The finish!!!

The End of the Land!!

The journey is complete...

...well almost! I'm now on the first of three trains ultimately heading for Stockport.
My Dad would have a few little sayings that he'd use over & over again. One of them, when asked 'Where have you been?' would be to reply "There & back to see how far it is!"
I now know exactly what he was on about! :)

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Okehampton - Redruth

Penultimate is a lovely word!
I did the crazy thing today of cycling the 'folder' down the little strip of tarmac to the left of the solid white line that runs along the A30. It is about 75cm wide at best and is the equivalent of a motorway's hard shoulder! Traffic flies along at same speed as the motorway though!!
I made a few stops which included Launceston, Jamaica Inn & Bodmin.
Not sure where I intended to finally stop tonight but I ended up slightly west of Redruth after 75 miles of pedalling from Okehampton! Not bad for a tired man on a creaking folding bike!!
The End of the Land is almost in sight!
Good early start tomorrow & I could be on a train bound for Manchester by lunch time!!

The light at the end of the tunnel...

Taunton- Tiverton- Exeter-Crediton-Okehampton

I went round the houses a little bit today trying to avoid the worst of the hills! Feeling like I need a day off but with the end in sight I really can't see that happening! Possibly can finish this in two days now!!
Staying at 'Betty Cottles Inn' tonight. It seems like a nice place but my heart sank slightly when the receptionist gave me the keys to room no.13!!
Planning to pedal along the A30 for a while tomorrow to 'rack' some miles up!
Will have to buy another O/S map and get down the country lanes if it's too scary!
Off to feed my face now and am early night all being well :)

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Chepstow to Taunton...

I made the most of favourable weather conditions and flattish terrain to do a few more miles than the intended finish at Bridgwater.
Much of today's route was the same, but in reverse, to the original journey north so maps were mainly unnecessary!
Neither Ed or Dale showed up today however their cousin Payne Fulbum hindered me instead!!
Plenty of miles out of the saddle tomorrow methinks!!
Tuesday's planned destination - Okehampton.

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Severn Bridge...

A gentle breeze meant for a very pleasant pootle across the bridge! Unlike last time!!!
4.5 miles done, SOME to do!!

26th June - Worcester to Chepstow...

There are two brothers who must live round here! When I was cycling north, Dale, the friendlier of the two, came with me all the way to Scotland!
His brother Ed turned up today - Big Time!! Mr & Mrs Wind must be proud of Dale, not sure about Ed though. He is a nasty piece of work, especially when the sun is shining so strongly!
59 miles including a slight diversion whilst trying to lose Ed for a while!!
Nice guest house for the night in a quiet backwater of Chepstow!

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Gladiator...

I thought this field of wheat looked like a scene from Gladiator!
I put on a leather skirt and walked through the field brushing my hand against the ears of wheat with the Hans Zimmerman soundtrack playing away in my mind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMD5gS7s3OU&feature=youtube_gdata_player)
The police eventually let me go after the farmer had me arrested!!

Birthday Party...

This was the cycling stampede that occurred when word got out about my 'free bar' party at lunch time today!

Pizza Express, Worcester...

Table for one in Pizza Express really does look sad!!
I was very easily distracted today! Spoke to the landlady at VFM B&B for far too long and didn't set off until 10.30am. Then stopped to look at a motorhome sales pitch after I'd done about 5 miles. A further 10 miles and I was stopping for a brew at a tea van on A41. Nice Asian lad with a broad Glaswegian accent owned it! We chatted for an hour! Pedalled on for not many miles more when I saw RAF museum signs. Free entrance and some awesome exhibits. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in military aircraft!
So that was another hour and half of sidetrackedness!??
Finally I got stuck in to some continuous pedalling at about 3.00pm with about 40 miles to go. Just as the sun came out and the temperature jumped up 10 degrees! Much perspiring later I arrived in Worcester. Entered the postcode of B&B into iPhone and found I was 100 yards away! BINGO!!

Francis House...

Busy busy day!
First of all I was interviewed live on BBC Radio Lancashire by Ted Robbins (probably available on 'listen again' BBC iPlayer just before 11.00am today) I then called in to meet the fundraising team at Francis House today! What great work they do too!
No biscuits to go with my the tea mind!! ;-)
Anyway I'd better get some pedalling done 30 miles to go at least before I stop today!! That's the equivalent of 185 miles in Dog years!!

The finest restaurant in Manchester...

Tonight I have arrived at the home of Rachael, Roberto & Josef! It will not surprise anyone who knows them that I am about to eat the most fantastic meal that I have seen since......

.....last time I was here!!!
As a secondary point, I managed to nurse the 'folder' over a couple of hills this today. Barrowford to Burnage is NOT flat! Especially if you go wrong and nearly reach Todmorden before realising!!

Kendal to Barrowford...

Just about 50 miles have brought me from door to door!!
Tonight I am residing in luxury at the home of David & Shelagh Clegg! I have eaten like a lord and now have my feet on their coffee table whilst I watch TV and they do the washing up!! ;-)
The 'folder' floated over the hill between Gisburn & Barrowford. I even treated myself to a haircut on the descent! I'll be even faster tomorrow morning!!

Carlisle to Kendal...

The fold away bike or 'folder' as it shall now be known, served me well for 40 miles today! Still needing to tweak the exact riding position, but on the whole I think I think I can survive the rest of this journey now!!
I am now aiming to complete my return journey somewhere between the 2nd & 6th July which will give me opportunity to throw in a Hayfield to Blackpool ride as part of the Manchester to Blackpool Annual Bike Ride (Sunday 10th July) I would like to see a gang join me and in doing so get a bit of sponsorship yourselves for Francis House Hospice!!
I will even offer to ride tandem with someone!! (I'll be doing the piloting mind you! - Control Freak?) Come on you know it makes sense!!!

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The journey resumes...

Following a couple of days rest and having chatted to various medical peeps & scoured t'internet I have either shin splints or a stress fracture on the right leg! The only treatment is to rest from activities which caused it! It just so happens that I can still pedal the bike (low impact) without too much pain or creating further trauma, so we have a plan!!
It would be easy to jump back on the racing bike and rattle off 90 miles a day for a week & arrive at Land's End. So instead, to keep the challenge alive I have taken the option to pedal on using the little Raliegh fold away bike!!
I have done a few miles across Carlisle this afternoon and will begin in earnest tomorrow hoping to cycle to Kendal (over Shap) which is about 45 miles away!! Big ask for those little wheels!! Eeek!!

Day (or two) of rest!

Masking the pain of shin splints and carrying on is (a) a recipe for failure and (b) nigh on impossible to ignore this morning! Couple of days Rest Ice Compression & Elevation required. Try again on Monday!! :(

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Pain stops play!!

I think the right leg has been overdoing it to compensate for the manky infected blistered left foot over the last couple of days and so to add insult to injury the right lower leg has now developed painful shin splints! I'm currently sat with a bag of ice cubes balanced on the elevated leg's shin area!
So, only 17 miles done & mostly at a hobble! However, this does push the total walking mileage to date to 401 miles!!
Pitch inspection due tomorrow morning! Being as good progress has been made so far I might take a couple of days off to rest the offending appendage!!

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Hello again England!!