L'Eroica Brittania

I only found out about L'Eroica Britannia the week before it was happening, as I heard my brother talking about it and my dad sent me the link saying I might be able to do the Be Activated treatments there. I already emailed Tom the hero maker in charge of the volunteers and I met him on Saturday at L'Eroica for the volunteers briefing, which Tom informed me I could help out at Hartington food stop, awesome. So after that I went for a walk into Bakewell town and it was busy with tourists, L'Eroica cyclists and festival goers. On the way back to the festival ground I accosted a gentleman who had a bandaged knee and asked if he was doing the ride tomorrow, to which he said he was doing the 55 miles and I mentioned what I did with the treatments and said to meet him later at his tent for a treatment.
I went off around the handsome vintage stalls, enjoying the beautiful relaxed atmosphere in the gorgeous sunshine with the beautiful vintage bikes and people around. I came upon the Clif Bar company who's products are vegan and organic although they are awaiting the certification for the UK, they seem a real ethical company from America with their employees and helping local communities, I was very impressed with their products and ethics especially about the GMO issue. So I caught up with the gentleman I was going to treat and also worked on his mate too during the beautiful warm summers evening.

On Sunday morning I was waiting give my brother, Hayden, and his friend Ben a lift to L'Eroica, putting their Peugeot bikes in the back of the Volvo estate on top of my couch and set off to Bakewell arriving at just after 8 am.  by the Pimms bus bar for their mates to turn up as they were riding in a group of 8. So they went and got a coffee and the festival was quiet as most were either waiting at the start in town or had already started their rides by this time! Their mates did not turn up till after 8.30 am and one of them decided to spend 15 minutes to get a coffee and water when it was so quiet and service was quick, never mind their cut off point was 9 am for the 55 miles, which was winding one or two of them up! They made the cut off point by one minute to go! I already had left them and set off for Hartington via Youlgreave, taking a few misturns as I was driving by memory of google maps the night before instead of using my trusty M8 navigation app, as I thought I would be fine and I find it fun to try to drive by memory at times.

I arrived at Hartington around 9.15 am and there were already a mass of handsome riders relaxing with their food and drinks as I off loaded my couch and my own food and drink for the day. I set up my couch and asked the main volunteer in charge, Rosie, if I was required to help anywhere and it seemed I could do my Be Activated treatments. Sweet! I set up my couch in a nice shady spot  between Rosie's stand and the bike mechanic.
I preceded to soak up the relaxed resting atmosphere, which very much reminded me of the Mediterranean, with the handsome riders and bikes, I took some photos to tweet, but alas my phablet (samsung mega) signal said no to tweets, which was all day even back at Bakewell! I nearly photo bombed the photos of Luciano Berruti! So I awaited my first victim, well rider of the day to treat, (wink) (however most of my previous clientele would agree with victim due to the pain they experience as I work on various of points, however, when I am finished and they are moving around, they notice the massive difference in their body and the lack of pain.)(smiles)

After 10.30 am  Hayden and his team mates arrived at the food stop which wasn't too bad for  20 miles, even though he said he could probably run quicker,  as he mentioned the average speed was 10 mph! I had already worked on a couple of riders by that point and more soon followed, I worked on 14 riders in all, some I had a little more time with others team mates were waiting so I soon learned to speed up the process which meant I cut out all of the muscle testing in the end, which is a useful tool in showing how much the body and muscles are functioning better and creates more integrity in the activations, however the activations are pretty powerful by themselves and with the sexy belly breathing that I got all of them to do and some combining the sexy belly breathing with squeezing their butts, which helps to affirm the activations and to tell their body to function in a more relaxed and powerful state. 

Some of the 100 milers were already showing up just after half ten, as Hartington was half way point for them as I mistook one for what they were saying and to my surprise they had turned up at this time and more soon followed as most of the 55 milers left to continue on with their ride. I was awaiting the arrival of my dad who was cycling up along the trails from Middleton Top to Hartington, whom was hoping he would bump into his son cycling the other way, alas they sailed pass each other on different parts due to trying to estimate timings! My dad arrived just after quarter past twelve and fueled up with one of my many bananas and some of my delicious vegan gluten free focaccia stuffed full with veggies bread. At which point I got 3 handsome riders to work on who were all friends. My apologies as remembering names is one of my weak points however due to a later meeting I know one of the very handsome gentlemen was Ivan 354, 995.

My dad took some photo's and videos whilst he was there, when I was working on the handsome Ivan and his friends. I gave out one of my leaflets with my contact details on to all I treated even if you are not local to me, I will travel for group or I can find you your local Be Activated Facilitator. My dad decided to ride back to Middleton Top back along the trails and hopefully not overshooting the distance this time on the way back to his car! The tail end charlies ~ the sweeper crew, rode in on modern carbon bikes, for the 100 milers and 55 milers arrived after quarter past one, which meant that there was no more riders coming through just who were at the food stop were the last. So just after 2.15 pm we were all packing away and then some of us made our way back to Bakewell.

