Riding the TransAndalus and TransMurciana for Cleveland Mountain Rescue (Feetus, Lee Firman)

Feetus Donates £210 to Cleveland Mountain Rescue Charity

Last month, Feetus company owner Lee Firman embarked on a solo, unsupported, mountain bike trip through the southern sierras of Andalusia, Spain.

He covered in excess of 900km and 60,000’ elevation over 7 days of cycling in order to raise money for our local charity, Cleveland Mountain Rescue, who celebrate their 50th year in operation this year.

 “It was tougher than I had expected. Many of the climbs, especially in the Alpujarras, were very humbling. I took too many wrong turns, suffered too many flat tyres, but it was a priceless experience. I would recommend all cycling / outdoor enthusiasts to check out the TransAndalus mountain bike trails. Thanks also to everyone that wished me luck and sponsored me, and for those that participated in the little Facebook competitions during the ride”.

With a stripped-down kit list, Lee still swore by the Vibram FiveFingers KSO Evo for leisure use, Injinji toe socks whilst cycling, and MuleBar for nutrition.

Lee will post a full review of his trip on his personal blog in the coming weeks: www.outdoorfirmo.com.

TransAndalus: Panorama

Cleveland-Mountain-Rescue-Logo

A BIG Bike Ride to Support Cleveland Mountain Rescue

Between 5 – 12 June, we’re going to donate 5% of money received on ALL ORDERS to Cleveland Mountain Rescue.

Supporting Outdoor Enthusiasts

Feetus HQ is sandwiched between the North Sea and the beautiful North York Moors in Middlesbrough, Cleveland. We’re lucky to have big hills, vast open spaces, and sandy beaches on our doorstep, so it seems only right that we support a local charity that supports outdoor enthusiasts like ourselves.

TransAndalus, TransMurciana, Hardmoors Trail Marathon

During this 8-day period, Feetus company owner Lee Firman is embarking on a solo bikepacking adventure through Southern Spain. Riding from Malaga to Murcia via the TransAndalus and TransMurciana MTB routes, he will cover around 850 off-road kilometres, cover the elevation of Mt Everest TWICE. And to top it off, the day after he returns, he will run the Hardmoors Osmotherley Trail Marathon (in the North York Moors).

All for a Good Cause

Camino de Santiago 2014 (Via de la Plata route)
Camino de Santiago 2014 (Via de la Plata route)

To some it may sound a little crazy, but its all for a good cause; to raise money for Cleveland Mountain Rescue.

“I love adventuring in rural places, so I’m really excited to tour round the biggest mountains of mainland Spain and explore the hidden gems of Andalusia. I do confess to being nervous about the long climbs; I’ve cycled multi-day trips before, but have never encountered such long, grinding, off-road climbs. It’s gonna be challenging!

…and of course, I’ll be sporting the gear we rave about here at Feetus, including my KSO EVOs (the PERFECT lightweight travel shoes!), Injinji toe socks, the FirmAppa neck tubes (I don’t leave home without!), and some new Feetus t-shirts. I’ll also fuel-up on MuleBar” 

So if you place an order during the week between 5 – 12 June, we’d like to offer an EXTRA THANKS.

And if you’d like to give a little more to this worthwhile cause, please visit Lee’s JustGiving page here.

Torq Logo

An Army Marches on its Stomach

An Army Marches on its Stomach

Famous words by Napoleon Bonaparte. And it’s completely true.

How many of us have ‘hit the wall’ or ‘bonked’ on a long run? If you have, I’m sure you will have vowed never to hit that wall again!

I remember one time heading out on the bike with a plan of cycling a straightforward out-and-back across the Cleveland Way. It was one of those perfect days for cycling – sunny, warm, no wind (very rare on the North York Moors!) and so I got carried away, and decided to keep on riding. Of course, the extra distance I was covering only meant I had that same extra distance to cover on the way back.

Cutting a long story short: I was ill-equipped. The food and drink I was carrying was insufficient. I became seriously fatigued, weak, and disorientated. I took a break by a trail in Guisborough Forest, and then opted to curl up in a ball, feeling sorry for myself. I was ‘rescued’ (haha!) by a couple out walking, who kindly donated a Cadbury’s Boost. That gave me enough energy to continue cycling until I found myself with enough phone signal to call my wife for a lift. #Embarrassing!

Try hitting the wall

I learned my lesson the hard way. It might sound crazy but I would recommend everyone to hit the wall during a training run. You’ll certainly earn some wisdom points for it, and will hopefully never make that mistake again during a race!

What causes bonking?

In short, you bonk due to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), effectively running out of fuel for your body and your brain.

How to avoid hitting the wall

Simplistically: Eat properly for exercise, and eat at regular intervals. Find out which foods suit you best – which are easiest to consume, to digest, and what you enjoy most.

Fuel-up at feetus.co.uk

Variety is the spice of life, right? We’re proud to be stocking a top range of sports nutrition from different brands, offering energy gels, bars, and drinks in some top flavours.

  • Torq – My weapon of choice. All ingredients are derived from natural sources, meaning next-to-no chance of getting a stomach upset when it matters!
  • GU – A bestseller in America. A great range of flavours!
  • RunningFood – Relative newcomers to the market with big potential. Chia seed based drink and delicious flapjack.

Why not order a few to see which you like best?

And finally… The moral of the story

Always fuel when out running, cycling, or any form of endurance sport, and refuel sufficiently. Failing this: play dead and ask for a Boost!

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