It seems that I miscalculated my hours….final stats should (if I didn’t get anything else wrong) be:
Overall stats:
– 73h 16m cycling time
– 1557km (967 miles) distance covered
– 11709m (38,415ft) climbing
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 9 – Lairg to John O’Groats…the final hurdle!
Last night we ended up on a tight deadline, the boys got to the guest house later than planned and we were told by the owner that the local hotel stopped serving food at 20:30, a table was promptly booked for 19:45, we arrived at 20:00. We ate dinner, returned to the guest-house for some bike maintenance (Florian and Gregg, not me), then it was time to get the breakfast order in for the morning and off to bed.
At 08:08 and after a locally sourced and very tasty breakfast our two heroes set off on their final adventure….they were joined immediately by a swarm of midges! Florian subsequently found half the swarm stuck to the suntan lotion on his arms!
The predicted distance for day 9 was, 162.0km (100.6 miles) with an ascent of 1687m (5,534.7ft)
The weather today, was predicted to be dry but overcast. This held true, the boys met no rain on their travels. There was a head wind for the first part of the journey, up until their lunch break at Bettyhill. From there on it was either a side wind or tail wind.
Last night, not knowing whether there would be a mobile phone signal at John O’Groats, we made a cunning plan for me to meet them at the end 8½ hours after they set off (approximately 16:38). I thought they were making good time when I got a text at 11:49 from Bettyhill to say they’d stopped for lunch. I then readjusted my own plan, to be at JOG at 16:00.
I had a leisurely drive to JOG, arriving at around 14:10, I took some time find the sign post, so I knew where to meet them, then checked into tonight’s accommodation. Then I waited, but with a cuppa and a biscuit, in the warm. Another text was received at 14:29 “we should arrive at about 4pm. Just leaving Thurso.”, my plan altered again, I would be there at 15:45….just in case!
At 15:50….THEY ARRIVED!!!!!! Tired, sore knee’d and very very happy. Time for a photo op before heading back to the hotel by car….or not as the case may be….Florian decided to cycle the extra mile or so to the guest house and Gregg, decided to do a spot of sightseeing on his bike before he stopped.
At the guest house Florian was greeted by both owners and a glass of fizz…there was one for me too. For now I think we’re all a little overwhelmed by everyone’s support and enthusiasm, personally I hope the feeling never goes away.
Day 9 Stats:
– 7h 02m cycling time
– 153km (95.1 miles) distance covered
– 1258m (4,127 ft) climbing
– 21.7km/h average speed
Overall stats:
– 73h 16m cycling time
– 1557km (967 miles) distance covered
– 11709m (38,415ft) climbing
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £889.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised a fantastic £1,627.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014
It’s almost time for dinner, so I’ll sign off…that’s all from me.
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 8 – Newtonmore to Lairg
Firstly I have a correction from the overall stats on last night’s blog. The overall climbing should have read: 11931m (39,143ft) climbing
Last night we received a recommendation for pub food from the couple who own the guest house, they said that the food would be freshly made, filling and reasonably priced and they were not wrong. We all had dinner, then headed back to the guest house for the boys to carry out some bike maintenance before bed…..for my part, I watched the second half of the Spain .v. Netherlands game (who got the better deal, I ask you).
After both of our heroes had a good night’s sleep and a healthy portion of breakfast they set off at 08:22 on the penultimate stage of their adventure.
The predicted distance for day 8 was, 179.1 km (111.2 miles) with an ascent of 1456m (4,776ft)
The weather forecast for today was intermittent showers. I got a text at 12:42 stating “It’s been a bit wet, but not too bad. We’re stopped in Inverness for lunch, looking to leave civilisation behind. I don’t think we’ll get to the finish before 6”. With another text six minutes later “The most random thing that has happened on the trip: Samba band playing Paulo Nutini songs in Tesco in Inverness”
Ultimately it seems the weather forecast for today was accurate, the boys were caught in a lot of showers, it was about 14°C, so not very warm when wet.
