An epic 48-hour adventure

On Friday 20th May 2022, I embarked on what was probably the biggest challenge of my life. A 48-hour cycle down the length of the UK. Through freezing rain, darkness and eventually sunshine, I pushed myself to cover 648km as the crow flies, from the Scottish Highlands to Salisbury Cathedral.

• 48 hours
• 786.98 km ridden
• 32 hours riding time
• 6 hours sleep
• 22500+ calories burnt
• Challenge won!!!

It was Paul Berney of Anthropos who roped me into taking part in the 48-hour challenge. He’s no stranger to long-distance cycling. His decision to ride his brand-new Bianchi back from Milan was what kick-started his ‘Riding the long way home’ adventures.

For me, I’d been cycling for a while but got into it heavily during lockdown. Thanks to the technology of an indoor trainer, I was able to let off steam on the bike which really helped my sense of wellbeing. That led me to start taking things as seriously as getting a cycling coach, so I wanted a goal to keep my training focussed. That was where the 48-hour challenge came in – a thinking challenge as well as a physical one, where the planning, preparation and strategy is as important as the pedalling!

And to top it off I won! It was an epic adventure that I finished with both elation and soreness, spurred on by the support of so many friends, family and a real worthy cause – the Care Workers Charity.

For me, the challenge has been a way of keeping me grounded during quite a stressful period. Cycling gives me a focus, an outlet, and some consistency during good times and bad.

So it came as no surprise to me to find that the challenge aligns pretty neatly with the ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ – 5 steps identified by the New Economics Foundation which can help you to feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

The 5 steps are:

• Connection – building strong, close friendships and relationships
• Physical activity – which helps with fitness, self-esteem and positive brain chemistry
• Learning – trying a new hobby or honing a new skill
• Giving – small acts of kindness to others
• Mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment

With these steps in mind, we’ve taken an in-depth look at wellbeing in our latest industry guide. The care sector is under huge pressures at the moment, and while there is a need to focus on the structural problems causing that pressure, some attention on wellbeing can also be helpful. In our recent survey, 100% of you said that improving staff wellbeing had a positive impact on overall job satisfaction.

In the guide, we’ve explored the organisational case for wellbeing in care, covered some practical, low-cost ideas for wellbeing initiatives, as well as reflected on technology’s role in supporting wellbeing. You can download your copy here.

And if you would like to show some support for the Care Workers Charity by sponsoring my epic 48-hour challenge, I am still accepting donations. In fact, I’m just 7% away from my fundraising target of ￡2,000. Can you help me reach it?

https://thecareworkerscharity.enthuse.com/pf/david-lynes/