As I sit on the train thinking about what I've taken from this challenge a few things spring to mind as being acceptable while your on a bike and unacceptable in day to day life. Firstly being 23 years old and peeing by the side of the road at regular intervals is considered inappropriate when in a suit but yet in lycra on a bike it becomes fine. This brings me nicely to lycra, wildly off the mark choice of attire to buy your lunch at tesco most of the time yet you forget your even wearing it. Rubbing sudocrem on your bum in your office would be frowned upon and yet in the park as you have lunch and chat to your friends its ok. Eating 8000 calories including sweets you wouldn't touch since you became 10. Eating a whole bag of haribo in one morning. Farting constantly because you've eaten so much haribo. Using wet wipes to wipe your bum because toilet roll hurts your delicate areas. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Thank you all very much for your support, we have smashed our target thanks to all of you lovely people.
Friday 8 July 2011
Day 12
Day 12
Miles covered - 65
Total miles covered - 989
Highs - finishing, matts dad and his mate being such outstanding blokes- invisible dominoes will never be forgotten
Lows - 20mph direct head winds
"We deserve a bad weather day" I think I remember bruce saying. We were so fortunate with weather it had to happen, and so it did on the final day. Our average speed was barely above 10 mph down hill even when we were peddling hard the wind just blew you back. We were looking forward to the hills to get some shelter. Grums knees were also causing him hell and riding something that all ready resembles a barge and essentially has a desk on the front can't have been fun in the storm.
Anyway, we got there and wow what a feeling legs had long since given up on us and any day when you had no new problems was a good one. I can't remember what it was like not to have tight muscles, that place just doesn't exist. Nicks dad brought a crate of beer for us which was an excellent reward. Photos aplenty. I think I used the moment to officially retire from the sport of cycling but that's probably a rash steve redgrave post 4th gold medal moment! We are delighted, we spent the night in a hotel in thurso courtesy of matts dad and had an excellent evening and excellent chinese food. The evening was full of gems from james (matts dads friend and professional entertainer).
A man arrives at a hotel pushing his rolls-royce and becomes bankrupt. Answers via text please
So we headed for Edinburgh the next day with the prospect of a good night ahead of us, and as ever the city provided.
Miles covered - 65
Total miles covered - 989
Highs - finishing, matts dad and his mate being such outstanding blokes- invisible dominoes will never be forgotten
Lows - 20mph direct head winds
"We deserve a bad weather day" I think I remember bruce saying. We were so fortunate with weather it had to happen, and so it did on the final day. Our average speed was barely above 10 mph down hill even when we were peddling hard the wind just blew you back. We were looking forward to the hills to get some shelter. Grums knees were also causing him hell and riding something that all ready resembles a barge and essentially has a desk on the front can't have been fun in the storm.
Anyway, we got there and wow what a feeling legs had long since given up on us and any day when you had no new problems was a good one. I can't remember what it was like not to have tight muscles, that place just doesn't exist. Nicks dad brought a crate of beer for us which was an excellent reward. Photos aplenty. I think I used the moment to officially retire from the sport of cycling but that's probably a rash steve redgrave post 4th gold medal moment! We are delighted, we spent the night in a hotel in thurso courtesy of matts dad and had an excellent evening and excellent chinese food. The evening was full of gems from james (matts dads friend and professional entertainer).
A man arrives at a hotel pushing his rolls-royce and becomes bankrupt. Answers via text please
So we headed for Edinburgh the next day with the prospect of a good night ahead of us, and as ever the city provided.
Day 11
Day 11
Miles covered - 50
Total miles covered - 925
Highs - pints in the afternoon
Lows - walking to the pub in tongue and regretting it instantly as it was 2 miles up a cliff
First day I think we've all collectively enjoyed, very few miles and a tale wind, left at 10 and there by 4 after taking an hour and a half for lunch.
Decided to cook in the hostel in groups of 3, me nick and fraz made spaghetti avec spew. Made out of a very questionable set of ingredients including pepperami, cucumber and a cup a soup. Tasted ok, plenty of marks for originality and thinking outside the box when shopping at the worlds most limited spar! Feels like we have cracked it, the mood is jolly and we only have 65 miles to go.
