Spin to win - Saturday

Hang on...

Wait a minute, just need to finish a conversation with my roommate about gender reorientation.

(He is 70, is reading The Wasp Factory, and finished within 10 minutes of me today. He looks a bit like a Wurzel and is all for self determination of gender. Legend.)

Right, he's nodded off. Anyway, the fact that Chris finished so soon after me is some indication of how the day went.

All started well with 30 miles of fair whiz zing along. The Syrian question was analysed (jig/Ben you were missed) as was how to choose the right music to cycle too. (There is a tandem with on board speakers as part of the group of 71 riders).

Then, after 30 miles the left knee starting playing up again. Soon the pain spread from the quad into the side of the knee then I starting getting nasty shooting pains through the knee itself which meant I couldn't put any real pressure on it.

I'm sure these problems are happening because the injury in the other knee stopped me training properly in the run up to this ride and it's just too much for muscles grown unaccustomed to this amount of effort.

When I saw a place offering sports massage I stopped and went in but they don't have any free!

Anyway, I only had one option, which was to go very slowly, putting minimal pressure on the knee. So that's what I did. Members of the group who I would usually whizz past in the morning overtook me one by one and I could only sit and spin (cycle in low gear with high cadence) as they slipped over the horizon. We're talking grandmothers here. My main solace was that this technique seemed to be working and got me through the 89 miles of the day, and will hopefully keep me on the road. At one point I started envisaging worst case scenarios, and one guy had to picked up from the side of the road when his knees gave up.

The other thing the helped massively was music. I took earphones and plugged one in so I could still hear the traffic. Otis Redding, Lilly Allen, Flaming Lips, Robbie, Paolo all helped. Morissey (spell check just suggested 'morosely') didn't.

The route took us through pleasant countryside north of Shrewsbury, then along busier and busier roads as we passed through Warrington and Wigan before arriving in sunny Preston. The wind picked up blowing across us from the west, but the weather held for fifth day. Doing this in the rain would be really tough.

Photos coming soon...

It only hurts when I pedal - Friday

Spending the night in a room of 10 cyclists, many of whom had eaten curry for supper and had a beer, was never going to be a pleasant experience. And so it proved.

So, bleary eyed we set off, me with a new spoke after one broke yesterday (all part of the service and much appreciated).

Everything went swimmingly for the first 20 miles and then then sore leg started hurting again. With 66 miles to go, this was not good news.

On the bright side, the countryside north of Chepstow is very pretty, with wooded valleys, rolling hills, lots of lush farmland, and the dark clouds and showers that passed ahead of us left everything rich and green and terribly British.

We had a couple of stops. One at an enterprising village store en route with a LeJog signpost.

And one with just seven miles until lunch at a little campsite cafe. We've decided that it is never a bad idea to stop, whether for a photo, a stretch or scenic comfort break in a field. The trouble is, that when rolling along in a group, the temptation to just push on. We're learning how to make the most of this experience we go.

By lunchtime my leg was very sore and I couldn't keep up with the normal gang when we set off for the afternoon ride. I found myself on the wheel of a delightful lady who was going at just the ride speed and I just focused on her back wheel and tried to stay there.

We got chatting and that helped take my mind of my leg - and also my arse which also feels like its been kicked by a horse and hurts constantly. (Forgive the self pity, I can't moan to my fellow riders as they all have their aches and pains too).

When a long, long hill threatened to get the better of me I reached for my iPhone and puts some tunes on to help us to the top. It was something I tried going up a gorge near Chedddar (possibly the gorge) and worked a treat. I just focused my whole mind on the music and away form my leg and arse.

The last 20 miles were down the other side of the big hill and along the flat into Shrewsbury where it was a delight to have a proper hotel room with a bath and proper bed that someone else had made.

So, a tough day that is already losing its sting. Hopefully the cold bath and rest will sort the leg. With two working legs this would be such fun!

Bloody awful - Thursday

After the delights of Dartmoor, the third day was something of a shocker.

The morning started well, with relatively flat terrain and a good average speed in our little group. Even climbing Cheddar gorge was fun.

We stopped for lunch and I slipped away early and decided to take a detour into Portishead (after which the band is named). I also wanted to do a couple of extra miles so that the 98 miles planned would tot up to 100.

I turned out that I was in Clevedon, not Portishead, but it was fun to be off the route and a little bit lost, and I got to see the tidal pool and pier on the River Severn.

After the pm drinks stop we had 30 odd miles to go, across the Severn and into Wales. The route took us along the docks and wastelands of Avonmouth, a more soul sucking expanse of Britain I have yet to see. Then across the endless arch of the  old Severn Bridge and into Chepstow. Up a bloody big hill, now with my left leg feeling like it had been kicked by a mule. (The right knee is fine, thanks for asking, I don't know what all the fuss was about).

