2006-07-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

My adventure started on Saturday 8^th July when I departed from my home to cycle the 11 miles to Paddington Station. My family came along to see me off on the 13.05 to Penzance. I was pretty choked after all the goodbyes but soon settled into the journey and watched the countryside effortlessly pass by. As the train entered Cornwall the clouds started to gather and by the time we were approaching Penzance it was extremely unwelcoming. I changed into my cycle kit and waterproof and set off against a howling gale 8 miles to B&B (Rob & Pat Jones, Sunnycroft, Sennen, Penzance, Cornwall. TR19 7AP. 01736 871744).

DAY 1 (Sunday 9^th July 2006) Lands End to Bridgewater (Somerset)

After an apprehensive but comfortable night I set off early and was at Lands End at 6:30am, well before the famous sign would be in place. Undeterred I took my own sign-less photos

and got my verification form stamped in the hotel. At 7am sharp I crossed the line and set off thrilled to be on my way at last. The weather hadn’t improved much but thankfully the wind was right behind me and I flew through the first few miles back past Penzance. On the advice of Dale Collins (LeJog 01.06 – 09.06.06) (http://www.freewebs.com/walteredward/) I stayed on the A30 all the way to Okehampton (approx. 2pm), then the B3215, A3072, A377 to Crediton, and then the A3072, A396 to Tiverton. Still feeling good and with improving weather I pushed on down the A361 to the A38 through Taunton and finally called it a day at Bridgewater (approx. 5:30pm). Using the A30 had certainly made all the difference. The traffic wasn’t bad; much of the roa

d had a small hard shoulder perfect for a cyclist. A couple of long painful climbs on the A30 had bothered me, but I slid back on my saddle, put my head down and counted the cats-eyes by the kerb – once I got up to 173! Well ahead of schedule on day one I went to the first hotel in town (The Tudor Hotel, 21,

St.Mary Street, Bridgewater

, Somerset. TA6 3LX 01278 422093).

154.09 miles / 9hours 9 minutes / average speed: 16.8 mph/ max. speed: 40 mph

(It took me a total of 4 hours 25 minutes to escape from Cornwall @ 78 miles. I made a mental note of the 4:25 stat. for each days ride and recorded them below – these times do include stops, whereas the 9:9 above is purely cycling time when my wheels were turning).

DAY 2 (Monday 10^th July 2006) Bridgewater to Congleton (Cheshire)

An early start again after Weetabix and coffee I set off north still on the A38 towards Bristol. The first few miles were nice and flat and the sun was shining. Soon though the hills sprang up and the rain fell down! The A4 up the river Avon was busy with rush hour traffic (I stopped for quick photo of the Clifton Bridge) but I was soon on the lonely A403 and the Severn Road Bridge looming in the distance didn’t appear to be getting any closer. I had to stop and adjust my front derailleur as my chain was slipping off. Then into

Wales

, the A466 Wye Valley brought the sun out again. It was a very pleasant ride to Monmouth but then the hills to the A49 were toughens so I was quite relieved to get back on a larger road and cruised through Hereford, Leominster and Ludlow stopping frequently for quick water on/off and snack breaks. Just before Shrewsbury (approx. 125 miles) I stopped at a Little Chef for a proper 20 minute break. The A49 also has perfect little hard shoulders that are fairly clean and comfortable to ride in. ‘Refreshed’ I dragged around Shrewsbury on the A49 (I should have gone through the town centre) heading north still then took the A53 to Market Drayton, A529 to Nantwich (a beautiful ride), A534 all the way to a warm welcome at my Mums house in Congleton (slightly off the LeJoG fast route). I had planned to be here on night 4!! So was pretty pleased with this effort........of course it would also have been pretty silly to have stopped in Shrewsbury, just 45 miles short of my Mums, so I had a really good incentive to keep going. The usual long soak in a hot bath, some great home-cooked food and a visit from my sister went a long way to repair my weary body and mind.

178.24 miles / 13hours 10 minutes / average speed: 15.9mph / max. speed: 36mph

(My longest ever ride, so far that is)

@ 12hours, 7am to 7pm (in cycling circles this is called a '12') I had ridden 165.30miles

The 12-hour record for solo and unpaced cycling is 452.196 km (280.9 miles) and was set by Slovenia's Marko Baloh at the Novo Mesto Velodrome, Slovenia, on August 31, 2002. On the same day, Marko – a former racing cyclist – also set a new time for the fastest 200-mile track record, finishing in 8 hours 29 minutes 32 seconds.

