This is where I will leave messages as I enter the final stages of my training.
I'm also hoping to leave messages here during my JOGLE, however I wiil be doing this via a mobile phone & the process isn't very slick & is prone to technolgy failure, I therefore intend to set-up a link to an alternative blog, possibly via Facebook, before I set-off.
You can read new posts on this blog via the RSS feed.
In the last few months I've read quite a few webpages about other peoples JOGLE's (or LEJOG's) & they are what inspired me to create my own account.
One of the accounts I read was very funny so I thought it only fair to share it with you; I guarantee it will make you laugh, enjoy:
And here's another that is quite amusing, it's about two lads who set off from Land's End wearing just boxer shorts, they have no other clothes, no bikes, no money, no food & their plan was to get to John O'Groats using the hospitality of the Great British public.
I tried to add this update on Sunday after my ride but had browser problems with this webpage, I've now discovered that the problems go away if I use Google Chrome rather than Internet Explorer.
The online donations to Cancer Research UK now stands at over £700, I've also received pledges via the traditional paper copy method of over £300, so a total of over £1000 is a fantastic response from everyone who has donated so far ..... Thank you all very much.
I've received lots of donations from staff at O2, from people who don't even know me, & during my ride on Sunday I rode past one of O2's offices (at Preston Brook) so on my return journey I stopped for a quick photo in the rain .... see the gallery next to this blog .... Thanks O2 staff.
I'd also like to thank my friend Bill Taylor, who has very kindly offered to 'come & get me' if anything should go wrong during my JOGLE. It's a service I will be extremely disappointed to have to call on, but one that is very nice to know is available.... Cheers Bill, your a good un!
I had a tough day's training today but I did 97 miles which is 9 miles further than my longest planned route & 27 miles further than my planned average (that's if I don't get lost of course), I also climbed a total of 6,202 ft. which is 2,500 ft. more than my planned daily maximum.
I don't know how steep the hills will be or how adverse the weather but hopefully today will stand me in good stead for my JOGLE & help me to enjoy it even more.
My penultimate training ride is already arranged, I’m taking part in the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride on Sunday 10th July. I’m going to ride from home to Manchester, which is about 14 miles, then ride the organised 60 mile route to Blackpool, so a fairly gentle 74 miles total, I’m then getting a lift home (thanks Sue).
On my final days training I’m going to choose a leisurely route & distance, maybe 60 – 70 miles to hopefully leave me at maximum strength the following weekend.
That only leaves next weekend & the following one to decide on. I’ll probably do 70 – 80 miles next weekend but, if the weather’s good I might go for the ton the weekend after.
Best days weather since I started training last September, really hot with a gentle breeze. If every day of my JOGLE is like this ......... I will have got lost en route to John O'Groats & ended up in another country.
There's a steep hill between Chapel en le Frith & Buxton which certainly gets the heart pumping & the lungs pounding, after that there's another gentle uphill before a nice downhill into Buxton, the last mile of which had standing traffic, it's very pleasant to breeze past all the stationary vehicles :-).
There's also a long, but not too steep, hill out of Buxton heading towards Whaley Bridge, but once at the top it's a very long ride down the other side..... nice.
I was passed by two cyclists today, at separate times, but I passed 5 or 6 individuals or pairs, so I must be getting fitter.
Another great day’s cycling today, the weather was excellent & the roads superb. Once I had reached Ribchester the roads seemed made for cycling; rolling hills with very little traffic & picturesque villages, the only busy section between Ribchester & Preston (via Glasson Dock & Knott End) was the A6 just south of Garstang (and I was only on it for 0.4 miles).
Had lunch at a nice pub just round the corner from Glasson Dock.
It was good to get 100 miles under my belt (just), I’m ready to JOGLE now, less that 3 weeks to go but I don’t think I’m going to be any fitter than I am now, well not before I set off on the 23rd anyway.
Over the past few days I've been working on publicising my JOGLE to, hopefully, boost the sponsorship; I arranged to have a photo taken at work (thanks to all those who helped to make that happen) & I've now added the photo to the gallery.
Today I visited Bolton Wanderers training ground to have a few photos taken with Owen Coyle & some of the 1st team players (Thanks to Mark & Rebecca for arranging + Owen & the players for their time), when I receive copies of the photos I will contact The Bolton News to ask if they are interested in running the story, I will also add a photo or two in the gallery.
