Over the South Downs..

With less than a month to go the training schedule is looking pretty scary now.  I started the week with a 'quick' ride to Winchester and back (22 miles).  My GPS is good for tracking rides, but doesn't give me any hill climbing data, so  I have a new app for my phone (Endomondo) so that I can see if I am doing enough climbing in my training. I was really despondent when I got home and looked on the wehsite only to find that I had climbed just 60 meters in total.  On the London to Paris we need to climb 1000 meters in a day!
So, determined to get some hill training in, I made a plan to send the family out to Petworth House in the car, and I would set off really early in the morning to cycle the 45 miles over the South Downs to join them.  I made it in good time, cycling up and down some killer hills, and could harldly believe it when I arrived in Midhurst in Sussex, 37 miles from home....

Getting to Petworth from there was an easy few miles, and after a good day out together (with a lift to Uppark!) I set off for the 30 miles back home.  My GPS thought it would be hilarious to direct me over the hilliest part of the downs, and at a couple of points I really thought I could not possibly climb another hill.  But I made it, without getting off my bike, and 72 miles after leaving home I was back again, certain that I must have some really good numbers on my hill climb data.
I was gutted to see that I had still only climbed 380 meters.  In fact, looking more closely at the elevation profile of my ride I knew that this had to be wrong! A quick trawl of the forums confirmed my suspicions - Endomondo climb data is way off!  So, being a geek, I imported the data into excel and calculated it myself.
The reality?  1483 meters of climbing!! And even my little Southampton to  Winchester ride is actually 370  meters of climbing.  So maybe I can do this after all....................