(4 hours 25 minutes = 61 miles)

DAY 3 (Tuesday 11^th July 2006) Congleton to Kendal

Lay-in until 7am! Mother had kindly washed and dried my tired kit but I’d also managed to spray my last evening’s supper over my only casual T shirt! So I trundled ½ mile to The Cycle Centre (Congleton) who kindly put some air in my tyres while I purchased a new top for evening wear. Back at Mums I packed my small 8 litre Altura bag, filled my water bottles, nicked 2 bananas and literally headed for the hills......well Manchester actually at 10:30am. The A34 was quite pleasant into Manchester where I got slightly lost but found my way out thanks to the city map page I had in my map wallet. I eventually found the A6 that was an awful road pretty much all the way to Chorley due to the strong head wind. Turning slightly north towards Preston the wind eased and I picked up some speed. Bad traffic in Preston though slowed me down again. Not for long though, I shot up to Garstang and stopped at Little Chef for chips etc, then on through Lancaster where I rescued a young roadie at Carnforth who had a flat and no spare tube......I gave him my 2^nd patched tube in return for his holed one, and I had to put it on for him.....he didn’t fully appreciate my hurry, though he was terribly grateful. I sped on in fine sunny weather, taking the usual water breaks and photo stops and arrived in beautiful Kendal approx. 5:30pm. I had to persevere with the pubs before The Rainbow Tavern took me in, but alas, the room had a shower not a bath!! Still I put on a brave face and ran it cold over myself for 5 minutes before turning on the heat. The room did have the 2 other essential requirements, 1. a TV and 2. a bed. I had a lovely meal at a restaurant called Deja-Vu, opposite a large Evans Cycles, amazingly I managed to get into the closed Evans Cycles and after telling them my story they happily sold me a new 2^nd spare tube. I fixed the holed tube before bed, so now had a total of 3 spare tubes.

97.5 miles / 6 hours 23 minutes / average speed: 15.3mph / max. speed: 25mph

(4 hours 25 minutes = 58.85 miles)

DAY 4 (Wednesday 12^th July 2006) Kendal to Dumfries

I had a restless night due to the hot weather and a noisy generator outside my window. Shap was just up the road and I knew it was going to be a tough day. So off I went at 7:30am and started to climb up into the misty clouds. What a fantastic climb it was as well. Then I rolled down past Penrith and into Carlisle where I stopped at Little Frankies (11am) for potatoe skins and coffee. Then up the A7 and west along the A6071 to Gretna, (avoiding the busy A74) stopping for photos at the border. Then I made a bad choice and took the A75 towards Dumfries. This took me straight into a killer wind and drizzle that put me on my drops. Several long slight drags seemed to take forever and I played my cat-eye counting game over and over. My right achilles started to complain and by the time I reached the Little Chef outside Dumfries (approx. 2pm) it was so inflamed that I was pedalling with my heal out of its shoe! Tired, wet through, sore and depressed I sought solace in an Olympic breakfast and 2 cups of cappuccino, with shoes off and feet resting on a chair. An hour later I clipped on again and limped into Dumfries, still in the rain. I must have tried 8 or 9 B&B’s and was starting to despair when my luck turned and Marjory Burnett of Burnett House (4, Lovers Walk, Dumfries. DG1 1LP 01387 263164) let me have her gorgeous family room (3 beds) for £25!! No en-suite, but 2 very comfortable and clean bathrooms. I immediately bathed, changed and headed into town to a chemist for some pain killers and an ankle strap. Mr. Burnett very kindly lent me an excellent ice pack that made all the difference in the world. Still sore and depressed I seriously considered the following options for bailing out:-

1. I rang 1^st Scotrail to check whether I could take my bike on a train to Glasgow (then on to the Airport).

2. I also rang a car hire company to see if I might be able to hire a car in Dumfries and drop it off in Inverness, turning my failed LeJog into a relaxed cycle/drive tour. Thankfully the car hire company wanted £680 as the only car available was a large Nissan Patrol!

