The aftermath...

Oh joy, washing...! 

And a few more choice moments...

Where do we go now?...

Chief cook and bottle washer... 

Bradley Wigggins eat your heart out - these are real cyclists' suntans!!

A few more photos from the final day

The final arrival - we weren't sure where to go - you'd think that there would be this huge sign or something saying THIS IS THE FINISH!!!!

And now with the correct mileage and date!!!

We're here!! We did it! All 992 miles of it!!

I did it Daddy, for you xxx K xxx

20 miles to go! Just got to Thurso.

When it was 80 miles to go!

Setting off from the Crask Inn - out of the vortex! 

55 miles to go!!

Our last meal together

Very wind burnt faces!

The Crask Inn

We've just arrived in a vortex of the1950's. This inn is in the middle if nowhere, where the inn keeper and his wife are really quite weird!! Still it's a bed for the.night and some hot food to eat!

Glencoe to Inverness

After our mammouth day in the saddle yesterday, we set of this morning for a not quite so mammouth 82 miles to Inverness!

We were hoping for a relatively easy ride with no major climbs but instead spent 6 hours on a rollercoaster of a road all the way. Ian and Sam abandon us and bombed off and left us to fend for ourselves for the last 20 miles, which would have been fine except we didn't know that's what they'd decided to do so kept expecting them to have stopped for us around the next corner!!!

The B&B was a welcome stop and we are now sitting in an Inverness bar having filled ourselves with nosh!

Apparently there's an England vs Scotland football match tonight so we're hurrying back to the rooms before anything kicks off.!!

Yipee only 2 days left!!

Loch Ness

I looked and looked and looked and looked but saw no monster today :(

Day 11 - the day that went on and on... and on...

After our stop in Glasgow last night with Kate's lovely friend Jane who was the best host ever - washing and drying our smelly gear, making us an amazing breakfast, and giving us all the home comforts we could possibly need - we set out for Glen Coe. Aching legs, knees, ankles, arms and backs aren't making the going easy, but we're in Tyndrum eating as much hot chocolate and fruit cake as we can as there will be nothing to eat in Glencoe village (except for banana recovery drink!) It's a long day - we've done 60 miles so far, with another 30 hilly miles to go... Bring on the hot shower and comfy bed...!

Crossing the Clyde. 

Head winds

We hate head winds, we hate head winds, we hate head winds!!

But safely at the wonderful Jane in Glasgow eating Chinese and chilling. We love her lots xxx

The end of Day 9...

Sitting in a lovely warm Moffat pub, nicely full of food and looking forward to a good night's sleep in our palatial bedrooms back at the hotel! A fairly uneventful day apart from harsh winds and heavy rain - and losing Sam who went speeding past our turn-off, with no phone signal! We caught him up eventually, having been forced to go his way instead, but thanks to Sam we managed to avoid the very big hill - so we're all super-happy! Onward to Glasgow tomorrow...

The Series of Unfortunate events continues...

Today's bike incident was my chain coming off and getting stubbornly stuck between the inner ring and the bike frame - luckily a passing cyclist came to my rescue again and after half an hour of heaving and tugging and poking with an allen key, it was free. 

Like Kate. I found today hard going too - and the last straw was the zip on my bag breaking just as we came in to Keswick... 

But a lovely big hug from lovely Kate and I felt better. 

And while you're all feeling sympathetic, here's a picture of my elbow that I nearly broke last night when I skidded out of the shower! Thank you Student Nurse Kate for all your tender loving care and pandering to all my needs! (putting my socks on was, after all, beyond the call of duty!)

Slaidburn to Keswick

Some of the most beautiful british countryside ever but I had the worst day in the world today. If it wasn't for a phone call from my sis at just the right time and Judy being the best friend ever and some awesome pacing from Ian out of Kendal, I'm not sure I would have made it to Keswick.

Thanks guys xxx  Here's hoping for a better day in the rain tomorrow!! Kate xx

Ps picture of Lake Windermere

Especially for Emma, Giles and Em!!

There's nobody here!!!!

Especially for Emma, Giles and Em!!

There's nobody here!!!!

Day 7 HALF WAY!!!

We made really good time and arrived in Slaidburn about 5.30. We met some crazy Australians along the way who had flown to Holland to pick up their touring bikes before touring Belgium, Denmark and Holland before crossing to Dover, cycling to Lands End to start the end to end - and you all thought we were mad!!!