I decided to go a different way back to Bakewell on the beautiful hot sunny afternoon, which coincided with the large tractors zipping through Hartington along the way I was going, to get their grass silage picked up off the fields near Monyash. I was  driving up and down some more wonderful hilly climbs for bikes. I just got back to the festival before 3 pm and I was expecting my brother to already be there and my farther too, but none of them were. I met up with me dad then I found out Hayden was just leaving Chatsworth, by all accounts they'd been drinking plenty of Pimms at the food and drink stop there.
So Hayden zoomed past racing his mate Mark (snake) to the finish line, ( I managed to photograph his backend!) scaring the crap out of someone crossing on the finishing drag at the time, as they both went either side the chap, racing till the line came, skidding and sliding all over the place on the grass! They were the only two to race to the finish like that, but well this is what happens with very competitive team mates, gets even dafter between them during the triathlon practice rides apparently! I should have been on the finishing straight to capture the daft moment, sure someone did you wouldn't have been able to miss them if you were watching at quarter to four! His team mates followed behind, some by a good margin, which they got ribbed for by the others, but it was a jolly adventure rather than serious one, thankfully so, but boys will be boys on competing when there is no requirements to do so!

So they all got their free beers and were all full of glee at the #GBA that they partook in and met with their families, sharing their tales of their 55 miler adventure. More beers to be of had and food to be eaten as the afternoon partied on as more heroic riders finished the course all welcomed with cheers over the finish line, everyone photographing each other in the glorious beautiful hot sunshine, best weather ever for this festival.
I enjoyed meeting my brother's fellow riding companions and their families and listened to their banter as the hot afternoon flowed along, keeping an eye out if any of whom I worked on crossed the line to ask them how they got on and one lovely lady came up to me to thank me again as it helped her out with the ride. I saw a few riders who were all wanting to get their free beer, the handsome trio, 354, 995,  came in which the delightful Ivan was apart of and had a brief chat with them.

As the afternoon drew on into the evening, just like being in the Mediterranean with the weather the air and the sun, relaxing with my brother's friend Campbell and his family. So relaxed that we knew the bikes were safe as everyone just ogled each others bike with pride and joy. By the evening a few were quite drunk but happy and lovingly drunk enjoying the music from the stage, soon my lovingly drunk brother wanted to go, then, the handsome refreshed Ivan turned up,which I regret not being able to stay and talk away the rest of the evening with him and his friends as it would of been delightful I am sure, as I was enjoying our talk until my attention got too focused on my lovely drunk cycling brother!
My fear over took of his silliness and I fear that I offended you, Ivan, when my brother said to exchange numbers when I meant that I gave you  my details already and I said it  harshly and I am sorry I wasn't present enough  and for the way I said it and acted, as my brother is always good at pushing certain buttons as I am with him.
I am deeply sorry I was not present enough as I could of helped you out with the trapped nerve issue there and then and I gladly would of given  you my contact details again. I would love to meet for a drink/juice when I am down in London if you read this and can accept my apology as I still would love to help out with that trapped nerve issue!

Drunk cycling what a sight! However on the way back to the car, guiding my brother to the where the car was parked, we nearly flew past a twin, a Peugeot twin only slightly smaller, I wondered why he came to an immediate breakneck stop, so he asked the gentleman if it was possible to purchase and it was, he got his number, so we may have another Peugeot just the same joining his bike clan soon, although the one he was riding was indeed our dad's and I used to ride when I was 17-18 and I am much shorter than either of them, although leg length is longer than my dad's is now! On the beautiful drive back home, the lovely drunk was gushing about the day and how it was still light at after 9 pm, as of course it was held over summer solstice, which was just perfect to do so, as it only just started to get a little cooler when the sun dipped below the horizon, glorious day, glorious evening.

The next day after, wow what a weekend, especially the Sunday, someone tweeted it was like a wonderful love affair and they were right, normally I dislike being around those getting drunk, but at L'Eroica they were all happy and relaxed and recovering and savouring the ride. I felt flat after all the joy and yet upon checking my brother's strava, he wrote it was his best day of his life! Wow! And I enjoyed spending time with him and I think he did with me.( winks) I know it's not about competition but on some of the strava segments that the L'Eroica riders recorded had beaten those who done certain segments previously on carbon frame road bikes and yet these steel frame road bike had got better times, now I found that interesting and I say  someone should do a challenge to see which gets better times and I would love the heavier steel bikes to win as that would be so amusing with all this modern technology and the old ways end up being better! (winks and smiles)

My dad had an idea about having a grass track to race round on the vintage steel bikes, but I know the ethos is just about going riding not competing, it is what use to happen at county shows, riders would come from all over to race the grass circuit, which could be good fun for the Friday and Saturday evenings, if there was space to be found, maybe creating a circuit around the stalls when they are shut just for fun rather than any real winner. Anyway I am glad I volunteered and managed to give some treatments to help the riders out, I will definitely be back next year as I have fallen in Love with L'Eroica Britannia, this wonderful vintage relaxed #heroic #GBA!

L'Eroica Britannia 2014

Telling tales of their Great British Adventure on their vintage bikes, before 1987,
Beers in hand, basking in the beautiful hot sunshine,
clapping other riders as they cross the finishing line,
families proud of their partners tales,
sunburnt and joyful as the afternoon drifts on,
filled on pies and puddings,
as the sun drifts of for another day,
say goodbye to new friends made,
sharing in the love to be gave,
night is light as sleep abounds,
goodbye L'Eroica thankyou for all the wonderful days.

Side note, only downside and issue I found was with the porta loos, smelling so much, I have a sensitive nose. So maybe getting more porta loos for next year and getting them cleaned out more regularly, as even the running water/flushing portable loos were stinky. You can get urinals for the men and even women if shewee were there, only a suggestion to make the toilet experience better for everyone, especially when camping.