Lesson learned: don’t take your driving licence with you on your LeJog (why did I have mine??!). I knew I’d encounter a few ‘low’ points and this was absolute rock bottom. Having crossed the Scottish border my initial elation had completely drained away......look at the map; it’s still an awfully long cycle ride to JoG, especially when each pedal stroke borders on agony. On reflection I’m sure I strained my achilles by over zealous efforts earlier when climbing Shap. I also believe my body operates much more efficiently when the sun is shining on it and the wind is up my behind!

80.14 miles / 5 hours 39 minutes / average speed: 14.2mph / max. speed: 31.5mph

(4 hours 25 minutes = 53 miles)

DAY 5 (Thursday 13^th July 2006) Dumfries to Alexandria

A very comfortable night, though I did struggle to get to sleep with all my worries. Two Weetabix and a banana for breakfast and I set off at 7:30am, very careful to take it easy on the right foot. I was surprised to find my achilles felt OK and I made Beattock on the A701 in good spirits. Then turning northwest onto the B7076 I was struggling against that same wind that stumped me yesterday, except the sun was shining. I struggled on very slowly on an eerily quiet and deserted old A74 dual carriageway (right next to the new A74/M74) that was basically a giant cycle track, unfortunately it could have done with resurfacing and I worried about my new expensive but hopefully very strong wheels! I took a welcome cappuccino break in Abington at a perfect little tearoom and wrote some post cards. Then onwards and up, up, up the B7078 for a long cat-eye-counting time. It was quite cold even with two cycle jerseys on, so I donned my waterproof against the chill as well. My right knee was starting to complain and when I stood in my pedals I had some very alarming shooting pains from my right quad right down my leg. It felt a bit like ice cold water was running down my legs. Then it started on my left leg too. So I was very careful not to stand in my pedals again! Eventually I reached Blackwood on turned left onto the B7086, stopping for a photo next to the ‘Boghead’ sign post! Very slowly and carefully I made it to Strathaven, where I stopped at a chemist to buy an elasticated support for my quad to wear later when resting. On, on the A726 to East Kilbride where the buildings and traffic gave me some shelter from the headwind. E.Kilbride is not the prettiest of places but it was very welcoming! My speed increased and I started to put some miles behind me. On through Paisley towards the Erskine Bridge. I was really cruising now and it was a real blow to get so close to the Erskine Bridge and then find the road closed! I had to back-track following some thankfully well placed diversion signs that I think took me down the A8 towards the bridge. My spirits were high though, until I saw the bridge that is; it towered massively about 14 miles up in the air, how was I ever going to get up there without standing in my pedals? Simple: the road wound on and on and round and round until I was halfway across the bridge before I knew it. I stormed down the A814 to Dumbarton and stopped for my Olympic breakfast at the Little Chef just outside town. I also enquired at the neighbouring Travel Lodge for accomodation, knowing it would be too good to be true. And it was. In fact it was worse, as I learnt that the international golf tournament would probably mean that B&B’s and hotels were going to be hard to come by. Dumbarton basically didn’t want me, so I asked some very kind local Mothers where I could find a B&B and they directed me up the road to Renton. I actually came to rest in Alexandria in an expensive but very luxurious double room at the Albannach (274,

Main Street, Alexandria

, Dunbartonshire, G83 0NU 01389 603345) where I thoroughly enjoyed the large spa bath, several times actually! And later I strolled out for a chicken korma and beer. Still wearing my ankle support and now also sporting the quad compress, thankfully hidden under my shorts!

98.97 miles / 7 hours 52 minutes / average speed: 12.5mph / max. speed: 30mph

(4 hours 25 minutes = 48.5 miles)