Miles covered - 50
Total miles covered - 925
Highs - pints in the afternoon
Lows - walking to the pub in tongue and regretting it instantly as it was 2 miles up a cliff
First day I think we've all collectively enjoyed, very few miles and a tale wind, left at 10 and there by 4 after taking an hour and a half for lunch.
Decided to cook in the hostel in groups of 3, me nick and fraz made spaghetti avec spew. Made out of a very questionable set of ingredients including pepperami, cucumber and a cup a soup. Tasted ok, plenty of marks for originality and thinking outside the box when shopping at the worlds most limited spar! Feels like we have cracked it, the mood is jolly and we only have 65 miles to go.
Day 10
Day 10
Miles covered - 75
Total miles covered - 875
Highs - views over loch ness, a few substantial downhills, bonar bridge, carbisdale castle stories, the duke of sutherlands mental wife, nick forrest's dog hates him
Lows - 6 mile climb before you've warmed up, people cheating on a charity cycle, getting lost because grum and his navigation basket wernt with us. Meeting a girl in inverness who covered 120 miles yesterday to jog with more kit than us.
1st day without grum that we have had any real navigation to do. We could either take the northern route around loch ness which would save about 10 miles but we were strongly advised to take the empty but hilly southern route. After half a mile of the day we started a steep climb, 5 miles later we were still climbing with no end in sight! Legs woefully unwarmed up made it a very unwelcome suprise. At 400 metres high the peak was the same height shap. Anyway spectacular views of the highlands and loch ness below us. As we stand there drenched in sweat up pull 3 vans and all these bikes start being unloaded. Apparently a charity cycle ride from fort augustus to inverness is occurring, we politely point out that they are cheating as they zoom off down the hill, possibly all the way to inverness without needing to pedal. Oh and then we missed a turn and added another 5 miles.
Miles covered - 75
Total miles covered - 875
Highs - views over loch ness, a few substantial downhills, bonar bridge, carbisdale castle stories, the duke of sutherlands mental wife, nick forrest's dog hates him
Lows - 6 mile climb before you've warmed up, people cheating on a charity cycle, getting lost because grum and his navigation basket wernt with us. Meeting a girl in inverness who covered 120 miles yesterday to jog with more kit than us.
1st day without grum that we have had any real navigation to do. We could either take the northern route around loch ness which would save about 10 miles but we were strongly advised to take the empty but hilly southern route. After half a mile of the day we started a steep climb, 5 miles later we were still climbing with no end in sight! Legs woefully unwarmed up made it a very unwelcome suprise. At 400 metres high the peak was the same height shap. Anyway spectacular views of the highlands and loch ness below us. As we stand there drenched in sweat up pull 3 vans and all these bikes start being unloaded. Apparently a charity cycle ride from fort augustus to inverness is occurring, we politely point out that they are cheating as they zoom off down the hill, possibly all the way to inverness without needing to pedal. Oh and then we missed a turn and added another 5 miles.
Sunday 3 July 2011
Day 9
Day 9
Miles covered- 83
Total miles covered - 800
Highlights - lots of downhill, dog in the back of a convertable that looked like a human- sitting up properly with ears that looked like long golden hair flapping in the wind, scenery
Lows - difficult to be negative on today after the struggle of the last 2
Finally feeling good, we smashed 50 miles down hill mostly to fort william before 2pm, it feels like we may finally have cracked it, no more long days, no more massive hills, prevailing wind should be behind us from now. Massive thanks to bruces girlfriend who brought us snacks at 11, excellent fairy cakes. Good feeling is back and fort augustus is lovely despite the hostel being full of hippys and aussies. We are also disappointed to learn there is no fort in fort augustus, we couldn't find one in fort william either but apparently there's definitely one there.
