Day 14

Tongue to John O'Groats - 65 miles
Whoopey-Doooo! C'est finis! The team rolled into John O'Groats this afternoon at 4pm. A brilliant, sunny day to finish; we were met by cheering crowds - Margaret, Jenny, the dogs, Christine's parents and good ol' Keith. It was a wonderful day to finish with. We managed to avoid the midges in the morning (as Mandy shows in the photo as she models the latest in designer midge wear). The hills in the morning were rather larger than we had expected but we soldiered on, knowing that the end was in sight. The final twenty miles was heavenly - flat, easy pedalling. It nearly all went horribly wrong just before Thurso when Lorraine, for a jolly jape, hid behind a rock. Abandoned by our trusty leader the team fell apart at the seams and scattered in all directions. Bolli shot off like a whippet, Keith got snarled up in the one way system in Thurso (who even knew they had one?!) and the remaining three trembled like scared kittens until Lorraine reappeared and the normal service was resumed. And so it is complete. Before I hand over to the support team for their thoughts, a final HUGE thank you to Margaret and Jenny, without whom we could not have completed the Lejog ride.

Support Team Blog 2
Well, what can we add to that?! This has been one amazing journey - from End to End! Thank heavens there will be no more cars to empty, bags to carry or bagels to buy.  It has been a privilege to share this adventure with the Famous Five - all incredible women in their own way! Many people have completed this challenge but few can have had so many laughs and no tears (other than those of laughter), nor even a grump worth mentioning.  This includes our four-legged friends (yes, even Saint Macy) who have had a wonderful time - climaxing on Farr Beach this morning.  Special mention to Christine, who has tolerated awful impersonations of her Scottish accent ever since we crossed the border.
Now time for a sincere THANK YOU to all who have donated to our causes - MIND, Marie Curie Cancer Care and The Brooklands Special School in Reigate.  So far we have raised £4,600 - FANTASTIC! Several people have asked how to donate - sadly our Charity Giving page is no longer available so if you are interested in giving us some dosh please contact Margaret at margarethunnaball@hotmail.com and she'll tell you how to donate!

Day 13

Tain to Tongue - 64 miles

A wet start today and the rain looked as if it was going to be with us for the duration. So it was head down and put up with it – or so we thought. In the event, after a final squall, the rain stopped and the sun came out just after lunch. Perfect timing as we pedalled our way into the most glorious, jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery on the road from Lairg to Tongue. You can take it from us – we’ve seen the countryside along the length of Britain – and today tops the pile for sheer take-your-breath-away views. We were initially chuffed that the wind would keep the midges away (even though we are armed with midge hats courtesy of Christine) but battling against it for the majority of the day took its toll on our already reduced energy reserves. Our support team were with us every step of the way and team hubbie Keith also joined us for the final 20 miles into Tongue. The only slight mishap occurred when Anne, for no clear reason, cycled into the hedgerow and is now placed equal first with Mandy for the prize of team member who has fallen off most (Two-all).  We find ourselves tonight tired but happy in a very comfortable B&B. The only member of the team who is slightly put out is Macy who has taken exception to Titch, the resident Jack Russell.  Tomorrow’s ride with be 65 undulating miles along the coast to John O’Groats – the end is almost in sight!

Day 12

Aviemore to Tain - 74 miles

All rather tired tonight. The bodies are willing but mentally we are all mushed – this includes the support crew and the dogs  A lovely ride to Culloden in the morning, although Jenny, in particular, was most put out by the hoards of tourists at the battlefield. The weather today was varied to say the least. Probably the heaviest downpour of the trip coincided with our crossing of the Kessock Bridge at Inverness. We all felt that we had been given a free facial massage and exfoliation having been battered by cold horizontal rain on the crossing. Brrrrr…Poor Margaret also got caught in the deluge as she dutifully waited, camera in hand, for us to appear at the far end of the bridge. A short while later we were watching dolphins frollick in the Moray Firth. The hills took their toll this afternoon and by the time we reached the afternoon stop in Alness we were very weary. We picnicked as is our habit in a bus shelter and it was left to Jenny to explain to the wee bus driver, who was clearly delighted to see so many people waiting at the stop, that we were not potential customers. A cracking hotel tonight in Tain with a huge whisky selection in the bar. The usual routine as we settle in: a cup of tea for the support crew; recovery drink for Lorraine; cold baths for Christine and Bolli; compression tights for Anne and several pints of Peroni for Mandy. We’ve allowed ourselves to start to consider the possibility that we may actually finish the Lejog challenge. With just two days left it now seems to be a real possibility. A good time to thank Jenna at Eat Natural for fuelling us over the course of our trip with a seemingly endless supply of Eat Natural Bars. We LOVE them! And visitors tonight  - none for the first time since the start of the trip. Anyone would think we are in the middle of nowhere.

The cyclist pictured has just crammed a whole packet of jelly beans into her mouth.She has clearly lost all sense of decorum; is no longer fit for polite society and will be left at John O'Groats.

