Epilogue

Hello!

It is rather sheepishly that I return to this blog, having not posted a single word since before the beginning of our trip, over two and a half months ago. I realise that there were a dedicated few who checked the blog regularly for updates throughout the two weeks of the trip, so many apologies for keeping you in the dark!

I suppose I should first confirm that WE DID IT! After 14 tough days and about 1003 gruelling miles we rolled into John O'Groats at 3pm on Saturday the 9th of July to be met by a small group of friends and family who had made the trek up north to greet us.

I've been wondering how best to go about summing up our trip, and put into words just how amazing the experience was. But having left it so long and not updated you as I went along, the task of writing a blow by blow account seems a bit daunting! And besides, I doubt I'd be able to convey all the emotion as well as I'd like, or share even half of the stories we picked up along the way.

So I've decided to let some of our photos tell the story....

Day 1 - Malc (left) and I at the start at Land's End.

Day 1 - Rolling across the START line.

Day 2 - Entering Devon, home to yet more hills.

Day 2 - Up and over Dartmoor.

Day 2 - Dartmoor.

Day 2 - Our well deserved feast in Exeter, after finally finding somewhere to eat.

Day 4 - Crossing the Severn into Wales.

Day 5 - Malc stops for a roadside peanut butter sandwich or 6.

Day 6 - Rolling into Blackpool.

Day 7 - The top of Shap, a brutal climb.

Day 8 - Triumphant return to the motherland!

Day 8/9 - We ended up staying here last minute after deciding to ditch the hippy commune where we'd booked. Best decision of the whole trip!

Day 9 - Malc feeling the burn on our 83 mile monster day from Dumfries to Glasgow.

Day 11 - A soggy roadside stop near Fort William. We got soaked for a few days.

Day 12 - Malc admiring the view of Ben Nevis, near Spean Bridge.

Day 12 - Getting ready for a cracking descent,  near Errogie.

Day 13 - Crossing the Dornoch Firth.

Day 13 - The always difficult 'on the move' shot.

Day 13 - Arriving our last overnight stop, Helmsdale.

Day 14 - Catching our breath at the top of the Berridale Braes.

Day 14 - Nearing John O'Groats with the steam rising off the road.

Day 14 - Rolling into John O'Groats.

Day 14 - The finish line, 1003 miles down the road from Land's End!

Day 14 - Enjoying some celebratory champers at the finish.

Day 14 - Posing by the (absent) John O'Groats signpost.

I hope this tells at least some of the story. We both had the time of our lives on the trip, and it is something I already look back on with an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. Doing the trip with Malc was great, and those incredible two weeks have given us memories and stories that we'll cherish for a lifetime.

Since completing the trip I have been back on the bike for a few weekend rides (though just over 30ish miles, rather than the 70 we were churning out during the trip) and fully intend to keep at it. As I mentioned at the very beginning, both Malcolm and I had been avid mountain bikers at school, but I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed road cycling. It really is a brilliant way to exercise and see the country. It has also rekindled my interest in mountain biking, and last weekend I dusted off the old full-suspension steed and took a trip down to Glentress. Malc has stuck with it too, and just last weekend completed a 100 mile sportive in just over 6hrs, a mammoth effort! Given the enjoyment we both took from doing LEJOG, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the pair of us attempting more charity expeditions in the coming years, so watch this space.....

Many thanks to all of you for checking out the blog over the past year or so. I would have liked to have kept you more up to date around the time of the trip itself but it sadly wasn't to be. I hope it has informed and encouraged some of you to undertake the 'LEJOG' challenge, and my final word of advice would be:

GO FOR IT!!!

Testing...

Given that we're now counting down the number of 'sleeps' to go until we set off for Land's End (it's 4 by the way), I thought it was about time I figured out how to post from my mobile.

So if you're reading this, it works!

In other news, it looks like our trip will be featured in the Highland News next week, photo and all! More news when I get it.

Normal blogging service will be resumed at some stage later this week, when I'll give you a proper update.

Cheers for now.

2 Weeks To Go!

It seems 'LEJOG season' is upon us - I've enjoyed reading the blogs/tweets of those of you who have already started/finished.  And all of a sudden it's less than two weeks till the start of our trip, so I thought it was just about time for an update.  