Day 8 Stats:
– 8h 49m cycling time
– 184.1km (114.4 miles) distance covered
– 1206m (3,957 ft) climbing
– 20.9km/h average speed
Florian’s knee is still a bit sore but the anti-inflammatories are helping and he is confident it will see him through tomorrow. This evening two rather tired men returned from their adventure, I think tonight might be the quickest shower, dinner, bike maintenance routine known to man! Although tired and a little bedraggled, Florian remains a man of ambition, his plans for Monday (let’s call it Day 10) are to watch the Germany game….on a sofa…with a beer!
Overall stats:
– 66h 14m cycling time
– 1404km (872 miles) distance covered
– 10451m (43,100ft) climbing
The support vehicle (me) had a very scenic trip, stopping off at the Dolphins and Seals of the Moray Firth centre at North Kessock. Alas, I did not see any dolphins or seals but the view was very peaceful. I stopped in at the local grocery shop where the Dutch owner was joyously discussing last night’s game with the customers….I suspect that behind his happy exterior there lay a slight headache.
I carried on my journey and stopped at a viewing point just outside of Ardgay and I can honestly say the view is one of the most stunning I have ever seen.
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £889.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised a fantastic £1,627.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014
Tomorrow’s forecast (if it is to be believed) looks dry…..until then, let’s all keep our fingers crossed. Julie, over and out.
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 7 – Milngavie to Newtonmore
After a good night’s sleep, in his own bed, Florian got up early for a little bike maintenance before breakfast. Then it was eat, meet boys and they were off! Today Florian and Gregg were joined again by Ian and also by Mel for part of the journey. The group set off at 07:45, the forecast was rain but it was still dry at this point.
The predicted distance for day 7 was, 180.2 km (112 miles) with an ascent of 2351m (7,713ft)
Florian was not looking forward to today’s Queens Stage; the day with the most climbing and, again, a lot of distance to cover. Mel stayed with the boys until Callendar, after this there was a road alongside Loch Tay which was very undulating making it difficult to settle into a rhythm, this continued to Kenmore where the boys stopped for lunch and Ian left to return home. Up until then the weather had been wet, after lunch, however it picked up and Florian and Gregg set off towards their three climbs of the day (one of which was the Schiehallion).
The route then took them onto the cycle path alongside the A9 (definitely preferable to the A9 itself, as it’s a very busy road). The support vehicle set off at around 14:15 and passed the boys with roughly 14 miles remaining. They made good time, arriving at the guest house in Newtonmore at around 17:25.
Day 7 Stats:
– 8h 41m cycling time
– 181.8km (113 miles) distance covered
– 2686m (8,812 ft) climbing
– 20.9km/h average speed
The day was very successful, with no punctures, and the group worked well together. Both Florian and Gregg were a little tired by the end of it and looking forward to a recovery shake and some pub grub. Florian’s knee is starting to become painful but he’s sure he’s going to make it to the end! (….he is almost 40 after all, and I hear the joints are the first to go!).
Overall stats:
– 57h 25m cycling time
– 1220km (758 miles) distance covered
– 9245m (39,143ft) climbing
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £849.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised an amazing 1,506.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014
It’s an early sigh off tonight…we’re all off to have some dinner…..
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 6 – Carlisle to Milngavie (home)
Florian managed to rest well last night and was all set for day 6 when he met up with the boys at Carlisle train station this morning.
The predicted distance for day 6 was, 183.1km (113.8 miles) with an ascent of 1279m (4,196ft)
The day started at 08:39, Gregg and Ian were raring to go and Florian was happy to have some company for the rest of the journey. It was warm and sunny and didn’t take long for our Three Amigo’s to cross the border (Florian’s personal highlight of the day).
