Been there, done that

(Above) Sunshine in Peebles,

End-to-End 2008

This double End-to-End up mainland Britain and down through Ireland will be an oppportunity for me to relive some of the cycling experiences that I had during an End-to-End ride in 2008 with the Old Portlians cycle club for the Cure Parkinson's Trust. Read on for the resume report of this ride.

The End-to-End 2008

"We rolled into John O'Groats Friday afternoon on 28th June, 12 days and 1030 miles after leaving Land's End. We started in bright sunshine, we ended in bright sunshine but in the middle we encountered conditions as severe as anything that I have ever experienced on a bike before. Sod's Law, naturally, dictated that the foulest weather coincided with the most topographically demanding stages. Up the Trough of Bowland and over the Pennines on days 6 and 7 and then again on day 10 when we had to tackle the Caingorms were particularly grim sections containing a good number of sustained gradients greater than 15% to overcome in high, gusting, sometimes gale-force winds and torrential rain. The windchill meant that we were all forced to don full winter gear but it was barely enough. At the top of Shap Fell my heavier team mates insisted that I let the back-up transport take m down the mountain as they feared for my safety in 70 mph winds after seeing me twice blown off my bike on the ascent. At the top of the infamous "Devil's Elbow" (Arsehole more like !) at Glenshee, I again had to take a ride and be ferried to Braemer at the bottom of the mountain to buy some more effective gloves as my totally numb hands would have been lethal on the 5 mile, alpine-like descent.

It didn't help of course, to be aware all the time that down in the South it was for the most part warm and sunny! I reckon this side-tracking caused me to miss about 30 miles (mostly downhill), so I think that I can still reasonably claim mission accomplished; I was perfectly fit enough to ride on those occasions but there was the wider picture to consider - namely, the effect my circumstances and actions would have on the peace of mind and well-being of the others in the team.

Given the circumstances, I reckon this was the most demanding piece of athletic activitiy that I have ever done. On some of the climbs my exertion to overcome the steeper sections far outstripped what I put into that 60 second last lap that took me to victory in the 5000m at the Vets World Track Athletic Championships in Rome in 1985 or indeed anything I have ever endured running marathons: it was harder and more prolonged! I can't tell you how gratyfying it is to discover that boundaries can still be pushed back even at this stage of the game.

They say that the most frequently heard phrase in John O'Groats is "where next ?" And it's absolutely true; it really is impossible not to utter these words when you get there. But this is not because you are immediately inspired by the setting to start planning your next major Odyssey or display of intrepidity but simply that this one-eyed little hamlet with the allure of a Canvey Island caravan site is such an anti-climax."

One ride ends, another begins

In the event,"Where next ?" took place in 2009 when I joined a slightly different group made up of current and former members of the Old Portlians and rode from Dieppe to Marseille in just 6 days: loads of fast miles every day and loads of laughs thanks largely to the two support drivers, Steve and Graham, who accompanied us. But more of that trip another time.