If I'm honest, the training hasn't been quite as good as hoped, although this may be down to unrealisticly high expectations. I think I had an unrealistic mental image of what my training would be like in the weeks leading up to the trip. Like something out of a Rocky film, only better looking and with lycra!  The quality and duration of my training rides is fine and I'm feeling fitter than ever, but I haven't had the time required to get enough long rides in.  After the training weekend in the Lakes, I decided it was probably better to focus on training on consecutive days.  A good idea I think, seeing as I'm now capable of the sort of mileages we're aiming for on the trip itself.  This has meant more sessions inside on the turbo trainer.  Normally these are quite boring, but my Sufferfest training video ensures I get a proper workout, and the legs are always screaming afterwords.  The main reason for my lack of training time has been the arrival of more full-time employment, which I suppose I can't be too upset about (all those protein shakes and bike parts don't pay for themselves!).  The new job means I'm away from home for a few nights a week, which isn't ideal, but I'm still getting my long weekend rides in (when I'm not away boozing, which I have been two weekends out of the last 4!)  I also have my lovely lady-friend living with me now, which I'm determined to use as an (admittedly fairly lame) excuse for skipping out on training... But despite all this the legs feel great and I'm confident they're up to the job!


Besides the training itself, all other aspects of the planning and preparation are going really well.  The route is finalised, the accommodation is booked and the train tickets have been ordered.  We've also ordered some rather fetching jerseys for the trip, from IMPsport, which I can't wait to get my hands on. I'll post pictures when they arrive.


I've picked up a few more essential pieces of kit over the past few weeks too.  Despite my optimistic expectations for two weeks of glorious British sunshine, I'm beginning to realise that we might well get rained on quite a lot.  This harsh reality was driven home to me in typically poetic style recently, when the heavens opened less than a mile into a 60 mile training ride, forcing me to huddle under a tree and tie shopping bags round my feet in a pretty poor attempt to keep them dry.  Curiously enough, this was also the exact moment that I discovered that my 'shower-proof' jacket probably wasn't going to cut the mustard.  Anyway, 60 soggy miles later I decided it was time to give in and shell out for some Seal Skinz socks and a proper waterproof jacket.  I've also picked up a cheap set of lights for emergencies, but I reckon I'm all set as far as kit is concerned.


The fundraising is going strong, but we're still way off our target so if you haven't already, please help us support a fantastic cause by clicking on the 'Sponsor Us!' tab at the top of the page.  As always, HUGE thanks to everyone who has chipped in and sponsored us, it is very much appreciated and provides great motivation for training!


That's it for now, more updates to follow as we approach D-day.  Everyone get praying for sunshine and fierce Southwesterly's....


- Cal

Training Weekend - Day 3: Slow and Steady...

We got up on the third day of our trip feeling a little exhausted. This would be the first time I'd ridden 3 days in a row and my legs were screaming in protest after the heroics of the previous day! But we set off in decent time and stopped in Keswick for a hearty Greggs breakfast, which gave us the kick-start we needed.


From the moment we turned South we were cycling straight into a vicious headwind. It seems the change in wind direction we'd spent the last two days praying for had showed up a day late, and the thought of spending yet another day fighting against the wind was a definite low point for me. This wasn't helped by the fact that we spent much of the morning climbing uphill towards Thirlmere. It was really tough going, and our pace slowed considerably. What goes up however, must come down, and as we coasted down through Grasmere at 40+mph my spirits picked up and I began to enjoy myself again. The rest of the morning turned out to be really enjoyable, and we cruised into Windemere for a hard-earned pub lunch at about 12:30. Having covered just 25 miles that morning, it began to dawn on us that while our 'slow and steady' mantra was ideal for 50 mile days, it might not hold up during an 80 mile day on the LEJOG trip itself. We decided that pub lunches should be restricted to special occasions (a decision that also makes financial sense, given that I spent about £200 on the weekend trip!).


The afternoon saw us take to the quieter country roads as we headed back towards Kendal. This started out fine, and we made great time as far as Crosthwaite, where we decided to cut straight over to Kendal via Underbarrow in order to give us plenty time to get showered and have some dinner before I drove back up the road...


Mistake. By choosing the more direct (read: lazy) route to Kendal, we had unwittingly signed ourselves up for another brutal climb, that took us up over 600 lung-busting feet in under 3 miles. Nightmare! A slice of particularly cruel and ironic justice from the cycling Gods, but our suffering and repentance was rewarded with ice-cream at the top! Result.

