to Russ. *What! .... That Loser ?!” Someone yelled ...Harsh, Barry thought to himself, But Fair, He went on to praised Russ for his efforts “He’s a legend on two wheels, riding 220 miles in lycra so tight even I blushed. His bike serviced ready for the trip, He's been fiddling with his nuts, lubed his crank and his bottom bracket is well greased. HE'LL SMASH IT" "And don't forget", he continued, "He's raising money for Autism Awareness.” - The pub erupted with applause, and everyone began to chant “LONG LIVE BARRY!”. Mia behind the bar cried into the scampi fries, Phil fell off his stool, Caravan John fainted and for one glorious night in Stoke Prior, the soul train ran right through the Hanbury Turn. So, if you see him red-faced on his epic journey make sure make sure you praise his impressive rack, give a donation to help with his saddle-sores and let him know Barry is "Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up"

£50

Barry White

Very brave of you to do this NAKED….only downside is that everyone will realise why Abi calls you her Favourite Little Man”

£50

Delli And Graham

All the best Russ! Really admire you for doing this. xx

£50

Abi Ashford

I’m loving watching your progress today No. 9! After having watched you train for this and knowing the funds are going to such a good cause. Well done my No.1 xxx

£50

Roger Ashford

£50

Lis Gardner

Best of luck Russ Lis and Lee xx

£50

Tony Jobson

£50

Loz & Al

Smash it Russ

£50

David And Claire Stokes

Good luck, Russ. Cheering you on for this epic challenge! 💪🏻🚴🏻‍♂️

£50

Lee Gardner

Mike H picked you

£50

Nikki & Ian (v-sprint)

You’ll smash it, great ride, amazing cause XX

£50

Trevor Peace

Well done Russ,

£30

Mike Hopkins

A further one as it was a momentous achievement

£30

Legless Wrexham Fan

£30

Fiona Turner

Great cause Russ. Good luck!

£25

Simon

Good luck Russ, that's a big ride for a great cause 💪👏😎🚴🚴

£25

Geraint Evans

All the best Russ.

£25

Elaine Hardy

£25

The Wadesmiths

Brilliant cause Russ. Best of luck with the ride.

£25

Kelvin Wilson

Keep positive Russ you can do it

£25

Dawn Pattison (for Gary)

Good luck Russ on your epic challenge

£25

Martin Stanway

Hopefully it's downhill all the way 😂😂

£25

Andrew Davey

Quite a challenge, Russ. You’ll smash it though. Absolutely no doubt.

£25

Graeme And Jane

£25

Michelle Cantle

Good luck Russ!

£25

Richard Boyce

Awesome stuff Russ, well done. 💪🏼💪🏼 Pleased for you that the riding in the dark was London streets rather than Worcestershire’s potholed roads.

£22

Mat

Great pedalling.

£20

Jo Brown

Go Russ, youv'e got this

£20

Emily Snow

Best of luck Russ, you've got this!

£20

Sarah Staite

Go Russ! 220 miles in a day- amazing effort for a brilliant cause 🚴‍♂️👏

£20

Becky Leeson

Good luck Russ you'll smash it. Becky & Rich

£20

Richard Eccleston

Enjoy the Jock Rot

£20

Matt Knight

Good luck Russ

£20

Ricky

Good luck Russ!

£20

Sarah Cook

Good luck Russ x

£20

Jenny & Gareth

Looks like your training is going really well. It's going to be hard, but you're going to do it.

£20

Andy Bilous

Good Luck Russ! Great challenge for a great cause. Andy & Julie

£20

Maria Wigley

Great cause Russell. I hope the ride goes well x

£20

Tim Roberts

Give it the beans!

£20

John Bunny

£20

Chris Woods

Best of luck Russ for a beautiful day for your ride. I’m sure you’ll achieve your goal with you focus and determination starting with the training & preparation. See you on the road

£20

Catherine Fenton

An amazing and tough challenge Russ. Good luck! Cat

£20