Day 2: Golant to Exeter

We knew this'd be a hard day. Horrible humidity and rain forecast and 85 miles the straightest route according to CTC guru Colin Langdon. Happily Colin was wrong and we made it here in 80, bypassing Dartmoor via a 'less hilly' route. Didn't feel less hilly to us - in fact we were pushing the bikes up a mega steep, muddy gravel track (Ta Mr Langdon!) after about 5 minutes and progress through the morning was extremely frustrating and slow. Much sugary tea and cake/energy bars were eaten on route and we took to singing crude songs about Colin L to keep spirits up. We averaged 10 mph but the cycle computer reckoned we'd spent over 4 hours on breaks (rain and recuperation).

Some incredible downhill with James going over 40, with Mike tootling fairly rapidly behind.

Fantastic feeling to see the flatter north devon landscape unfolding as we edged around the last of Dartmoor.

Dragged ourselves into a darkening Exeter at 10 o'clock, catching a Chinese takeaway and a beer before heading back to a late, lonely (everyone else in bed) supper at the YHA. Tired, really tired ( Mike nearly fell asleep standing up) but thrilled to get what we both agreed was our hardest cycling day ever out of the way.
Wanted to ring our Badminton pals at the post game pub to let them know how we were progressing, but just managed a chat with our wives and kids before the night was over.

DAY 1: Lands end to Golant

After a long train down the day before (7 hrs) the day of judgement has dawned. Bleary eyed and full of excitement we arived at Lands end on a warm but overcast morning. We made our way down to the starting post only to find the starting post had been removed and would not be replaced until 10am when the man who owned it would charge you a fiver for the privilege of standing next to a sign pointing to John O Groats. Not to give in to this, Mike and I stood next to the place of the sign and were photographed by Mikes good friend Andy, who had put us up the night before.

Lands End seemed very quiet that morning, a bit like us. We were thinking 'we can't do this can we?' On the bikes we got and boy did they feel heavy. We need to eat some of those energy bars to lighten the load. With fresh but heavy legs we made our way to Penzance. After about 10 mins it felt good. Yeah, we CAN do this!

At Penzance we stopped for tea and scrambled eggs and were ready to take on the world - or Cornwall anyway. Shortcuts always look good but never in Cornwall - it usually means going down hill and I mean down, which is good BUT you always have to go back up, and I mean up and up and up, this was a lesson we would learn the hard way. There are bits of Cornwall that are like the Bermuda Triangle you never seem to get out of them, but we were brave strong young men - ok so we got off and pushed a few times a few energy bars later - and we were ready for the hills... and there are plenty of them.



We decided to make some time up and make our way onto some roads without grass down the middle of them. They're called 'A' class roads for a reason. We made some good time up and stopped at Truro for Pizza, pasta and rain, then took the long route to St Austell. Another thing I've learnt is when you ask a local what the route is like to a place your going to, they always seem to say "over the top and then its down hill all the way." What a load of ########### My advice is only ask people who have a bike with them, people who have engines have no idea.
We arrived at St Austell stopped at a local pub and toasted our first day, we our now real men. We got that wrong too. Lesson 3: Never toast success until your by the side of the place your staying at. 10 miles later up many more hills we got to Golant, day one completed and thank God. Now where is that beer?

Joined in the lounge by Mike, a younger, lycra clad lejoger, who's taking an eastern route, Edinburgh etc. He tells us that he's not a serious cyclist, but later lets slip that he's only done 6,000 miles on his second bike, an enclosed recumbent speedster. He's definitely a bit more serious than us! Its our first night in a shared dorm and the huge, snoring German opposite Mikes bunk tells us we've left an essential item out of our kit... ear-plugs.

12th July 8am Start 15 days to go 43 miles

Sat morning off on early morning training run. Weather was cool and damp cycled up a hill which used to hurt like hell but now just hurts a little bit!!!!

The first hour is always the worst bit as the body gets used to pumping away. Cycled through Yarnfield where we play badders with a bunch of other old dads, over to Eccleshall up another hill as shown in the video, what fine specimens of athletes we are

We may look a bit tired but the breathing soon gets back to normal, didn't even stop at the top for a rest, yep were turnin into well toned athletes, watch out lance armstrong, the new boys are in town. Cycled through high offley, great views over shopshire and into Wales, and up to a village called Cheswardine, where we stopped and had our Isotonic drinks, fruit bars and a couple of Bournbourne biscuts, got to keep feeding that engine. After about 20 mins cycled back home to our loving wives to dote on them, except for a little detour, due to heavy rain, to a little tea shop for a pot for two and some home made fruit cake,made by an old Granny who runs the place. Need to find more of this type of tea shops on the LEJOG and keep away from the Greggs and the Chatwins.