Miles covered- 83
Total miles covered - 800
Highlights - lots of downhill, dog in the back of a convertable that looked like a human- sitting up properly with ears that looked like long golden hair flapping in the wind, scenery
Lows - difficult to be negative on today after the struggle of the last 2
Finally feeling good, we smashed 50 miles down hill mostly to fort william before 2pm, it feels like we may finally have cracked it, no more long days, no more massive hills, prevailing wind should be behind us from now. Massive thanks to bruces girlfriend who brought us snacks at 11, excellent fairy cakes. Good feeling is back and fort augustus is lovely despite the hostel being full of hippys and aussies. We are also disappointed to learn there is no fort in fort augustus, we couldn't find one in fort william either but apparently there's definitely one there.
Day 8
Day 8
Ayr to Crianlarich
Miles covered - 93
Total miles - 715
Highlights - loch lomand, no longer shivering, managing an average of 20mph around loch lomand, nick forrests ever worsening tan lines
Lows - midge's, grum leaving us to attend a wedding
100 times better than the day before, not brilliant but at least I was able to dress myself and eat half a slice of toast and some cornflakes. Probably not ideal given I missed dinner the night before as well. Being on the bike helped, had a pack of crisps first time we stopped. Stomach still awful though, probably for the best that I had babywipes to hand at all times. Loch lomand was stunning, Greater Glasgow was not. Managed decent lunch and full tea. Struggled the last ten, but no danger of not making it unlike the day before.
Ayr to Crianlarich
Miles covered - 93
Total miles - 715
Highlights - loch lomand, no longer shivering, managing an average of 20mph around loch lomand, nick forrests ever worsening tan lines
Lows - midge's, grum leaving us to attend a wedding
100 times better than the day before, not brilliant but at least I was able to dress myself and eat half a slice of toast and some cornflakes. Probably not ideal given I missed dinner the night before as well. Being on the bike helped, had a pack of crisps first time we stopped. Stomach still awful though, probably for the best that I had babywipes to hand at all times. Loch lomand was stunning, Greater Glasgow was not. Managed decent lunch and full tea. Struggled the last ten, but no danger of not making it unlike the day before.
Day 7
Day 7
Carlisle to Ayr
Miles covered - 91
Total miles covered 640
Highlights - Getting into bed, nick forrest oiling his brake pads because he was tired, nick forrest cycling off without his helmet on.
Lows - crossing into scotland, accidentally overdosing on paracetamol,
Woke up feeling pretty sick, went and had as much breakfast as I could and took some ibuprofen for my head ache. Wasn't too bad from there for the first 20 miles to dumfries where I started shivering. Proper flu like shivering, bought some cold and flu relief and took some paracetamol, unfortunately the cold and flu reliefs active ingredient is also paracetamol, don't realise this for about an hour after taking it and were in the middle of nowhere. Very tough day anyway, strong headwind all day, big climbs with wind so strong we needed to pedal downhill. I barely remember much of the day, my legs just seemed to keep pedalling regardless of the rest of my bodies shuddering or my head throbbing, maybe it was the overdose. I do remember wanting to stop soon after lunch when a climb and the lack of food from barely being able to eat became too much. I do remember crawling into bed and sleeping, and sleeping. Apparently I spoke to sophie and mum and dad but I barely remember that. Horrible day.
Carlisle to Ayr
Miles covered - 91
Total miles covered 640
Highlights - Getting into bed, nick forrest oiling his brake pads because he was tired, nick forrest cycling off without his helmet on.
Lows - crossing into scotland, accidentally overdosing on paracetamol,
Woke up feeling pretty sick, went and had as much breakfast as I could and took some ibuprofen for my head ache. Wasn't too bad from there for the first 20 miles to dumfries where I started shivering. Proper flu like shivering, bought some cold and flu relief and took some paracetamol, unfortunately the cold and flu reliefs active ingredient is also paracetamol, don't realise this for about an hour after taking it and were in the middle of nowhere. Very tough day anyway, strong headwind all day, big climbs with wind so strong we needed to pedal downhill. I barely remember much of the day, my legs just seemed to keep pedalling regardless of the rest of my bodies shuddering or my head throbbing, maybe it was the overdose. I do remember wanting to stop soon after lunch when a climb and the lack of food from barely being able to eat became too much. I do remember crawling into bed and sleeping, and sleeping. Apparently I spoke to sophie and mum and dad but I barely remember that. Horrible day.
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