Scottish ultra-endurance adventurer Jenny Graham has smashed her way into the Guinness world records by becoming the fastest woman to cycle around the planet. Last summer her ride took her 18,000 miles, over 4 continents, through 16 countries, completing the trip solo and unsupported in just 124days.
To prepare for that challenge Jenny raced some bike packing routes including the Arizona Trail 750, Highland Trail 550, the Cairngorm Loop and the Yorkshire dales 300 and completed a winter LEJOG in four days!
Show notes
- Jenny introduces herself
- Growing up in the Highlands of Scotland
- Being adventurous from a young age
- Getting into cycling and mountain biking
- Lack of female role models growing up
- Loving the challenge of mountain biking
- Cycling to Bothies in Scotland and staying overnight
- Doing an outdoor course and getting to go skiing
- Getting work experience
- Funding her life with a young child
- How her cycling developed
- The Highland Trail 550 and quitting the race 8 days in!!!
- Wanting to go back and finish the race
- Getting a road bike and how it was a game changer in terms of the miles she could do
- Going on an Adventure Syndicate training camp
- Meeting her coach John Hammond and getting a year of free coaching
- Racing in Arizona
- Round the world record….
- Working through her internal fears
- The big questions - turning the dream into reality
- 1 Year of preparation and why it was the hardest year
- Sponsorship….and getting money
- Coming out on social media and telling the world what she wanted to achieve
- The rules and requirements for cycling around the world
- Deciding on the route
- Life on the road - what a typical day was like
- Aiming to ride 15 hrs per day
- Staying focused day after day
- Having to be kind to yourself
- The WHY
- The saddle saga
- Dealing with the extremes in temperature
- Not having a day off and trying to rest on planes
- The struggle of organisation before and during the challenge
- Breaking the world record and going back to that day
- Getting the adventure blues after the ride and adjusting back to normal life
- Why Jenny thinks someone will beat her record next year
- The biggest learning from cycling around the world
- Not seeing barrier anymore
- What the Adventure Syndicate is
- The Adventure Syndicate Podcast
- Quick Fire Questions
- Final words of advice
- The next challenge
- Film!
- Book!
Social Media
Website: jennygrahamis.wordpress.com
Twitter: @jennygrahamis
Instagram: @jennygrahamis_