Hi Phil here back at LEJOG HQ and nursing a sore arse.
I've had a chance to tally up our total fundraising and the excellent news is that thanks to you all we have raised a marvellous £4692 for the British Heart Foundation to date and a further sum through Eddie for childrens meningitus which we've yet to count but believe to be about £3k.
I'd have a million sore bums for that and I know it would make Chris and Eddie's day if we could get to £10k before they reach their target. One more push for fundraising and if you know anyone who may be able to donate, please give them a nudge in our direction.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Day 11
After the eventful day 10 we were now unsure what God could throw at us. It was a bit of a sad start to not have Phil there who had pushed our preparation so well and helped the novices get to Scotland
As the tortoise(Chris) and the hare(Eddie) set off for their tour of the highlands, the clue was in the word there were some big climbs involved
As Chris waved Eddie off at the hill start, the gods of 'head on wind and rain' unleashed their wrath on us all day (9 hrs of it) as we cycled climbing for 25 miles over some stunning views of mist and clouds. Eddie kept trying to convince me that it was beautiful on a clear day, I'm sure it is but it was hard to see. We have discovered another 'fact on science' the reason lorries have big wheels is so that in the highlands they can throw the equivalent of a bathtub of water over you every time they pass and on the A82 it is full of lorries
We stopped in the Cairngorms hotel for lunch, the hare stopped 30 mins before the tortoise but had to wait so the kids fable was right. As we left we apologised for leaving damp patches all over their beautiful tartan sofas and cycled off through Fort William and to finish in Spean Bridge at a great place called the Old Pines
The only great thing about the day was that the little midges weren't allowed to come out and play as it was wet outside. We both look forward to day 12 and our vertical climb/walk at the end of the day
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Eddie and Harry
Happy days. No rain and the family over to stay. Harry wanted to come with us but his feet wouldn't reach the peddles.
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Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Bike Chain
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Day 10
A long day in prospect but I don't think any of us knew just how long!
We were to meet Nicola a colleague of Eddie's at our final destination. Lovely Nicola had offered to cook us dinner and wash our clothes but it wasn't to be. Our bedraggled contingent still hadn't arrived at 9.15.
Stopping off for medical treatment on my baboons backside we reached the outskirts of Glasgow when Eddie decided he preferred the floor to his sadle. A nasty fall and bruises to match but very lucky it was nothing more serious.
Our navigation of the Clyde was to be "interesting". The official route had us going through the Clyde tunnel. Surely not? But it was too late. We wizzed through the Clyde Tunnel to a deafening chorus of lorry horns. Strangely Chris appeared to have few problems negotiating the steep exit road. We both flew out and waited at the other side fully expecting to see Eddie emerge on the bonnet of a 30 tonner. He was chased out of the tunnel by a couple of artics as the tunnel police screamed at us through megaphones to "use the cycle path provided" oops! Next time eh?
I'd been looking forward to getting my new seat all day and had somehow managed to get through the 37 miles from Cumnock by taking copious quantities of pain killers and bum medicine. The seat was great and the relief emmense. For the first time in 3 days I didn't have shooting pains down my legs every time I turned the pedals. I was in heaven. You don't see it coming but you do feel the impact. A guy opened the door of his car, straight in to me and my beloved Fondreist. I was sent sprawling but bar the odd scratch I was fine. My bike wasn't so good. After over 700 miles and thousands in training she'd had enough. A broken gear shifter that couldn't be replaced for days and a twisted frame that meant the bike pulled violently to the right.
Bugger was one of the words that came to mind but there were plenty of others. The bike shop "Magic Cycles" in Bowling, Clydebank were brilliant. They couldn't do much but offered to loan me a bike for the rest of the trip. The bikes They had were designed for meandering along canal banks and not for the hills of The Cairngorms but at 5pm in the evening I had no choice and loaned a shopping bike from them. I chose not to take the accessories as the basket and handlebar ribbons would get wet. Top speed 10mph. Half that of the Fondy. But at least I got them to change the seat to my new padded racer seat...a stupid mistake. The bike wasn't a racer and the seating position was very different. My bum gave me hell for the next 30 miles. At one point I got off the bike, lay on the pavement with my head on my panniers not knowing what to do next. It was 16 very painful miles to Ardlui our next stop. I arrived at 9.15 and was in bed for ten after two mouthfuls of dinner.