Day 6 Stats:
– 8h 33m cycling time
– 185.2km distance covered
– 1230m climbing
– 21.7km/h average speed
The planned route ran alongside the M74, on A-roads from Carlisle to Uddingston and then onto a good cycle path to Glasgow City Centre.
The days travel was quite monotonous, but for Florian it was good to have two other riders to share the load. At this point I think I should make an amendment to last night’s blog….on the approach to Kendal Florian was on busy A-roads, not canal paths.
The route brought them into Glasgow past the Commonwealth Village, through the City Centre and West End.
The boys took it easy today (as Florian has been on each of the days), so when he arrived home he looked well…happy and nowhere near as tired as I imagined he would. There was a lunch stop at a nice wee place in Abington at around 13:30, another short stop for a puncture repair on Gregg’s bike (to be honest I’m more than a little surprised that this hasn’t happened before now) and arrival time at home was just after 18:30.
The mood in Allan-Tauser-land is good, there is a definite sense of accomplishment so far and he seems very motivated (and happy) to continue. Ian also, it seems, is happy to continue and will join the boys again tomorrow from Milngavie to Newtomore.
It seems that the LEJOG facial hair is also coping well under the circumstances (not to mention the cyclists tan).
Overall stats:
– 48h 44m cycling time
– 1038.2km (645 miles) distance covered
– 9245m (30,331ft) climbing
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £849.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised an amazing 1,506.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014
Tomorrow I become the support vehicle and meet the boys at the end of each day….but for tonight, there’s football on and beer in the fridge….so I’m signing off! (SPOILER ALERT: Croatia have just scored!).
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 5 – Chorley to Carlisle
Florian got an early start this morning, leaving at 06:26, word on the street is that it was good to be out that early (I’m not entirely convinced), the weather was dry and cold.
The predicted distance for day 5 was, 183.5km (114 miles) with an ascent of 1564m (5,131ft)
The first part of today’s journey was quite flat, with a lot of long canal paths which were too slow. Florian managed to find some good ways round the canal paths, but couldn’t avoid them closer to Kendal. Up to Kendal the weather was cold and overcast, but dry.
Day 5 Stats:
– 8h 47m cycling time
– 182.2km distance covered
– 1580m climbing
– 20.7km/h average speed
Florian hit his big climb of the day at that point. On the way up it remained overcast but at the top and from there on the sun was shining. Today was the fist day without any rain.
The downhill after the climb was also fantastic, definitely something Florian wants to do again (with less weight strapped to the bike).
The rest of the roads, into Carlisle were good – tarmac surfaces, small roads with not much traffic.
Florian arrived in Carlisle at 16:26, it is the busiest of all stops so far, so he is feeling optimistic about dinner options. When I spoke to him he felt a bit tired but got through day 5 with no problems, so is feeling good going into tomorrow.
Plans (made at around 6pm) for tonight were to have a quick nap, bike maintenance, source dinner, clean some clothes if he has time and then bed.
He meets the boys at 08:30 tomorrow, it will be a later start than normal but to me this means he will be able to have a good sleep and have plenty of time for a good breakfast before leaving. Gregg has been to the house tonight to fit the bike rack to the car, to collect Florian’s care package for tomorrow and drop off his own gear for the rest of the week.
Gregg seems confident ahead of his big adventure too, almost wishing he had started on Saturday with Florian (I fear he may rethink that opinion before reaching John O’Groats). I wonder who will have the best cycling tan by the end of the challenge.
Overall stats:
– 40h 11m cycling time
– 853m (530 miles) distance covered
– 8015m (26,296ft) climbing
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £849.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised an amazing 1,506.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014 Florian’s
Well that’s us over half way through folks…..more news tomorrow….
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 4 – Ludlow to Chorley
A good night’s sleep was had by our (to quote the article in the local paper) thrill seeker. I have to say that I personally am a little disappointed by his choice of breakfast this morning (remember that the guest house has won an award for their breakfasts), he had a yoghurt, some fruit, porridge and a coffee……really! He then set off at 07:50 for day four of his big advenure.
