Anyone who wanted to get a taste of the intense preparation LifeCyclists put up with before embarking on their annual challenge had the opportunity to attend one of their arduous training sessions against a donation last weekend.

Aptly titled SufferFest, the session saw 30 cycling enthusiasts riding static bikes while being shown some 50 videos, which allowed them to virtually experience rides in worldwide locations.

One last session is planned at ChicPhysique Studio at Hilltop Gardens, Naxxar.

“We have chosen three indoor challenges for participants to do consecutively, so they experience some of the endurance required to take on the real-life challenge,” says Alan Curry, founder of the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation.

This year, 24 LifeCyclists will be riding 2,000km across Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in Southeast Asia. Together with a back-up team of seven, they will depart for Vietnam on Monday and will start their arduous 10-day ride in Ho Chi Minh through busy roads, climbs and undulations, then on to Laos and Cambodia. The finish line will be at Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world. The group will be back in Malta on September 24.

How have cyclists been preparing? 

The cyclists have undertaken programmes similar to those of SufferFest throughout the past 17 weeks of training. Besides, they train together outdoors on Sunday mornings and train on their own or in small groups for the rest of the time.

The training gets quite severe in the last few weeks before the challenge, with the cyclists training as much as 20 hours a week. They also do some weight training to prepare their body for the long hours spent on the bike.

Motivation is definitely key and Mr Curry likes to tell his team: “Your worst day on the bike is still better than a patient’s best day on dialysis.”

Alan Curry, founder of the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation visits a patient at Mater Dei Hospital’s renal unit.

The challenge is 60 per cent psychological and 40 per cent fitness

Participants are advised to have a  general medical check-up before they start training but general assessments are carried out throughout the whole period.

“We don’t want to take cyclists along who clearly won’t be fit enough to complete the challenge,” Mr Curry says.

However, he notes that the feat’s success does not depend solely on one’s fitness level.

“It’s is 60 per cent psychological and 40 per cent fitness with the psychology being a major challenge in itself for many of the newcomers,” he says.

“Living in basic conditions and eating from a field kitchen every day is not easy. Being away from your loved ones and trying to integrate into a large group is also a huge challenge in itself,” he adds. 

Participants during the first session of SufferFest in aid of LifeCycle, held last weekend.

In the end, the experience pays off not only because the group annually manages to reach its goal and raise a nice sum in aid of renal patients.

“There’s the other side too of how it enhances the lives of the participants and makes them better human beings. The whole concept really is a life changer for all involved,” he points out.

SufferFest is one of the many sub-challenges the team does throughout the year.

“It’s a great way to be part of the overall effort to help persons who have to endure a chronic illness which requires a lifetime of treatment,” Mr Curry says.

“Hopefully, SufferFest will encourage some of its participants to do the real challenge next year.”

Donations can be sent on the Revolut Card no. 99329101, via sms: 5061 7370 = €2.33; 5061 8920 = €6.99; 5061 9229 = €11.65; or via a call to 5160 2020 = €10, 5170 2005 = €15 and 5180 2006 = €25. Bank details are Swift code VALLMTMT, IBAN number MT 18 VALL 22013000000014814521017, bank name Bank of Valletta, account number 14814521017.

For more updates and to donate towards Nescafé 3in1 LifeCycle Challenge 2019, visit www.lifecyclefoundation.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LifeCycleChallenge/