At 2.30am and having had very little sleep I resolved to call it a day. My bum was only going to get worse and was already unbearable. The new bike would mean I'd have to stay in the seat and not be able to get relief by peddle standing. It would be brave to carry on but it would be stupid and could make me very ill. The pressure on my bladder meant that I had to go to the toliet very regularly. I made the tough decision to call it a day. I'm sure that in the future I'll look back and kick myself as I was so close. I was fit enough and managed my nutrition well but I failed to listen to my body. I'd known there was a problem since Kirkby Lonsdale and should have changed my seat then.
So this morning Chris and Eddie cycled off toward Glen Coe and their eventual stop of Spean Bridge. It's a very soggy day and set to get worse and there were a whole troup of midges waiting to pounce. But they're made of strong stuff. Chris and Eddie will reach JOG on Friday. My thoughts are with them every second of the way and I'll be looking out for their continued blog on this page...
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
We were to meet Nicola a colleague of Eddie's at our final destination. Lovely Nicola had offered to cook us dinner and wash our clothes but it wasn't to be. Our bedraggled contingent still hadn't arrived at 9.15.
Stopping off for medical treatment on my baboons backside we reached the outskirts of Glasgow when Eddie decided he preferred the floor to his sadle. A nasty fall and bruises to match but very lucky it was nothing more serious.
Our navigation of the Clyde was to be "interesting". The official route had us going through the Clyde tunnel. Surely not? But it was too late. We wizzed through the Clyde Tunnel to a deafening chorus of lorry horns. Strangely Chris appeared to have few problems negotiating the steep exit road. We both flew out and waited at the other side fully expecting to see Eddie emerge on the bonnet of a 30 tonner. He was chased out of the tunnel by a couple of artics as the tunnel police screamed at us through megaphones to "use the cycle path provided" oops! Next time eh?
I'd been looking forward to getting my new seat all day and had somehow managed to get through the 37 miles from Cumnock by taking copious quantities of pain killers and bum medicine. The seat was great and the relief emmense. For the first time in 3 days I didn't have shooting pains down my legs every time I turned the pedals. I was in heaven. You don't see it coming but you do feel the impact. A guy opened the door of his car, straight in to me and my beloved Fondreist. I was sent sprawling but bar the odd scratch I was fine. My bike wasn't so good. After over 700 miles and thousands in training she'd had enough. A broken gear shifter that couldn't be replaced for days and a twisted frame that meant the bike pulled violently to the right.
Bugger was one of the words that came to mind but there were plenty of others. The bike shop "Magic Cycles" in Bowling, Clydebank were brilliant. They couldn't do much but offered to loan me a bike for the rest of the trip. The bikes They had were designed for meandering along canal banks and not for the hills of The Cairngorms but at 5pm in the evening I had no choice and loaned a shopping bike from them. I chose not to take the accessories as the basket and handlebar ribbons would get wet. Top speed 10mph. Half that of the Fondy. But at least I got them to change the seat to my new padded racer seat...a stupid mistake. The bike wasn't a racer and the seating position was very different. My bum gave me hell for the next 30 miles. At one point I got off the bike, lay on the pavement with my head on my panniers not knowing what to do next. It was 16 very painful miles to Ardlui our next stop. I arrived at 9.15 and was in bed for ten after two mouthfuls of dinner.
At 2.30am and having had very little sleep I resolved to call it a day. My bum was only going to get worse and was already unbearable. The new bike would mean I'd have to stay in the seat and not be able to get relief by peddle standing. It would be brave to carry on but it would be stupid and could make me very ill. The pressure on my bladder meant that I had to go to the toliet very regularly. I made the tough decision to call it a day. I'm sure that in the future I'll look back and kick myself as I was so close. I was fit enough and managed my nutrition well but I failed to listen to my body. I'd known there was a problem since Kirkby Lonsdale and should have changed my seat then.
So this morning Chris and Eddie cycled off toward Glen Coe and their eventual stop of Spean Bridge. It's a very soggy day and set to get worse and there were a whole troup of midges waiting to pounce. But they're made of strong stuff. Chris and Eddie will reach JOG on Friday. My thoughts are with them every second of the way and I'll be looking out for their continued blog on this page...
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