Also today, I, along with 20 colleagues & friends from work, went on a long arranged & eagerly anticipated 'Ale train' trip to the Lake District. We had a great afternoon & evening, in fact we enjoyed ourselves so much that some of us missed the train back from Kendal! Anyway, during the course of the day we had a £1 entry 'gurning contest' & afterwards everyone agreed to donate the money to mysponsorship, cheers guys (& gal's), that was very thoughtful of you all & it's really appreciated. Later in the evening we had a £1 entry game of 'killer pool', Neil saw off all comers & triumphed to take the winnings, except he didn't, Neil said keep the cash & add it to your sponsorship! Thanks Neil, most generous of you (I hope you weren't in too much trouble when you got home late). With both amounts added together that's another £29 for Cancer Research UK.
It was refreshing to ride alongside someone else today (thanks Steve) & to ride in a mass group was ‘interesting’ ….. good fun but you had to have your wits about you due to the huge number of cyclists taking part, many of who were clearly inexperienced; fortunately Steve & I came through unscathed.
We both thoroughly enjoyed the ride; we kept up a progressive pace where possible & had a spell where we extended our efforts trying to keep up with a passing cyclist (She was fitter than us so we had to give up after 20 minutes, having said that I bet she hadn’t had an ale train trip to deal with 2 days earlier).
Having completed my training I won’t be riding my bike again before I arrive in Scotland, so I’ll be giving it a thorough clean & check-over tomorrow in preparation for next weekend.
I’m flying to Wick, via Edinburgh on Friday, I’ll then cycle 15 miles north to where I’m staying overnight, leaving me 5 miles to cycle to John O’Groats on Saturday morning before I commence the trip.
I might cycle up to J.O.G. on Friday afternoon to check it out & possibly do the obligatory photograph in front of the ‘sign post’, that way I won’t have to delay setting off on Saturday morning… I understand a chap brings the post with him each day & he doesn’t arrive particularly early, so if I’ve already got the photo I won’t need to wait for him. I’m travelling west from J.O.G. so I will still set off from the sign post, even if it’s not there!
I had a few 'incidents' today.
Everyone had been seated on the plane at Manchester airport for a few minutes when a ground crew guy approached me. He asked my name then said "there is a problem with your bag, please come with me".....gulp!
At the bottom of the aircraft steps were my 2 bedragled pannier bags. I had secured them together because you are only permitted one bag. Unfortunately my 'securing' hadn't withstood the challenge of Manchester airports baggage handlers. The elasticated strapping that I has used as one of the securing methods was completely missing. I was informed that it was still on the trolley. I didn't dare ask how many pieces my bike was in.
When I arrived at Edinburgh airport I headed straight for 'baggage reclaim' where I waited and waited and waited and started to worry! So I went to lost luggage to ask if the baggage handlers were busy collecting bits of broken bike, I also asked if my 'baggage' had been transferred directly to my ongoing flight..... Relief :-)
I had a pleasant conversation with a very attractive air stewardess during the flight to Wick and once we landed my bags and bike were soon delivered to me, and nothing was missing, broken or even scratched.... result.
I proceeded to unpack my bike and replace the front wheel, re-inflate the tyres, re-align the handlebars, etc. and 40 minutes later I mounted my steed only to realise something wasn't quite right, I had forgotten to re-attach the pedals, duh! Luckily Wick airport is quite sparse and nobody saw me. Anyway, I soon corrected the error and I was off.
I rode into Wick for some lunch then afterwards looked around to buy some sandwiches for teatime, whilst looking I came across 3 other cyclists; John, Ian and Jim. They had cycled from Land's End and were on their way to John o"Goats, but they had been fighting a strong head-wind and were about to give up (they were from Yorkshire so I suppose it was understandable). I said you can't give up now and I offered to ride at the front to give them some protection from the wind. They took some persuading but they finally agreed (hehe, sorry lads only joking, well done on your magnificent achievement).
Upon reaching John o'Groats I took some photos with my new Yorkshire friends then bid them farewell as they went in search of a pub to celebrate and I headed south to my overnight accomodation.
The sun is shining and all is well so I'm now off for a walk.
P.S. I got to JOG on my bike, this jogle'ing is easy, tomorrow I'm off to the Bahammas, thank you all for your contributions :-).
Oh, and thanks for the messages on the message board, keep 'em coming.
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