Vale Royal AC Runners

We've made it!!!

We cycled the last 17 miles to john o'groats this morning and finished about 9.15ish.  We thane had a quick look round and took some photos. That makes 897 miles in total, so we didnt stray too far from the shortest route!

We then cycled back tp Wick and managed to catch midday train to inverness. Staying in the city centre tonight and heading to the airport early tomorrow.

The bikes have done us proud, we are the puncture proof plumbers! Not a burst or a leaky valve all trip!

Don't forget you can congratulate us at:  http://www.justgiving.com/lejog-bigmarkandgoffy

We're in Wick tonight having covered another 70 miles..... less than 20 to go tomorrow to  finish this adventure off!

A nice ride up the coast today with some great weather for a change.

We're planning to get out early tomorrow and get to the finish line  then it's time for the journey home to check on how much you've all been sponsoring us!!  We'll catch the train to inverness tomorrow afternoon and we're hopefully flying back to Manchester on Saturday. 

We have spent the day on the A9 (many time winner of britains dullest road!) but we're now 89 miles nearer to the finish line.

Managed to get thruough both Aviemore & inverness before todays thunderstorm arrived! We spent some time sheltering under trees clutching our bikes but still the lightening missed us!

We've found a really nice smart (well it was before we checked in) b & b to stay in at in Tain about 30 miles north of Inverness (Dave Gough thinks that the rain in Tain falls on the cyclist in the main!).

Well we've passed 800 miles now amd pnly about 90 to go!

We're aiming to get to Wick tomorrow & john o groats early on friday!

See you all soon!

We've had a pretty good days cycling except fot the hills and the weather!  Got caught in a pretty big storm this morning while riding through the Little Glen.  Was lovely weather first thing as we rode to Crieff but the heavens opened on the way out of town, so we arrived in Dunkeld extremely wet and cold.  Wouldn't want to do this ride in winter!!

Called in to Pitlochry to sort out the train back to Inverness from the finish on Friday......yes Friday!  We are a full day up on schedule.  We are in Dalwhinnie tonight a full 29 uphill miles north of Pitlochry.  Two and a half hours of cycling on the A9 helped us dry out!

Arrival at Dalwhinnie:

Thanks to Mary, we now have the full story on why it took so long for LeJoggers to get through Warrington (and i'm sure we'll hear Goffy's side of this story after the trip!):

A few of us agreed to accompany the Dynamic Duo on the Northwich to Lancaster stage. With a start time of 8.30am, we started to gather from 8.15am, nervously adjusting our gear and gears, waiting patiently for Thunderbolt and Lightening to turn up. They made their entrance at 8.28am.

A quick headcount saw Darren and Helen, Thomas, Goffy's nephew plus dad, Philip, Jo Moly, Toppo and Mary, Matt S with daughter Ella, George and Speedy 'all the gear, no idea'- Weedy. The latter looking particularly cool in the sunglasses he'd said Mark could borrow. We were ready for the off - but where was Head Coach, Ken - never late - Bennion? We waited and as time slipped by, the nerves increased and there was concern that Ken must have had an accident.( As Ken is never late). 8.38am Ken came into view and there was an audible sigh of relief.

Mark was getting tetchy and without further ado we were off. Mark in the vanguard, hotly pursued by George. The peleton was spreadout by the first roundabout with those of us using stabilisers still exiting the carpark, grateful that it was left rather than right at the first junction. To cries of Vive Le Jog we hurtled towards Northwich.

Worth mentioning at this point that Ella is that delightful age where she totally trusts her father which is lucky as she was on the back of the world's longest bike and being thrown around at least two lanes as Matt attacked the roundabout.

Some five minutes later disaster struck as Thomas appeared to swerve to avoid a car and took a tumble. He jumped up quickly and as his dad checked him out the tail-enders passed him by to catch up on the leaders who were patiently waiting by the traffic lights with less patient cars queued behind. We waited and waited but no Thomas or Philip. Toppo ever the intrepid, decided to go back to find out what was happening and agreed to meet us at The Beech Tree at Barton.

We set off up Winnington Hill, left at Barton/Winnington Bridge (with The Good Luck sign for the Boys which no-one saw) onwards to The Beech Tree where we congregated again. By this time we'd now lost Matt and Ella, Jo, Ken, Toppo, Philip and Thomas.

Matt and Ella had planned to go no further than Barton ( according to Mark - whose was becoming decidedly more tetchy). Diane then arrived with Thomas in her car explaining that the chain had come off his bike. We continued to look down the road when Jo and Ken appeared from quite the wrong direction. They'd headed right at the Bridge and had decided to do a mini-tour of Barton housing estates. Philip then arrived but there was still no sign of Toppo. We waited and waited.