The predicted distance for day 4 was, 185.2km (115 miles) with an ascent of 1,062m (3,484ft)
After the doom and gloom of the weather forecast, today’s journey actually turned out quite well, it only rained two or three times and even then only for a short while each time.
Day 4 Stats:
– 8h 10m cycling time
– 185.2km distance covered
– 1150m climbing
– 22.7km/h average speed (was 23.1km/h until the diversions in last hour)
The distance today was the longest of all the stages and with the weather staying favourable our rider found it a pretty good day, the wind was behind him, which helped, there were clouds in the sky but also gaps and Florian managed to avoid the worst of it.
There was a snag, however, with the bike computer (all stages had been downloaded into the computer prior to setting off), Florian checked the route the night before but the starting point was wrong. He made some changes but the GPS was slow to update, this continued throughout the day. With about an hour of the stage remaining, the path he was on became unrideable and the route had to be abandoned. This meant that Florian ended up on busier roads than planned and had to cycle right through Wigan, slowing him down. The bike computer’s battery also started to run out towards the end of the ride. Arrival time in Chorley was 17:20.
Today’s care package arrived as planned, but it now seems that we were overly enthusiastic when calculating the food requirements (for each day we posted: x8 energy bars, x4 energy gels, x4 4:1 Carb/ protein sachets, x2 recovery drinks), he has only been using x4 energy bars and x3 carb/protein sachets and because he can’t carry any additional items in his bag he has had to leave some items behind.
Tonight’s plans in Chorley are cleaning of clothes and bike, bike maintenance and sourcing somewhere to buy dinner.
Only one more day of riding solo and then Gregg the Marvellous and Ian the Fantastic arrive, on a personal note this makes me very happy.
Overall stats:
– 31h 24m cycling time
– 671m (417 miles) distance covered
– 6435m (21,112ft) climbing
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £794.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised an amazing 1,431.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014 Florian’s
Until tomorrow………
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 3 – Weston-super-mare to Ludlow
After a good night’s sleep and a makeshift breakfast of rice pudding, fruit and coffee Florian got off to an early start, leaving at 07:10. He was immediately met by rain, which although not heavy was persistent for the first part of the journey, until he crossed the Severn Bridge and was greeted with sunshine and warmth (temperatures reaching 20°C). The weather remained like this for the rest of the journey.
The predicted distance for day 3 was 156.7 km (97.4 miles) with an ascent of 1,472m (4,829ft)
Florian said he felt better this morning than he thought he would have. Today was a fairly easy ride but longer than he thought it would be. There were three steep climbs in Wales but the rest was rolling hills.
Hooray! The Ludlow guest-house has a bath in the en-suite, by the time I spoke to Florian he had already washed his clothes and had a very cold bath (brrrrr). The plans for the rest of the night include bike maintenance and cleaning, buying milk for night time recovery drink and finding somewhere to buy dinner.
Day 3 Stats:
– 7h 42m cycling time
– 156.4km distance covered
– 1530m climbing
– 20.3km/h average speed
Ludlow is a beautiful market town with a lot of tourists around, the guest-house has the nicest accommodation of all stops so far and they have won awards for their breakfasts….this seems to have Florian rather excited for tomorrow morning.
He does not feel overly enthusiastic about tomorrow’s ride as the weather forecast is not good at all. The ride itself will be the first of a few longer ones but it has the least amount of climbing so hopefully won’t be too tough.
Overall stats:
– 23h 14m cycling time
– 486km (302 miles) distance covered
– 5285m (17,339ft) climbing
The third care package arrived as safely as our rider.
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £794.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised a WHOPPING 1,296.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014 Florian’s
That’s all for tonight folks…..
