Recovered

Just about. Been back on bike a few times. Knees and achilles still a bit sore, but a lot better. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me. And remember - NEVER EVER TRY TO DO THIS.

Day cannae remember - Finito

I am now officially a drug addict.

Done - the hardest sorest stupidest thing I've ever done - a woman that cycled it with us told me it was worse than giving birth (and her child was 18lb 4oz with size 6 adult feet).

I have been, and will continue, for the forseeable future, to be, a moany, cantankerous, auld, boring bastard. My knees and achilles are shot to bits. Don't do it kids.

I am delighted to have finished it, but cannot wait to get home to my wife, weans, family and pals. x.

Thanks to everyone for sponshorship and support - I really appreciate it.

Fort William - phone camera lens steamed up due to Scottish summer heatwave

Ehm - no sure - think it might be start of Cromarty Firth - Cootie has probably skived up here so might be able to confirm...

Getting up to the far North now - I've never been north of Inverness before, and now I know why - not much to do except take photos of bikes, bridges, burns and feck all else.



On the way to Altnaharra for the last glorious night under canvas with smell of "country air" in my nostrils - gonnae hurry up and finish?

 That'll be that then - wee Mo's Rosary beads are under the top.

Day 4 and 5

Day 4 - Shrewesbury to Lancaster. Knees so sore I was really thinking of chucking it. Agony - couldn't put any force on pedals - crawled in. Saw doctor (not the band) and she prescribed drug cocktail.

Day 5 - Lancaster to Moffat. Drug cocktail worked - pedaled nae bother humming Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club and I am the Walrus all the way - don't think there were any side effects maaaan. God bless medicine. Tomorrow heading to Helensburgh after another codeine/paracetomol and ibubrofen breakfast.

Me with drug cocktail. Don't know what's going on with the jaiket.

 Top of Shap Fell - a big hill what I just cycled up.

Aye whatever.



Day 2 and 3 done in - and so am I

Sore knees - when I say sore I mean Inverness-beating-you sore.

But apart from that and a burst airbed, doing ok.

A big bridge that I cycled over to escape from England into Wales:

A big abbey in Wales - Henry VIII shut it doon (by the way, I've got t'internet to thank for all of this knowledge - the Abbey is in Tintern (not t'internet) - whit?

First day done

Thank god - wasn't as bad as I expected. 117 hilly miles. Entire route here if you're interested (don't think many of you are cycling weirdos - I don't count myself as one, but know that I probably am). http://ubuntuone.com/p/uwa/

Going to sleep now with tights on - this week is fulfilling ambitions and fantasies in one fell swoop.

Oh when the Celts, go up, to lift the Scottish Cup

Ah'm no there :-(

But I'm here - forgot to grow a beard - they might know I'm not one of them.

The bevvy tent 

Ma hoose for the next 9 days

The top that's getting worn tomorrow for the first stage - thanks to Gerry for geting me the top.

Pre-cup final wander

Eh?

Shit - forgot to bring ma trunks



The day dawns

Out for a wee easy 10 miler after breakfast - the wee island's called St Mick's mount.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Michael's_Mount

Mon the hoops.

What kind of sad weirdo takes photos of train station entrances and the inside of their room with a bike in it - just so they can look back on it in years to come and bore their children's children?

Me

Accommodation

Two cs and 2 ms?

Not too sure about the paint job on outside of hotel – knew I shouldn’t have asked Scott to book it for me.

Are we nearly there yet?

HELLO, I’M ON THE TRAIN.  (Think Dom Joly says hello twice, so for obvious reasons not quoting him directly).

Bike stored away safely – having a rest the same as me – humans sit/lie down to rest, bikes stand up.

24 hours from Tulsa, or 12 hours from Penzance even. Staying in a “hotel” with a pub below it – “at weekends there is a nightclub until 2am so rooms on the first floor may be noisy”. Might as well stay out then. Beer has got a lot of carbs in it after all.

Scottish Cup Final on TV tomorrow afternoon completes the training programme then it’s down to the serious business of misery.

3 days to go

As I last posted with 3 weeks to go, thought I'd do another with 3 days to go....

Get train down tomorrow - 11hours and 51minutes to ponder why I ever signed up to do this in the first place.

Three weeks to go

I'm going to use this to update my progress (or lack of) during my attempt to cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats (pay attention to the grammar there, you at the back of the class).

I'll try to post as I go, with a couple of photos thrown in, for "fun". Then again, I might not.

If you haven't already, or if you want to again;-), you can sponsor me here