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Russell Ashford

Manchester to London - 2025

My Activity Tracking

703
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. 

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£170 + £15 GiftAid

My Goal

£1,000

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All donations in GBP

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

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

£50

Loz & Al

Smash it Russ

£20

Lin Ashford

Best of luck Russ on your mamouth ride next year.

£20

Andrew Davey

£20

Russell Ashford

£20

Jamie

Go Russ you amazing piece of athletic meat Love Jamie and family x

£20

Jason Smith

You the man Russell. I’ve no doubts that you will smash this. My confidence is mainly due to Jamie thinking you are athletic meat. Go tiger, grrrr

£20

Heidi