First posting...some background

Background to the trip

I thought I’d start with a little background on the cycle trip – apologies to those that have already heard this. It all started when I was asked, quite some years ago, whether I had any interest in running a marathon. The answer was simple – alas no, unfortunately my knees are not up to it (phew!).

That was of course a rather pathetic answer on its own, and it was all too easy to add that, instead of a marathon, I do fancy cycling Lands End to John O’Groats one day, which I thought sounded more impressive….

Fast forward to today and I now have time for such a trip, for the first time in 15 years. I thought “it's now or never”, and given I might not be up to it in 15 years time, “now” it is! As Scottish weather tends to deteriorate quite rapidly once summer is over, I thought I had better get on with it. Claudia has kindly said that I should go for it, her mum Jutta is coming over to help with the kids for a week, and the flight to Wick got booked for the 21st September.

I am also undertaking the challenge for a very worthy cause, Street Child Africa, which is the leading UK charity devoted to helping street children across Africa. If you haven’t already done so, please visit my Just Giving web site www.justgiving.com/chrismichaelbrooks .Your donations will keep me going I’m sure.

Dates and routes

I fly up to Wick on 21st September and thanks to Dad will get a lift up to John O’Groats where we’ll stay. Then it's off from the “start line” on the 22nd September.

The plan is to get to Lands End in about two and a half weeks (or perhaps more accurately, this is the minimum!). The distance is expected to be just over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), averaging 60 miles/95 km a day, with some shortish days (meaning also some longish ones!) to allow for a good lunch here and there with family and friends along the way.

I have a route planned and booked accommodation for about a week ahead, but some flexibility will inevitably be needed given the potential for some rather unpleasant weather and my somewhat untested limbs and joints over such a distance! No rest days in the itinerary to try and fit it all in, but that may need to change. The beauty of the iphone/internet these days is that you don’t have to go around knocking on doors looking for accommodation any more – that’s the theory anyway.

The route is a fairly standard one with a couple of detours where I know the area. I started with a published LE to JOG guide (I seem to be in the minority going the other way – fingers crossed I don’t regret that – no nasty south westerly winds please!). The route tracks down the east coast of Scotland to Inverness, then across to the west coast along Lochs Ness, Lochy and Linnhe then through the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe and then Loch Lomond national park down to Glasgow. Then its south, taking the route to the west of the Pennines, skirting the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales (hopefully to stop off with Jess in Addingham) and along the border with Wales.

My friend Duncan will hopefully join me around Telford cycling south for the weekend before meeting our families for lunch near Bath. Then it’s through some old haunts in Somerset before Devon and Cornwall, with step-dad Louis joining me from around St.Austell for the final push. That’s the plan – let’s see what happens!

It’s a solo, "unsupported" trip, so I'll carry everything with me on the bike, but no, I will not take a tent – camping is a step too far! Although I’m not planning on taking too much stuff the bike is surprisingly heavy once the panniers, locks, water have all been added.

The training

Hmmm. My LEJOG guide suggest a 7 month training program. Now I had been doing the odd Wimbledon to City commute to work – it’s a start - and believe it or not Clapham is on a hill – but I suspect the commute is not particularly reflective of anticipated terrain.

The decision to go ahead with the trip was made in late July which gave me nearer 7 weeks excluding the last “warm down” week. Unfortunately the first 3 weeks consisted of our summer holiday in France and Italy (does “bulking up” on bread, cheese and red wine help)?

So that’s left about 4 weeks, and I’m not too sure where that’s gone, but I have managed 180 kms over the last 4 days, so I just need to double that, add in some hills, extra weight and probably bad weather and keep that going for 18 days – how hard can it be? The knees and back are holding up so far, thankfully.

More updates next week.