6th July 20 days to go

Mike and I went out for an evening ride to get some back to back cycling in after our days cycling, yesterday.
We met at the bottom of a hill called chase lane, a nice steep hill that needs the granny gears. I got there before mike and waited for him. As he came along I started to video him ready for the big hill, as he approached he shouted out that he wasn't going to stop as the momentum would take him so far up the hill, I stoped the video and started after him, I should've carried on videoing!!!!!!!

Within a few seconds of going up the hill mike had trouble changing gear got stuck in a low gear stuck in his cleat pedals and fell sideways, would have made a classic u tube. After mopping his grazed knee carried on with a 25 mile cycle out to bishops offley, body feeling ok

Mike: Peak district - Stone

Dropped off by friends in the manifold valley, where my oldest Charlotte was starting her Dof E bronze hike. Bad feelings (summed up by my miserable aspect in this photo) where confirmed when I had to dismount five minutes after setting off on the climb up to Thorpe. happily, that was the only real setback with a run through Ashbourne, Rocester and Uttoxeter taking me back via 30 miles of hilly but not vertical climbs.

Good practice for Cornwall in a couple of weeks time I hope. best moment of the day was climbing past a bloke in all the lycra coming up to Hilderstone. Worst, getting overtaken by three twelve year olds on mountain bikes on the Tissington trail.

5th July 2008 training day 73 miles. 22 days to go

James took the train to Gloucester to meet up with Mark who's doing the LE JOG at this moment. I got the train at 6.30 a.m, arriving at 8.30 at Gloucester. Took a long climb up out of the valley was overtaken by a mountain biker which made me feel like a looser, only to find him 5 Min's later sitting on the verge crying like a big girl, now whose the looser! Grinded away up to the top, feeling tired and thinking thing s like downhills are more fun, why don't I live in Holland, yeah this pain is good for me, does the pain ever stop, why on earth am I doing the LE JOG, so fed up with thinking stuck on the i.pod felt much easier grinding away to the theme of 'Rocky' !
With the first hour gone, got into the rhythm, no more real pain, already drunk a bottle of water and orange and a peanut butter sandwich, keep feeding the engine. Arrived at Ross on Wye, 17 miles, stuffed a pastie and a doughnut into the engine, more drink, feeling not to bad, sun shining.
Met up with Mark and took the CTC route to Clun, Mark seems to be doing ok for day 6 averaging at about 11 mph, stopped for lunch about 10 miles before Leominster, so hungry by now, big lunch and a pint of weak juice! went down this hill clocked a top speed of 38 mph! An hour later started raining, waterproofs on , stopped raining, waterproofs off, this happened quite a few times.
At about 60 miles began to get tired more fuel needed, heavy rain, at about 70 mile we started to imagine where Clun YHA would be, the worse dread would be up a 2 mile steep climb. Arrived at Clun wet and hungry at 6.45 relieved to find the YHA just up a gentle slope. Mark met up with his wife and kids, he was pleased to see them, I was too, they were going to give me a lift home, after dinner. Washed and changed in the men's dorm, full of BO and wet clothes, theres going to be some serious snorring in that dorm tonight, must invest in some ear plugs when i go in 3 weeks. Went out to feed the engine, body feels OK, going to get some of that stuff you rub over your meat and two veg. Mike and I Can do this now, its just like today x 14 days, feeling confident, feeling tired, time for bed

3rd July Eccleshall Run

Quickish 15 mile night-time run... and the best photo the barman at the Wayfarer could manage.

The route and the dates.

We set off for Cornwall and a stopover with a friend in St Ives on the 27th of July. Next morning our meaty itinerary begins.

Day 1: Lands end to Golant
Day 2: Exeter
Day 3: Cheddar
Day 4: Ross on Wye (taking James thru the old country)
Day 5: Clun
Day 6: Chester
Day 7: Slaidburn
Day 8: Carlisle
Day 9: Wanlockhead
Day 10: Loch Lomond
Day 11: Glencoe
Day 12: Loch ness
Day 13: Bonar Bridge
Day 14: Tongue
Day 15: John O' Groats

On the 12th of August, we (hopefully) return via a thirteen hour train journey from Thurso to Stoke.