  

 

Day 11

Pitlochry to Aviemore – 58 miles

Thank goodness we have a native with us. Breakfast this morning was delicious but we needed Christine to explain the delicacies of square sausage, tattie scones and black haggis. Having shoe-horned ourselves into the cars we were ferried back down to Pitlochry for the start of today’s ride. First job was to pick up our bikes from the local bike shop where we had left them for safe keeping. Payment for this service was a packet of Jaffa cakes. Take note if you are heading this way, biscuits are legal tender up this neck of the woods. We were joined today by ‘skeletal’ Martin who managed to prune a healthy 4 miles off the planned route. We followed the A9 for the whole of today, but avoided actually riding on it by virtue of purpose made cycle paths using the old A9 and cinder tracks. A lovely ride through rugged Scottish scenery up and over the Drumochter Pass.  Christine spotted a helicopter at the summit and wondered ruefully if it was the Cake Helicopter. So gentle was the incline that we hardly realised we were going up. In fact we all commented that today’s ride was the easiest so far. Pleasant cycling this afternoon and we glided into Aviemore at 4:30. Tonight Mandy and Anne are in a swanky hotel and everyone else is slumming it in a B&B. Mandy thinks this is hilarious. Extra special visitors tonight as we are joined by Christine’s parents.

Dog update for concerned readers – everyone is fine and enjoying the regular walks and outings provided by the support team. Today’s stream was particularly good fun and the official view is that being a dog on Lejog is almost as tiring as doing the actual cycle ride. Archie and Bertie have been practising how quickly they can snatch a bagel while Missy creates a diversion. They are confident that they can execute this manoeuvre successfully before the end of the trip.

Day 10

Kinross to Pitlochry - 49 miles
The shortest day today. Hurrah! All the usual ingredients: sun, rain, puncture, beautiful scenery, conversations about what we are going to eat next and the state of our nether regions. We were all very taken with Perth - Christine so much so that she decided to take herself on a small solo tour of the town. Sue Jones came up trumps with a bacon butty fry up at the first checkpoint. All is forgiven. She has earned her stripes as an official LEJOG supporter.Christine's friend Martin turned up to give us the low down on the next section of our route using his local knowledge. Little to report this afternoon on our ride other than the fact that we are very grateful for the cycle track that runs parallel to the very busy A9. Most of the team were content to arrive at the end of today's route in Pitlochry and ready to relax in the Nae Limits Log Cabin Hotel, a 14 mile drive from the town. Lorraine and Bolli, however, decided that they would like to cycle to the hotel. And why not? Well, for a start it was uphill and off route....

By the time everyone else arrived, Lorraine and Bolli were settled, semi-comatosed on the sofa, triumphant to have achieved their goal. Mandy, Anne and Christine were just happy to collapse with a pint.
Tonight's numbers have been swelled by visitors Iona, Bruce, Morrigun and Kate.

Day 9

Gordon Arms to Kinross - 74 miles
Last night's hotel turned out to be a real find and the icing on the cake was a full blown cooked breakfast this morning. Quote of the day was provided by Mandy who, at the start of the ride, loudly announced that she could "feel her sausage jiggling". It sums up the mood of the party and the level to which we have deteriorated that this comment was receieved with schoolgirl shrieks and kept us sniggering for the remainder of the day. This morning's ride was off the scale in terms of scenery and cycling enjoyment: seemingly endless valleys through delightful the Scottish borders. After meeting support crew, today with added junior support apprentice Sue Jones, we threaded our way through the suburbs of Edinburgh (one may say the Edinburgh fringe!). The contrast to this morning could not have been more marked as we met our fair share of grumpy drivers, lumpy roads and, as if in sympathy, the sky clouded over and the heavens opened. There followed a stretch along the Union Canal and some miles of a disused railway leading us to the Forth Road Bridge. All rather soggy by this stage, we were relieved to be met by the support crew in Dunfermline as we huddled under a bus shelter. Sue had by this stage gone AWOL, sadly with our sandwiches and pies.The final section of the day took us through very pretty, if rolling, countryside with a swooping downhill into Kinross. Tonight we are visited by George, Mags and Mauragh. They have been promoted to current most favourite visitors by virtue of the whiskey chocolates that they have brought.

A final note tonight for our four legged supporters. Missy is sporting a split pad and Macy is plagued by a jippy tum. Poor them. Archie and Bertie are faring rather better and can't work out what all the fuss is about.

Day 8

Carlisle to Gordon Arms (Yarrow) - 70 miles
Over the border today and the sun shone on us. The day was not without incident. Less than thirty seconds after leaving the Travelodge, Anne pulled up with the first puncture of the day. Stopwatches out and just over 5 minutes later we were back on our way. A 30 mile ride to the border, accompanied by Angela and Keith, where we were met by our support team extraordinaire together with Doreen and her splendid mobile tuck shop. Having gorged on the contents we were off once more with farewells to our Lake District pals, back now to the original five cyclists. Hillier now but McGorgeous scenery with rolling hills- lush greens and purples. It was all going swimmingly until Christine not only snapped her gear cable but followed up seamlessly with a puncture. The emergency support team swooped in and, with the help of Tommy from the bike shop in the village of Langholm (who repaired the bike for free), the team were able to set off again with only minor delay. Christine disgraced herself yet again later in the afternoon with a second puncture. Speedy-tyre-change Anne stepped up to the mark but the team are now starting to worry that the Scottish pot-holes may start to take their toll on the bikes. We have acquired two spare bikes which will accompany us up to JOG on top of Margaret's car. We are hopeful that we are armed for all eventualities. Tonight we are comfortably settled in the Gordon Arms and have been joined by international singer-songwriter Suzanne Jones, who is currently crooning to the assembled company in a most convivial evening.