DAY 6 (Friday 14^th July 2006) Alexandria to Fort Augustus
Late 7:50am start, mainly due to another spa bath! Bright sunshine and a tail wind helped me cruise up beside the beautiful Loch Lomond on the A82. I stopped for cappuccino and cake at Inverglas where unbeknown to me my phone charger slipped out of my bag. Glorious scenery and a toughish climb to Crianlarich for water top-up. Then up and up through the ‘Bens’ frequently stopping for photos and water on/off breaks. This is what I came for, the absolute ride of my life. The traffic was light so I could relax and enjoy the fairly open roads. Approaching Glencoe I stopped to have my photo taken with a traditionally dressed Scottish clansman, he was made of tough stuff with all that gear on in the heat! Stopped in Glencoe for cappuccino and beans on toast then pushed on down the A82 towards Fort William. I had another chat with a very kind local B&B lady who reassured me that I could push on through Fort William and still find plenty of accommodation at Fort Augustus. She was amazed that I’d already ridden 80 miles! So I zoomed on through Fort William, climbed for a while up to Spean Bridge and stopped for a photo of the Commando Memorial. Still fairly speedy up and down alongside Loch Lochy I ticked off the miles one by one. Then my left hamstring started to make small complaints about the miles. Soon it was screaming its intent to give up and go home so I stopped and put my quad support just below my left knee to give it some encouragement. I limped into Fort Augustus and stopped at the first hotel I passed, The Lovat Arms Hotel (Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, PH32 4DU 01320 366366), and thank goodness they had one single room left. Burger and chips in the bar, chatting with a ‘mature’ Dundee Wheeler about all things wonderful that you can do on a bike. I didn’t get his name which is a shame as he was very kind in encouraging me onwards to JoG. So thanks to all Dundee Wheelers wherever you are. Fort Augustus looked beautiful and it was a shame that I was too tired to explore the Caledonian Canal and the ingenious system of locks that navigate it. I’ll fly back one day.

113.07 miles / 7 hours 30 minutes / average speed: 15mph / max. speed: 32mph

(4 hours 25 minutes = 52 or 53 miles, I wasn’t paying attention!)

DAY 7 (Saturday 15^th July 2006) Fort Augustus to Helmsdale

A 7am start after another night of little sleep worrying about the next days ride. It only gets truly dark this far north after about 11:30am and then it’s light again at 4am! My left hamstring was still feeling very tight so I took it easy rolling long-side Loch Ness in perfect early morning sunshine on a quiet A82. The 32 miles to Inverness flew by in 2 hours 10 minutes. I popped into town just as the shops were opening and brought a new phone charger from The Link, then visited the Woolwich for some cash. No lingering for me, I saddled up and was over the Moray Firth in a flash. Quite a tough climb up the Black Isle brought me to Tore where I stopped for a large fry-up. The sun was really baking now so I was careful to keep my fluids in check. Then I rolled down the other side of the Black Isle and over the beautiful Cromarty Firth with its display of decaying oil platforms. I stopped in Tain (67 miles) for cappuccinos and then again in Golspie for another one. A kind gentleman in Golspie had recommended the Bridge Hotel in Helmsdale, saying “Ye cannamisit”. So of course when I eventually sailed into Helmsdale, after some tough ups and downs and an increasingly sore hamstring I did miss it and stopped at the first Hotel in town, The Belgrave Arms. Not the most attractive of rooms, but at £20 I really didn’t care! However, when I ventured out to wander around the tiny village and came across the Bridge Hotel, it did look very nice. Feeling fairly elated to have only 55 or 60 miles left I celebrated by dining out on freshly made local fish cakes followed by a generous portion of bangers and mash. Back in my room I gazed in wonder at the dots that marked each day’s journey up the

. Only one more to go!

I had some homework to do this evening:-

1. I phoned the JoG Hotel to discover that the ‘verification stamp’ would not be available until noon, so there was no point in setting off too early.

2. I also arranged for Miller’s Cabs (01955 606464) to pick me up at JoG, put my precious bike on a bike rack and take me back to Inverness (£120 which I thought was a bargain).

3. Last but by no means least I arranged with Highland Cycles (

Telford Street, Inverness 01463

234789) to drop my bike off with them on Monday 17^th so they could courier it home for me.

99.22 miles / 6 hours 38 minutes / average speed: 14.9mph / max. speed: 29.5mph

(4 hours 25 minutes = no record)

DAY 7.5 - OK DAY 8 (Sunday 16^th July 2006) Helmsdale to the VERY END

I was wide awake at 4:45am again this morning, but didn’t make any effort to get back to sleep; I was simply too excited. Oddly the 55 or 60 miles to JoG still seemed an incredibly long way off, especially as nothing serious had gone wrong with my bike....yet! I skipped breakfast and was off at 7:45am in warm sunshine and had to stop on the tough climb out of Helmsdale to remove my long-sleeved top. More climbs followed with a killer descent (note: all my descents were very cautious due to the rack and bag attached to my seatpost; at higher speed I encountered an alarming ‘shaking’ of the front fork......so I kept it slow and safe) and then another slogging ascent out of Berriedale. My Ipod charger had stopped charging a few days earlier, so for entertainment I occasionally spent a few hours tuned in to Radio2 via my mobile phone (I know this is slightly controversial whilst riding a bike, but hey, I’ve done it for four years riding in and out of London, and also got this far up the country and I never have the volume so high as to deafen me) and it was at this significant moment, the last tough climb that Aled Joned (I know!) played one of my favourite tracks; ‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley, I finished that climb a blubbering wreck! A few other bumps tried to slow me down but it was too late, the taste of victory was so close. However, I couldn’t resist stopping in Wick (35 miles) for a great Scottish breakfast at The Alexander Bain in the town square. Cappuccino and breakfast was £4.49! (Cappuccino was just 79p!!). I took the last few miles at a gentle pace, savouring the moment. The last climb up Warth Hill (406m) was glorious and the view from on top was spectacular. I stopped for photos, but they struggle to capture the scene in full. The Orkneys were spread out before me with Stroma nestled just a few miles away but no sign of JoG as it was still below the horizon. I mounted my trustworthy stead for the final mad dash to the line, but couldn’t resist stopping for a photo next to the John O’Groats town sign. The town didn’t amount to much but I had been warned not to be too disappointed by it. I rode through it into the Last House area and right up to the famous last post, where I leant from my bike to kiss it. Pity the poor tourists who were trying to get there photo taken next to it! Then the official photographer kindly pointed out that I should really go on a little way and ‘cross the line’!! I did just that and another kind man (a taxi driver) took several photos of me on the line (12:10pm). Then I went to the Hotel, got my hard earned ‘stamp’ on my verification form, wrote in the book and had a lovely pint of cool shandy. Back to the last post where I had my official photo taken (£9.50). Two hours of shopping for souvenirs, relaxing, eating, drinking and calling my family and friends and then I was in Millers cab (Mr. Miller himself, no less!) heading back down the strangely never ending road to Inverness and the very comfortable Royal Highland Hotel (Academy Street, Inverness. 01463 231926).

50.80 miles / 3 hours 20 minutes / average speed: 15.2mph / max. speed: 32.5mph

Total Mileage = 872.03

Total Time = 59 hours 45 minutes(0.2433 miles/minute – overall average speed of 14.59mph)

07.08.06 - checked out my route on http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ and it came to 877.64 miles! Allowing for some inaccurate digitizing I thought that was pretty close.

Note: The record is held by Andy Wilkinson who in 1990 covered the distance in an incredible 45 hours, 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

To see my actual route plotted on a detailed road map then use this link: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=346641

Use the zoom tool, click and drag to pan, switch to 'satellite' mode or hybrid mode.

A BIG THANK YOU to:-
My wife and children for putting up with the months of planning and fusing.
Sigma Sport, 15 High Street, Hampton Wick, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 4DA, 020 8943 4443 - for making my bike so very bullet proof! - No punctures thanks to Specialized ROUBAIX PRO tyres, NO MAJOR PROBLEMS....all that worrying for nothing!
All my family, friends & colleagues (Statoil (UK) Ltd) that bombarded me with txts and calls that were so encouraging.
Miller's Cabs (01955 606464) for getting me out of that remote, desolate backwater to semi-civilised Inverness.
NO THANKS AT ALL to EasyJet (a new oxymoron!) for the extra 1:45 hours wait at an incredibily hot and uncomfortable Inverness Airport.And a special GIANT thank you to Dale Collins (LeJogger, June 2006). He alone knew just how low the low points were, and he too probably still smiles whenever he sees a map of the UK.

If you wish to see the Blog for my training diary, equipment and strategy(!) then go to: http://kippertolejog.blogspot.com/

My verification form, duely sent off to End@End club so I can get my certificate..... Its now 19th August and still no sign of it!

Kipperonabike LeJoGs in 7.5 days.......