Three weeks previously an end to end had been something i knew I would so some day.  I mean like most of my competitors the summer months are taken up with racing usually twice a week.  This is a problem for fitness though as you endurance ebbs away right through the year until an hour race seems like three hours.

This year however a gap in the calender appeared and I took advantage.  A phone call from Richard Wilkinson and suddenly i was taking part in the end to end.  Officially it is 867 miles thats if you stick to the A roads and take the direct route but being  averse to dual carriageways and certain deat we decided to avoid them where we could unfortunalty this  added on over 100 miles.

 Talking about distance it takes almost three days just to get to John o’Groats at the tip of Scotland.  The nearest town is Wick and this was our bed for the night.

DAY 1

We arrived nice and early to allow for bike building, preparation and  photo shoots for the chosen charity Pancreatic cancer research.   Once complete we donned our t shirts for the start and then had a few more photos before handing the t shirts back then we were off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KJSkuyjM6U

Initially a flat start allowed me to start my video  blog today there were six of us with two guests who were going to tow us all the way to our destination Inverness.  However, this did not last long as the two guests were quickly dropped over the rolling highlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xyo3BUsIBI

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43625643 Garmin terrain data 

DAY 2 Inverness to Kinross

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43625828

After a good nights sleep we were up and ready to go from the Travel lodge inn Inverness with another 140 miles to Kinross in front of us.  Again we decided not stick to the main roads and quicly found ourselves climbing through an isolated forestry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDcTo4wBmoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7dONQ5u7lg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbF52kPheQA 

DAY 3

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43626020

So I had allready cycled further than  I had ever doen before and I was not even half way.  The other guys were also starting to suffer with each day taking a little longer to get on the road.  Today we would cross into England as we approached Carlisle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4qYErytxOg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREm91m_vlY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnk9s0sTUxg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y10xMhjyQq8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jGi5c3Nl4 

DAY 4

Carlisle to Warrington

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43623596

Wow this looked tough on paper and it proved to be just as tough in real life.  Again taking the minor roads was niice and but made the route so much tougher.  Today was the day that I knew the second half of the support team would turn up _- Judith and Julie proved to super helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOlOfK56hV0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSVCIkUVoU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQJRkonidQ 

DAY  5

Warrington to Gloucester

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43623565

Finally this should be a flat day but there was no way we could really avoid the busy roads today.  A long boring day in the saddle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67nWJavq4m0 

DAY 6

Gloucester to Okehampton

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43623542

A great day with rolling hills and flat fast sections, now starting to feel better knowing there was only one day to go.  This was the nicest Bed and Breakfast by far...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdqfIBfX3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzwCM9VIgDs 

DAY 7

Okehampton to Lands End

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43621569

So here is the last day and as you can see by the Garmin readout also the lumpiest with never ending small lumps and steep climbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF45HfAyQ4Y 

So only 110 miles and we were done.  An epic adventure which proved to be more than just a training ride.  It was a true character building slog, every day and especially the last I went to new depths of tiredeness.  Thanks to all the support crew without whom we we would not have made it.

Louise Purdy

Phillip

Auntie Sue

Judith Julie.   

Want to donate?  You can here http://jogle2010.yolasite.com/

6th April 2009 – the day that changed my life

Bag was packed, bottles were full, tyres pumped, helmet on and I was off to get an extra hour or two’s training in with the Smith Drift before work. We met up and chatted away about the racing from the weekend, I had raced the Somerset RC spring crits and the Tom Hawkins RR so still had heavy legs but felt good as my form was improving and I’d moved up to third category.
 We took a rolling route through Ivybridge and over the moors then towards my office at Burrator Reservoir. JJ departed back home at Wotter and I carried on to do a few laps around the reservoir before work.

VELOGAMES FANTASY TOUR DE FRANCE 2010