Then I got lost. I went down a big hill and asked directions. The next thing I knew I was cycling through Wales on the west of the Wye while my group was in another bloody country. My phone was flat so I couldn't check Google maps and work it out myself. I stopped to ask a postman who directed me further into Wales up more bloody hills with the cheery send off: 'Good luck, it's a really nasty road'.

Then I found myself going past Chepstow racecourse and down a snaking road past Tintern Abbey. There was no time for poetry as by now my leg was hurting with every peddle stroke and I cursed with the pain when I had to pedal uphill.

I knew I had to get back across the Wye and into England, so when I saw a footbridge I went across but only found a rough path going into woods.

It was now getting late and I had already gone past the 100 mile mark. The next bridge was for cars and led to the mother of all hills that went on and on and on. My spirits which had been sapped by the  bleakness of the Severn Estuary and riding lost and alone, were now very low. I seriously thought about checking into a hotel in Tintern and catching up with the group the next day.

Eventually I got to the Youth Hostel that was to be home for the night. It was in a proper castle but I didn't care. What I did care about was having to make my bed, the fact that there were 10 of us in a room with bunks. That there was nowhere to charge my phone. And no wifi so i could not update the blog. But I was there and time quickly did its magic. Blurring the edges of near-psychotic misery into a tale to share in the medieval courtyard where we chatted before supper.

It was a miserable and painful afternoon, it was harder than I ever expected, and I think there may be more pain to come.

Bloody marvellous

What a day.

It started in thick fog on main roads with nasty sharp hills that hurt legs worn out by yesterday's exertions. But then we went through Tavistock and were faced by a hill that dwarfed anything experienced since Lands End.

It was a monster but as I climbed it, the fog cleared to reveal the most stunning day- green and lush and still. And at top of the hill was some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen in my life.

Dartmoor seen by bike is simply breathtaking. Massive, brooding, with great craggy outcrops and lush grass among the gorse where cattle and sheep grazed.

Everywhere you looked was another spectacular view. Few of them spoiled by a sweaty man in Lycra.

Then we had lunch and a weird thing happened - my hand grew and grew until the pasty I was about it eat looked tiny.

The run in was mostly downhill to Exeter  and then along the valley to Tiverton where I found myself a resident of a Best Western, sitting in an ice bath, drinking a banana protein shake at half past four on a Wednesday afternoon, thinking how unusual life had become.

Stats of the day: 70 miles. 12.1 mph average. 39.4 mph max. 5hrs 34mins riding.

Survived day one

One day and 77 miles down. Eleven days and 923 miles to go.

After all my flapping, things have gone very smoothly. Susie and the kids drove me down to Lands End and Mum and Peter came down to see me off too.

There were the obligatory photos by the sign post - but because we were there before 9, we didn't have to pay the usual £10 per pic!

A quick briefing and group shot then the 63 of us rolled off to clog up the lanes of Cornwall. It was all very relaxed and convivial with groups forming and dissolving.

There were stops morning and afternoon for water and snacks, and a hearty lunch with pasta and pasties laid on. As we ate the news came through that one rider had crashed into a telegraph pole and broken some ribs. Gutting for him and a reminder that it only takes a second to come off.

My closest shave came when the group I was with came round a corner and almost smashed into a very slow cyclist who I'd seen at the start. A middle-aged man in Lycra he was not. Baggy T-shirt, beard, old squash bottle for his water etc. 'God, I hope I'm not sharing a room with him,' I thought.

Fast forward to 7pm and guess who knocks on the door of room 41 at the Liskeard Premier Inn? Yup, the bearded one.

It turns out he is a fabulous fellow, by jolly and apparently undaunted by the fact that he is the back marker. In fact, he'd been accompanied since lunch by one of the organisers on a bike to shepherd him along.

This ride was always going to be about more than just the cycling, and my roommate for the next 11 days could well enrich the experience. Fingers crossed.

My ride went well, the knee seems to be holding up pretty well. I ate and drank a lot and took it easy, coming in at 5.30pm after a 10.15 start and long lunch break. Average speed 13mph. There were some very big hills and some very steep hills (see gradients in an earlier post), but I only thought of walking once.

I sat in a cold bath when I got in, had a protein shake and stretched, so hopefully won't be too stiff tomorrow.

Thanks again to the send-off team and for all the other messages of support in the run up to the off.

The north wind doth blow

There's nothing a cyclist hates more than a headwind. And while Mother Nature looks set to provide some sunshine for next week's ride, she is serving up consistent Notherly winds.

Torrential rain is preferable to having the wind on the nose. Headwinds sap your strength and drains your spirit. 

I still haven't gone near the bike for fear of aggravating the dodgy knee. Instead I ate a huge cream tea, explaining that I was carbo-loading - only to be told that such pre-emptive scoffing serves no purpose. 