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 2 – Holsworthy to Weston-super-mare
Last night Florian was treated to dinner by five members of the Rotary Club of Holsworthy. One of the members, Ivor Grifford, used to run a bike shop and offered Florian parts if needed, he also took Florian’s bike home with him for safe keeping last night and his wife, Geraldine, made Florian a very hearty breakfast before he left this morning. The members also donated £30 to the charity, this is after the club paying for accommodation, dinner and making him breakfast. We are both overwhelmed by their generosity.
Sadly, no photos were taken last night or during the cycle today.
The predicted distance for day 2 was 169.8km (105.5 miles) with an ascent of 1,267m (4,156ft)
Florian left Holsworthy at 08:00 and arrived, safe and well, at the guest house in Weston-super-mare at 17:10. I spoke to him on the phone after he had checked in and he said that the ride today had taken longer than he thought as a lot of the way was on a canal path, not the best terrain, he altered his route slightly to try and avoid as much of the canal path as possible.
The first half of the ride, to Tiverton, was fairly hilly, but from there on it got quite flat. The legs are still good as he is taking it easy.
The weather today was a bit of a mixed bag, the first half of the journey was sunny and warm but the afternoon saw some heavy rain showers along the way.
Big plans for tonight seem to be shower, cleaning and maintenance of bike, stretches, wash clothes (there was no chance to do this last night), find a takeaway for dinner, relax and bed!
Day 2 Stats:
– 7h 59m cycling time
– 163km distance covered
– 1407m climbing
– 20.4km/h average speed
Florian went for a sports massage on Thursday and the physio said that cold baths help the muscles, neither of the rooms so far have had an en-suite bath, I think if anyone else was considering organising an event like this, it’s something to consider, especially towards the end of the challenge…..I’m not sure that any of the accommodation arranged has such a thing (we don’t even have a bath in the house).
Back at base camp arrangements have been made to have a second bike rack fitted to the car on Wednesday night, for on Friday it becomes the support vehicle. Confirmation has been received from ‘The Rider’ that the second care package arrived.
Charity update:
– Florian’s page has raised £794.23 http://www.justgiving.com/Flo-Rider
– Team page has raised !,136.23 http://www.justgiving.com/teams/Beatson-LEJOG-2014
Signing out…until tomorrow.
Florian’s LEJOG – Day 1 – Land’s End to Holsworthy
Yesterday Florian travelled from Glasgow to Penzance by train and was collected by my cousin, Jonathan the Kind, who gave him a bed for the night, some breakfast before he left and a lift to the starting point (he has most definitely earned his title).
Today, the challenge really began. Florian set off at around 08:10, conditions were windy but dry at Lands End and the leaving party was in good spirits.
The predicted distance for day 1 was 162.9 km (101.2 miles for the old school among us) with an ascent of 1940m (6,364ft).
I spoke to Florian when he arrived at the hotel in Holsworthy, he sounds like he has really enjoyed it so far and said that the ride was ok; harder than he thought (but it is the 2nd highest amount of climbing of all days), the roads were narrow, so he was not able to go too fast on the downhill sections (phew…I thought). The weather conditions remained windy but dry, with only about 5 mins rain throughout the journey.
Florian felt he had managed to conserve some energy on the first ride. He also said that some of the scenery was stunning, especially along the coast line.
Day 1 Stats (as given by some kind of Garmin cycle computer thing):
7h 33 cycling time
167km distance covered
2348m climbing
22.1km/h average speed
He arrived at his destination at 16:48 and was feeling slightly time poor. The Rotary Club of Holsworthy have been very generous in arranging and paying for accommodation and some of the members are taking him out for dinner tonight. Before dinner, however, he has to carry out some bike maintenance, shower, stretch, have one of his recovery drinks, try to buy some milk for the second recovery drink (before bedtime) and try to relax a bit!
Boys night out for dinner…..this is beginning to sound more like a ‘jolly’ than a challenge!!
For my part it seems that the first care package arrived safely…..I think I’ve earned a glass of wine!
Julie, over and out
Flo-Rider 