A photo op can be a great excuse for a break on a tough climb...

All that was left was a gentle coast down the other side into Kendal, where I left to cycle back to Oxenholme station to pick up my car, before getting a shower at the local swimming pool and heading back into town to meet Malc for some food.


Here's the stats for the day:

All in all I think we both thoroughly enjoyed our weekend and found it to be a really worthwhile exercise. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it as I was expecting the physical demands to overshadow pretty much all other aspects of the weekend, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the case. I think we learned a few crucial lessons that will stand us in good stead for the LEJOG trip itself, and if anything I'm looking forward to it even more now.


BRING ON LAND'S END - JUNE 26th!


- Cal

Training Weekend - Day 2: 'The Struggle'

Ever since the Lake District was agreed upon for this trip, I had been eyeing up the area's notorious climbs with a view to conquering one or two while we were there.  Looking back on it now I've no idea what possessed me, but having talked ourselves into it we set off from Ambleside and headed straight for The Struggle, an infamous climb that is widely regarded as the toughest in the country.  From Ambleside it winds its way up over 1300 ft over 3 excruciating miles, with gradients of 20% in places!

The final stretch up to The Kirkstone Inn. Brutal.

Malc at the top.... the Inn was shut.

It took us the better part of an hour to slog our way up to the Kirkstone Inn, which included 2 rest stops.  We were absolutely battered by the time we reached the top, and I rounded off the misery with an exhausted yet elegant dismount/fall in the general direction of a picnic table upon reaching the Inn car park (see the above pic, featuring my bike in a crumpled heap. I came up just short of the picnic bench, but I think I carried it off quite well...)


We set off down the other side towards Ullswater praying for a let up in the headwind and for flatter terrain.  After an un-planned but much-appreciated stop for bacon rolls and ice cream (don't knock it 'till you've tried it!) our prayers were answered and we meandered our way along the water's edge.  Rather than take the busy main road along to Keswick we decided to add some extra distance to the day and take the back roads to Bassenthwaite.  This turned out to be a great shout, and after a pub lunch at the Clickham Inn in Pallethill we spent the afternoon cruising along deserted and mostly flat roads, lapping up the scenery and sunshine.  This took us past an array of radio/telephone masts, which strangely managed to fry both of our wireless bike computers.  Something to watch out for on LEJOG - we don't want to be screwed out of hard-earned miles!

The 'publicity' shot, taken by a kindly old man.

After stopping for a quick photo op, we breezed down the hill to Bassenthwaite before heading through a packed Keswick to our hostel at Derwentwater.  We couldn't get over how busy Keswick was, we must have passed a good 3 miles of tailbacks on our way out of town! Turns out we weren't the only bright sparks who fancied a trip to the Lake District on the weekend of the Royal wedding...


We arrived at the hostel just in time to order a good hearty dinner. It's just as well, as it's miles from anywhere, and there was no way we were getting back on the bikes! I think we ended up calling it a day by 10 o'clock. A tough day, but still a few miles short of the shortest LEJOG day we have planned. However I took a great deal of comfort and satisfaction from the fact that we are unlikely to face as many hills on the big trip, and that we managed to conquer the mighty Struggle!

View from Derwentwater Hostel.

Unfortunately I decided against using the Cyclemeter app on my phone due to it's shoddy battery life (which I'm hoping to remedy on the LEJOG trip with a battery pack thingymajig) so I don't have the usual plethora of stats for you to pour over, so you'll just have to try and contain your diappointment...

Distance cycled:  55 miles

Ascent:  4700 ft

Descent: 4600 ft

Total weekend distance: 103 miles.

Training Weekend - Day 1: Passed without a 'hitch'

So the dust has settled after our training weekend in the Lake District, and it's about time I got you up to date.  I think we both felt that generally the weekend went really well, and we learned a few useful lessons relating to kit, navigation, planning and riding as a pair.

Day 1 started with a drive down the road to Oxenholme station on the edge of Kendal, where I met Malc off the train.  After we'd agreed on a route for the day and fuelled up at Greggs (God knows how we'll cope without them in the deep South) we set off towards Lake Windemere.  Almost immediately we were cursing ourselves for picking one of the hilliest regions in the country as the location for this trip!  But the sun was shining and it felt good to finally be on the road.