Will have a go at strapping myself up tomorrow then go for a spin to see how it feels. Tour de France riders complete much greater distances with broken pelvises, so maybe I should just shut up and get on with it.

On the road

Bank holiday traffic plus an accident that closed the road made for a 7 hour trip to Cornwall. 

Discovered some lovely bits of Dorset while dodging the jams. I'm looking forward to seeing some more great views over the next couple of weeks.

Bound for Cornwall

Went for the partial shave...

Sadly I shaved the wrong area. Taking it off was agony. Will have to have another go with the razor - but don't think I'll be putting in the sort of performances to justify the full shave.

The posh physio tape seems to have helped but will have to wait until Tuesday to see how things are.

The daily grinds

 

A quick overview of the daily rides:

Day 1: Land’s End – Liskeard (80 miles)
Day 2: Liskeard – Tiverton (77 miles)
Day 3: Tiverton – Tintern (96 miles)
Day 4: Tintern – Shrewsbury (90 miles)
Day 5: Shrewsbury – Preston (92 miles)
Day 6: Preston – Carlisle (90 miles)
Day 7: Carlisle – Kilmarnock (100 miles)
Day 8: Kilmarnock – Inveraray (80 miles)
Day 9: Inveraray – Loch Lochy (100 miles)
Day 10: Loch Lochy – Tain (80 miles)
Day 11: Tain – Thurso (85 miles)
Day 12: Thurso – John O’Groats (30 miles) - bus to Inverness
Day 13: Depart from Inverness

And links to maps for each day, with graphs of the climbs etc. I'll try and include a map with each day's update. Whoopee.

http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_14_58_39_b_LeJog_Day_1_Land_s_End___Liskeard.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_01_09_b_LeJog_Day_2_Liskeard___Tiverton.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_02_57_b_LeJog_Day_3_Tiverton___Tintern_1.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_05_04_b_LeJog_Day_4_Tintern___Shrewsbury.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_21_08_b_LeJog_Day_5_Shrewsbury___Preston.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_14_44_29_b_LeJog_Day_6_Preston___Carlisle.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_14_47_38_b_LeJog_Day_7_Carlisle___Kilmarnock.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_07_57_b_LeJog_Day_8_Kilmarnock___Inveraray_final_v.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_10_06_b_LeJog_Day_9_Inveraray___Loch_Lochy.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_15_00_b_LeJog_Day_10_Loch_Lochy___Tain.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_16_22_b_LeJog_Day_11__Tain___Thurso.gpx
http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_15_18_15_b_LeJog_Day_12_Thurso___John_O_Groats.gpx

To shave or not to shave...?

I saw the physio yesterday who prodded and probed my knee until I gave an almighty yelp and it was clear she had found the problem.

I have strained part of the hamstring that supports the side of the right knee. It's not torn, which is great news - but there isn't enough time to do much about fixing it.

I'm going back on Friday to have special tape applied that should help a bit and will have to strap myself up each day. I've been told that I should shave my leg as the tape will be agony to remove if not.

The question is - do I copy the pro cyclists and shave both legs altogether? This is meant to make you more aerodynamic, make cuts easier to clean and dress if you come off, and is a badge of honour among serious cyclists.

Or do I shave half a leg and leave the other au naturel?

Watch this space...

The route through Cornwall

Some friends and family have been asking about the route through the sacred land of Kernow as they want to throw pasties at me.

The pic above may give you an idea (click on it to view larger). If not, follow this link:

http://maplorer.com/permalink.php?file=2013-08-17_14_58_39_b_LeJog_Day_1_Land_s_End___Liskeard.gpx

and you can zoom in on the route.

We start at  9.30 am and will be going around 15mph with any luck - though with flapjacks, faffing and those hills the average may drop a bit.

Knee-nar

This time next week I will be scoffing pasta and preparing for the start of my 1,000 mile ride from Land's End to John O'Groats.

For now my biggest concern is my right knee. A strained ligament has stopped me training properly - and my weekend plans to rest it completely went to pot when I had to push a boat off a mud bank to stop us being stranded by a falling tide. That wasn't in any of the training manuals.

I have an appointment with the physio tomorrow and have no doubts that I will be there at the start on Tuesday 27th. I wonder where you can buy Nurofen in bulk...

Thank you!

I'm back and blogging and need to start by saying a massive thank you to everyone who has donated to my Just Giving page.

I've been amazed at people's generosity. People at work I've never met but who heard about the ride and the charity have contributed as well as lots of colleagues. Lots of a friends and family have dug deep too - and I still need to send some people details of how to donate...

I've you'd like to help, please go to www.justgiving.com/miles-kendall 

I'll be updating these pages more regularly now, and everyday once the ride starts. Lucky you.