Monday, 21 June 2010
Day 9 - LAND'S END!
OK day has started well - everyone feeling better and the end in sight.
Talking of sights boys seem to have made the day a veritable sight-seeing stop off tour - St Micheal's Mount, Tesco's in Truro for egg and bacon and sausage butties X 2! (Health kick out the window then!). So all going dandy until Algy loses 1, then 2 and then a 3rd spoke off bike - last 20 miles looking worrying....
Meanwhile surprise welcoming party wondering where the hell they are as we get burnt in land's end - then they appear and we all go wild - luckily neither of them fall off in surprise and successfully cross the finish line!
It is done and dusted and photos, blisters and glazed look in both their eyes prove it...till the next one!
"I am never going to exercise again...in my life"
Day 8 - Cheddar Gorge to Launceston
Quote of the day "Anything is preferable to this!"
All riders comment that this has been the HARDEST , MOST GRUELING of days - the energy levels are low and the hills are high and frankly no one seems to see any joy in it any more 0 even though when this is done only one more day to go. Q now picked-up the tummy bug - puking and more, all night - projectile by all accounts - great start, therefore to the day!
Come on boys - really only one more day to go!
Final quote of the day "11h 15 min and 115 miles later with a improptu poo with a herd of heffers we have arrived! Toughest day yet - did a box of ibuprofen half a pack of motillium and a whole box of immodium - what athletes!"
Friday, 18 June 2010
Day 7 - To Cheddar Gorge
The lads sound very weary and depleted after today's slog...but promise us they WILL finish....Q's feet in 'agony' (placed in plastic bags by medics!) and Algy still suffering tummy bug - they have lost over a mile and a half an hour on average speeded given injuries/illness...energy levels are LOW!
Keep going boys - only two days left!
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Day 6 - END
OK so I think they are beyond pain now - Q walked up a v steep hill in socks so as not to run his shoes???! Just ruined his feet instead and I thought they were meant to be on a bike ride anyway! But I stand corrected that THIS was a very steep hill and most walked up it! Anyway Q and Algy met up with some old beer mates and still made it back by day light so they must all be getting old....xx
DAY 6
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
PAST HALF WAY - end of Day 5
"Night night from the Iconic tent base camp day 5 - a day of broken bikes and bodies with gastric bug ripping through the riders!"
The message from base camp tonight - possibly the toughest day so far....
Arrived at camp around 5pm - Algy in with medics for achilles - both boys rubbed down - neither can tell me what day it is!
NEWSFLASH DAY 5 - Ullswater to Manchester
Newsflash 15.30 - 'It has to be asda' - Algy needing an emergency stop see post below :(
30 miles still to go.....
Day 5 - Ullswater to Manchester - The wheels are falling off...
8.15 am and already at the top of Kirkstone Pass - the start of another 115 miles. A pass at the start of the day has had it toll today and boys really feeling the pain.
"Suffering this morning - pass out of Ullswater deleted energy banks this is first pit stop, hot, sweaty and tired - 90m to go!"
To add to this the wheels are literally falling off - Q's back wheel lost 2 spokes last night which made descending peaks at 45 miles an hour 'interesting' . By this a.m. it was completely broken. Cracknell came to the rescue with a temporary replacement (so not sure what he is using) but it isn't smooth. Halfords trying now to get replacement wheel for Q at the next Base camp.
Algy's developed a case of cycler's trots requiring a stop off at the local chemist and there's a lovely bout of gastric 'something horrible' working its way around.
It's getting tense....
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Day 4 - 5.15 pm East Renfrewshire - Ullswater
Boys complete peddling for the day - think they are rather chuffed by the lack of bikes in the bike shed!
Unless they went the wrong way of course.
Anyway Scotland behind them and finished for the day - now camping in the glorious Lake district. Alright for some!
Day 4 - 5am
From Q: 'Morning - day 4 and rise and shine at 5! Wadsworth popping cocktail of morning pills, my legs itching to buggery as eaten alive by midges. Lost of losses last night, people vomiting being taken off to hospital and collapsing in dining tent! And guess what its another 130 miles today and hotter so god knows the damage tonite.'
We'll see!
Meanwhile good to see the boys are finding this a spiritual experience.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Day 3 - Sun and Snow up to Glen Coe
Loch Linnhe to East Renfrewshire: 130 miles: 10,000 ft climb: 9 1/2 hours in the saddle.
Q's legs looking like golf balls courtesy of Scottish midges... Algy last heard rubbing E45 into parts only the saddle can reach.
Mmmm Rachel what state will they come home in?!
But they did it! So bring on the mankinis!!!
Sunday, 13 June 2010
End of Day 2 - Fort Williams
Average rain fall in Fort WIlliams = ALOT and lots of it seemed to fall today. Boys climbed 8500 ft and cycled for 7 1/2 hours and arrived to flooded tent - spoke to Quentin post 3 pints at end of the day and he sounded like a two year old! Rain was a constant but they did spot Nessie! Forecast for tomorrow is 16 degrees by the time they reach Glasgow - Algy and Q promising to wear mankinis to celebrate.
Day 2 Pit stop 1
1st pit stop day 2 very wet plus midge attack this morning. Another 60 miles and big climb to go!
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Day 1 done!
Day 1 over - 104 miles: 7 1/2 hours - driving rain and wind agianst them to start - just to warm them up - boys feeling pretty happy having finish in the first 25% of riders. Not too many climbs but knees already feeling like the knees of old men!!!
Race Eve...
If Q was expecting a good night's sleep he was sadly misled - howling gales meant that he got up during the night to pin the tent down securely - luckily ( :) ) the northern position of their situation meant the light was quite good by which to do it! However Algy managed to sleep quite soundly....
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