We made good time down the side of Lake Windemere, but faced a pretty gruesome climb across Kirkby Moor that warranted a breather at the top.  Luckily for us we lost all the altitude we had gained almost immediately, and we were rewarded with an epic 2 mile descent that saw us reach eye-watering speeds (Malc hit 48 mph, while the best I could manage was a lowly 44 mph) that left us buzzing!  The fun came to an abrupt halt when we turned North at Broughton-in-Furness, and began a long slog over to Coniston Water.  The wind had been ferocious at points throughout the day, and we climbed up to the more exposed areas it really dented out progress. Not appreciated!  But by the time we made it down to Coniston we were nearing the finish line, and we coasted in to picturesque Ambleside at the back of 6pm.

We found the Youth Hostel in Ambleside to be ideally located, well equipped and the staff were friendly and helpful enough.  Admittedly we do have limited experience of hostels in the UK, having spent most of our hostelling days in Eastern Europe, so any comparison was perhaps bound to be favourable.  After a much-needed shower and a stretch, we headed out for some pub grub and a medicinal pint.  We decided a 2 pint limit was probably sensible given the next day we had planned, but it took some will power to resist the array of ales on show.


Here's the stats for the day. Stand-outs include max speed and the total ascent for the day, which is nearly double that of my previous best effort (even with the 500 ft glitch at the 15 mile mark, as shown in the elevation profile)

Training Weekend Plans

Ever since we agreed to do our LEJOG, the plan has always been to meet up for a long weekend's training, the idea being that it would allow us to get used to cycling together, staying in hostels, riding with panniers etc, and give us an indication of how our individual fitness levels were coming along.


Well, this weekend we'll be in the (hopefully) sunny Lake District doing just that. The plan is to meet on Friday lunchtime, ride Friday afternoon to our first hostel, ride all day Saturday to our second hostel, then another ride on Sunday before I head back up the road (Malc is staying another night and riding another 60miles to Preston on the Monday!).


As yet we've no concrete routes planned out, we're just going to see how we feel once we get down there. The main aim is to get used to riding together, but we should cover a good few miles while we're at it. Fingers crossed for decent weather!


I'm hoping to be able to update the blog at the end of each day, so I'll try and keep you posted on our progress.


- Cal

The Arran Circular

Earlier this week I decided to take advantage of the fantastic weather (and the fact that I'm only partially employed these days) and set off for a wee day trip around Arran. I fancied a change of scenery from the usual neck of the woods where I do most of my training rides, and also wanted to do a route that felt like more of an achievement. A bit of web research showed that the 55 mile 'Arran circular' is a popular route with cyclists thanks to the island's rolling hills, cracking scenery and, best of all, quiet roads. Ideal...

Just arrived in Brodick.

A quick train journey from Glasgow to Ardrossan and a smooth ferry crossing landed me in Brodick, the island's largest town/village.  I stocked up on grub and set off South, having decided to tackle it 'anti-clockwise' to make the most of the prevailing wind on the more exposed West coast of the island.

Lunch in Blackwaterfoot.

I stopped for lunch in Blackwaterfoot after about 25 gently undulating, traffic-free miles. It made such a change to be able to enjoy the ride without the fear of mentalist bus drivers, neds in suped-up Corsa's and the partially sighted elderly taking me out (might be something to bear in mind when route-planning for the LEJOG itself). The West coast road was particularly quiet, and I flew the 22 wind-assisted miles up the coast to Lochranza, where I stopped and sat in a sunny beer garden and psyched myself up for the only big climb of the day, which took me up to about 600ft and across to Sannox. The climb was murder in the heat, but the leisurely coast down the other side was great, and carried me over the 50 mile mark for the first time since I started training. I was knackered by the time I made it back to Brodick, and promptly slept like a baby on the ferry back over to Ardrossan. I must've been quite a sight slumped in the corner, lycra-clad and drooling onto my own shoulder.... 


Here's the stats:

 

My total distance for the day was just over 58 miles - by far the furthest I've gone to date. My legs took a few days to recover (not helped by playing 5-a-side on the days before and after) so I've been looking into ways of boosting my recovery. Arran itself was great, I would thoroughly recommend it as a day trip. Hard to believe it's only 2 hours from the centre of Glasgow.


- Cheers.

My first 'back-to-back' weekend

As the more observant among you may have realised, my promise of on-the-road updates over the weekend failed to materialise.  I did try, but it must have got lost somewhere in the technosphere.  I'm planning on updating via my phone on the trip itself, so I'll need to iron these issues out sooner rather than later...