By now Goffy was getting tetchy. Maybe the team ride wasn't such a good idea after all. A quick check of the computers revealed that we'd cycled 3.75 miles in 40 minutes and that it was now 9.20. Speedy Weedy had covered 4.25 miles but that was only because he couldn't get his feet out of his newly acquired cleats ( that's cleats Jane ) and had been cycling round the car park for the last 10 minutes.

We tried to contact Toppo to no avail. We decided to give it until 9.30. Goffy and Mark were both getting a bit tetchy as Lancaster by midnight was looking distinctly unlikely. Finally contact was made with Toppo who'd decided to go via Comberbach. ( Why?) We agreed to meet him at the Cat and Lion at Stretton. I think I heard someone say that the lion will have ate the cat by the time we get there but I can't be sure.

We set off again and managed at least 8 minutes cycling to get to the A49. We were in spitting distance of the Cat and Lion when disaster struck again. This time Helen had a puncture. We agreed to wait for her at the Cat and Lion in case we missed Toppo again. We were a bit worried he'd head off to do a circuit of Preston Brook if left alone for too long.

Eventually, we all met at the Cat and Lion. Toppo was embraced like a long lost brother. 10.15 and we hadn't got to Warrington. After Stretton the lesser domestiques - Toppo, Jo Moly, Mary and George peeled off leaving the others to progress to Winnick. Toppo had cycled less than quarter a mile with the rest of the group.

Progress now appeared to speed up. Darren and Helen continued to Lowton ( where?) before making their way back.

After this Ken Ben, Speedy Weedy, Goffy and Mark really started to motor. I'm reliably informed that they reached a top speed of 29 mph ( this was Mark going downhill) and averaged 19 mph . There were a few road rage moments. After being cut up by a boy racer, Goffy caught the offender up and gave him a really hard stare.

The chaps made it to Carnforth by about 5pm. Mark matched his biggest breakfast with the

biggest salad we've seen in a long time. Those truckers know how to eat.

We left them relaxed and anticipating the next day at 6.30.

A good day on the roads today.  Nice quiet roads up to Lanark then on through Airdrie  before a major storm got us on the way to Cumbernauld!  We had to spend some time sheltering in a bus shelter waiting for the rain to ease.  After that we were chilled to the bone but pushed onto into Stirling and then further on to Dunblane.  

That makes...........yes...........100 MILES today 

(Surely that's worth some sponsorship! http://www.justgiving.com/lejog-bigmarkandgoffy )

We've been blessed with good tailwinds today so have made excellent progress.  We've crossed the border into Scotland and are staying just outside Ecclefechan in a nice, reasonably priced B&B.

The route today has been up through Kendal, up Shap (thankful for the tailwind!) then Penrith, Carlisle and over the border to Ecclefechan.  A grand total of 83 miles (yet another PB for both of us).  A couple of heavy showers on the way but a pretty nice day for cycling. 

530 miles now completed!

Well we got back home, accompanied through Shropshire and Cheshire by Speedy Weedy and Arrow Archer arriving back in Northwich early Friday afternoon.  Still not halfway though.

A cracking turn-out of friends and family at the pub!   A memorable evening (enhanced by Tony's telling of the world's funniest joke !) 

Then back on the road early Saturday morning.  The ride has gone well today and we have made it to Carnforth 10 miles north of Lancaster.  That's an impressive 75 miles!  We had a dozen others cycle various distances with us:

Matt and Ella Sweeting to Winnington; My nephew Thomas & his dad Phil joined us to Barnton.  Jo, Mary, Toppo and young George kept up with us to Stockton Heath.  Darren and Helen to Lowton and Speedy Weedy and Ken Ben doing it all.  A great day!

Thanks to all those who turned out for the ride today and at the pub last night!

It's 8:30 Mark's asleep, I hope the noise doesn't disturb the traffic!   Ascending into Shap tomorrow and hopefully sneak into Scotland.

Another day done:   Through Ludlow and Much Wenlock on the way to our finish line for today - Wellington in Shropshire (a few miles east of Shrewsbury):   A total of 57 miles!

We should be back in Northwich early tomorrow afternoon

Below their are 2 pictures of us at our latest welcoming 'Travelodge'.   (We're staying with Mark's friends in Wellington!)   

Yes, another Travelodge - this time in Hereford.  A shorter day today did not mean things turned out to be easy.  Strong Northerly headwinds put paid to that.  But we've arrived in Hereford after 40 hard miles.  Still on schedule!  Mark's dad rode over the Severn Bridge with us this morning and for an hour or so after.

Legs are getting stiffer now but there's a mere 600ish miles to go now!

Shrewsbury tomorrow!

Here's a pic of the 3 of us this morning: