Lands End 2 John O'Groats and John O'Groats 2 Lands End: July 2012

What's it all about?

At the end of September 2012 I completed a cycle from Portsmouth 2 Penzance a total of 273 miles! raising money for Children In Need is the Plan. This was also be a personal challenge for me as I haven't been cycling in over 25 years and that was only for fun nothing serious. On top of that have a prolapsed disc, was 46 years old and at the start of 2012 a bit over weight, well lot over weight really, since then I've lost nearly 3 stone! So I opted to do the big one, John O'Groats 2 Lands End on May 6th 2013. The End 2 End or P2P (point to point, as it's sometimes called ) around 1000 miles! This time I had company, Colin, a friend from work, who has said he is as mad as I am and would like to come! This blog contains that story....This event is in memory of the sad passing of my mum on 17th of April this year having lost her fight with terminal Bowel Cancer.

I guess you'd call it the sequel, I have decided it would be just rude not to go back the other way!!! so May 2015, with a new friend, Pete and with Dave driving a support vehicle ( luxury) we plan the classic Lands End to John O'Groats, also known as LEJOG. Mad ? yes I think we must be.

A cold realisation has settled in this week....8 weeks, just 8 weeks then 300 miles! Up until now ( other than the IOW ride in May) my long rides have been only 35 miles once a week, or more accurately once every 10 days. Ontop of that about 60-80 miles of commuting over the 6 working days. I REALLY need to step this up now as FAILURE is NOT an option. So I plan ( we'll see if I am able to actually able to ) up the longer rides by 5 miles each week so this week I need to do a 40 mile and next 45 etc. I also need to do a few more hills as I still not very good at those!
The route is pretty much sorted, in my head anyway. I plan to cycle from Portsmouth via Sailsbury to Shaftesbury on the first day Tuesday the 18th September. And I don't propose to cycle into Shaftesbury with a loaf of bread and a flat cap ! ( Hovis advert if your to young to remember). I still have got to sort out somewhere to stay for that night. The next day will be onto Taunton, a slightly shorter ride to recover from the shock of the first day. Lucky for me our friends the "Holds" have offered to put me up. Next will be across the north of Cornwall to drop down to a place called Holsworthy, here I've managed to book a B&B. The next day will be over to the coast and down to Redruth where I hope to be put up by some more friends Lucy and Tony are you listening? ( as I haven't asked them yet! ) This should leave a short 20 miles or so to do on the Saturday. Planned this way so as to give Liz and Josh time to drive down on Saturday to see me finish . Well we'll see how all that pans out shall we?........

Lands End 2 John O'Groats and John O'Groats 2 Lands End

What's it all about?

Me, Colin, Pete and Dave ( Team Jogle4bc )

New 47 mile training route

8 weeks to go!!

Before and after

The kind people at Lezyne