Both weekend rides went well, and I'm delighted to report that I managed to get through a total of 68 miles without injuring myself, wimping out or vowing never to ride a bike again.  Progress indeed!  The clocks going forward made getting out of bed on Sunday morning all the more excruciating, but once I got out on the road I actually felt pretty pleased with myself!  The promise of Scotland vs Brazil and a Sunday roast always helps too (especially when you can smell it wafting out of pubs and restaurants as you cycle past).


I'm planning a slightly longer 46 mile ride this coming Saturday.  The plan is to continue building up the distances as the training weekend approaches (1 month to go!).  I also get paid this week, which will enable me to purchase the rest of the kit I'll need.  My only quandary is my choice of pannier bags, so any reviews/suggestions are welcomed as always.


I'll leave you with the photos that were meant to be in the on-the-road update yesterday.


Cheers for now!

Looking down on Lennoxtown from the Crow Road.

Looking West towards the hills around Loch Lomond (I think).

Spring Has Sprung!

I just know I'm going to regret that blog title when the weather reverts to p**sing it down tomorrow.... 


But for today at least we do seem to be clear of all the crap weather that has kept me off the roads all winter.  The season for shorts, beer gardens and t-shirt sun tans is upon us, exactly 3 months from the start of our LEJOG!


That brings me to the first order of business for today's post: training.  This weekend will be the first time I've attempted back-to-back rides on Saturday and Sunday, and I'm starting off with a double-header of the 34 mile route I mentioned in the last blog.  I don't anticipate the mileages being an issue, it's how my back and derriere will cope with two consecutive days in the saddle that has me worried.  My lower back in particular has been giving me a bit of grief towards the end of my last few training rides, leading me to wonder if my riding position is maybe a bit off (answers/suggestions on a postcard).  I'll also be experimenting with posting blog entries from my phone this weekend.  Good luck everyone...


As some of you will be aware, myself and Malc 'officially' launched our fundraising push earlier this week.  The support we've had so far has been great, and we'd both like to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated so far.  It feels good to finally get going with the fundraising element of the trip, and I think the fact that people have actually put their hands in their pockets has made it all a bit more real for both of us.  It should help propel me up the Crow Road this weekend, so thanks!  Check out our Just Giving page, where you can sponsor us and find out more about our chosen charity, the Highland Hospice.  The next step for us is to find some jersey sponsors.  We will begin the search by approaching various Inverness based companies next week, but if you know of any organisations or businesses anywhere in the UK that may be interested please do get in touch!


That's it for now folks.  Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine... while it lasts!

Progress.... finally

Having well and truly shaken off the winter cobwebs, I feel a blog update is long overdue. I'm delighted to report that I've been back on the road for a few weeks now, and that my training is well and truly back on track. It's still not exactly balmy out there, but the purchase of a pair of tights has helped get me back outdoors and away from the dreaded turbo trainer. It's a sad day indeed when a grown man buys himself a pair of tights, but needs must! The last two Saturday mornings have been great, I'm surprised at how much I've enjoyed them. A lot of that is down to a cracking wee route I've found, details of which are below:

This route has everything a decent training run needs: decent road surfaces, the right amount of hills, great scenery and minimal traffic.  Most importantly it's restored my appetite for training, so it's now just a case of building up the mileage.


Progress has also been made on the sponsorship front. I'll post details as soon as they're available, but I'm delighted to announce that we'll be raising funds for the Highland Hospice. It's a great cause that means a great deal to both of us, so fingers crossed we can raise a fair amount of cash to help support the fantastic work they do.


In the mean time, preparations will continue for our training weekend, which will be taking place in the Lake District during the last weekend in April. The aim is to do three days at just under our intended LEJOG pace, which will hopefully give us a pretty good idea of where we stand. It'll also give the two of us a chance to get used to cycling together after going at our own pace whilst training. Fingers crossed the weather holds, and that the Lake District climbs don't destroy me! Again, I'll post details once everything's finalised.


I'll leave you with a view of the Crow Road, which has come right at the start of my last two training rides. Despite being 2 miles of nausea inducing misery, I can't help but include it in most of my route plans.


First the tights, now an appetite for gruelling climbs: the 'roady' mentality is really taking hold...


Cheers for now. 

The Crow Road - it's my Alpe D'Huez!