Final routes.. promise!

Pre Day 1( 34.2 miles)Taking in Dunnet head ( Most Northerly on Mainland )John O'Groats and Duncansby Head ( most North Easterly point on Mainland) then back to hotel. We have this extra day due to Flight being changed to day before it was supposed to be ! Day 1 Dunnet 2 Bora (66.3 miles) Day 2 Bora 2 Fort Augustus (89.0 miles) Day 3 Fort Augustus 2 Crianlarich ( 81.5 miles) Day 4 Crianlarich 2 Irvine (81.1 miles ) Day 5 Irvine 2 Carlisle (100.3 miles) Day 6 Carlisle 2 Blackburn ( 97.0 miles) Day 7 Blackburn 2 Alsager ( 65.1 miles) Day 8 Alsager 2 Tewkesbury ( 90.1 miles) Day 9 Twekesbury 2 Cheddar ( 75 miles) Day 10 Cheddar 2 Great Torrington ( 80.1 miles ) Day 10 Great Torrington 2 Mawnan Smith (87.4 miles ) Final day Mawnan 2 Lands End Via Lizard Point ( Most Southerly point of mainland ( 52.8 miles ) For the eagle eyed amongst you adding up the mileage for these days totals 999.9 miles! i'm sure we'll find the little bit extra to take it over the 1000 mark!... what am I saying... I need to go and lay down just thinking about it is making me feel tired

Frostnip....

After the 60 mile ride the other day I had a bit of a problem, well to be honest it started on the ride. I've alway had cold feet and did in fact get a bit of frostnip when i'd been out in the garden in wells a few years back so i'm not surprised to be suffering again. What is it? It's stage one of frostbite and it's bloody pain full so god knows what full frostbite is like!

First degree

This is called frostnip and only affects the surface of the skin, which is frozen. On the onset, there is itching and pain, and then the skin develops white, red, and yellow patches and becomes numb. The area affected by frostnip usually does not become permanently damaged as only the skin's top layers are affected. Long-term insensitivity to both heat and cold can sometimes happen after suffering from frost nip.

I had done as much as I could to avoid it thermal socks overshoes etc but no good.

Looks like I might see if I can get some heated insoles? Bet that will cost! Currently hobbling about but the only saving grace is that in May it shouldn't be a problem, should it?

60 cold bitter miles ! finally got out together for first long ride. quite hill course in places but all went well, no great speed or dramas : details here:

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/162349189?country=gb&lang=en&measure=imperial&o=course&fb_source=hovercard

KOM !....

Well, it's not a mountain but not likely to last long so just wanted to post a picture of me top of a leader board!

Blind panic......

Oh My Gosh ( no God so I don't offend and the shortened version OMG just wasn't enough)

Had email this morning from Flybe, please contact us your flight details have changed.

After 3 attempts to get through and on the last call 45mins of waiting I got through to be told

 " Ah Mr Christie, instead of flying at 07:00 the flight is now at 12:45..."  phew I asked "and what time does it get into Wick?" reply " oh, it's doesn't go there it stops at Edinburgh!"  What!!!!!!!!

They then add they might be able to put us up overnight and we can wait for the flight the following day to connect us from Edinburgh to Wick or change and fly us up the day after. 

I explained, in the calmest voice I can muster ( not very calm) "the day after will be no good as we start cycling that day ( explain the whole thing to her in a ranting gable of words, luckily she wasn't offended) "What about flying us up on Sunday 5th May?", " Yes sir we can do that, it's a more expensive flight but we can swap for the flight you already have booked for it for free " too blinking right  you can! ( luckily I was able to say that only in my head!) 

So now need to see if we can get an extra night at the first hotel. Not ideal but disaster avoided..... well for now anyway


New details

Ban the cycle path..!

A bit extreme you might say? Well let me tell just how dangerous they can be. The first problem is where they are put, generally right next to footpaths. So what tends to happen is people amble along the footpath and then just decide they fancy crossing the line and onto the cycle path. This usually happens when I'm approaching at 20mph, causing me to take sharp evasive action. It's a bit like wandering into lane one of the motorway, you just wouldn't do it would you? Well certainly not without looking, yet they all do it. Then they look at you as if you've tried to run them over! You would think a middle aged man dressed in bright yellow lycra would be easy to see, wouldn't you? Yet it appears to act as camouflage on a cycle path! Next is the dog walker, again I have nothing against them , I have a dog  myself. Yet trying to avoid one darting to and from the hedges in front of you is bloody tricky. That's off the lead, if they've got one of those extending leads, it's like serious garrotting time! I was so nearly taken out by both today! I think I'll take my chances with the traffic, its far safer than taking my chances with the public. LOL

The way the wind blows.

Why oh why does the wind always blow towards me! All last week when cycling to work along Southsea seafront it was into the wind. ( go home a different way) Yet today when I cycled home along the Seafront I was cycling into the wind again? It's just not on Mr Wind back it in!!