In the YHA Judy managed to slip over getting out of the shower and crack her elbow on the floor! We all thought bad thoughts but luckily I had picked up a few hints from Nurse Judy when I smacked  my shoulder and with Judy's
bag of tricks by the beginning of the day, she could flex it enough to ride. Yipee!

Between the 2 of us , we're not doing too bad for accidents!!

On our way to Slaidburn

Had a good morning powering our way through  Warrington, Leigh and around Bolton. Stopping for lunch at Bobs Smithy Inn before more climbing. Oh yipee!!

The Ups and Downs of Day 6 -

Clun youth hostel gets the prize for the most picturesque setting - and Clun's pubs served us a good dinner and hearty breakfast.  As for the cycling, it wasn't long before we were greeted by an enormous hill (getting a wee bit fed up with them now!) - then the first disaster of the day - I had a puncture - just as Sam, Ian and Kate disappeared over the brow of yet another hill. Standing forlornly looking at the back wheel, I had to put my non-existent bike mechanical know-how into action. Got as far as trying to get the tyre back on when an elderly (but hardened) lady cyclist arrived and saved me! Just got the wheel pumped up and on the bike when Sam, who had cycled 4miles back up the hill, arrived!

Later, Ian found some well earned comfort in a pack of four chocolate eclairs, and Kate did some impressive run training trying to escape a very persistent bee who seemed convinced she was a yellow flower. Meanwhile, Sam was earning yet more Yellow Jerseys powering up all the hills. It was a long day and our longest so far - 80 miles - or 88 in Sam's case (sorry Sam but hooray for the lady!). And, I have to say, I have never seen such a welcome sight than Runcorn's Holiday Inn!

Two full bellies, ready to start the day...

Kate and family!

And here's the evidence...

RRUNCORN!

We're here 80 miles dome!

We're being attacked by a bumble bee!!!

On our way to Sunny Runcorn!

Motoring along but un beknown to us Judy had punctured so poor old Sam had to ride 4 miles back to rescue her! It's always best to be the youngest and fiittest!!!

Day 5

Lunch in Canon Pyon.

Then a steady up hill slog to Clun, through some of the most beautiful Shropahire countryside. The only trouble is there is never any reception!!

(writing this without glasses on, while Judy mends her puncture, so please excuse mistakes!)

Day 5

Just had quite a steep climb out of Monmouth on our way to Hereford but countryside beautiful and not too much traffic.

Ian  and Sam vying for yellow jersey status up the hills but I think Sam's just pipped at at the moment!! But the day is young!!

Day 5

Just had quite a steep climb out of Monmouth on our way to Hereford but countryside beautiful and not too much traffic.

Ian  and Sam vying for yellow jersey status up the hills but I think Sam's just pipped at at the moment!! But the day is young!!

Opps

Ops meant to post the picture!

Thank you!

Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes. My shoulder is rather bruised and a little stiff but it's quite lucky that you don't have to move it too much to ride a bike!!

Nurse Jooooody is amazing with her bag of special tricks and I'm sure it will be right as rain in a couple of days.

It will take more than a silly fall to stop me!! xxxx

The Severn Road Bridge!

Is very very high and scary, went over looking at the white line as quickly as possible! All the others dawdled across taking lots of photo!!

Love Kate xx

Day 3...

After our night at the Sparrowhawk Backpackers in Moretonhampstead, and a hearty breakfast, we cycled off into the hills. Halfway to Exeter more roadside repairs were necessary after Ian's tyre-valve decided to spontaneously combust. Exeter is not an enjoyable place to go cycling, as Kate found to her cost when she fell off - on the pavement. fortunately nothing broken but she now has a very sore shoulder. But we stopped at a very helpful and kind cafe where we consumed tea and bananas and had a chance to ice and dose up the wounded Kate. Minutes later she was off to tackle the next big hill. This one was a walking job for most of us - 16% and 2 miles long - but the yellow jersey goes to Sam who pounded his pedals all the way  up! That boy deserves respect! Then the rain came down - in torrents - with a scarily steep 2-mile descent to negotiate, hindered further by glasses that were steamed up and splattered with rain. But we got to Glastonbury eventually, after 75 miles of cycling, very hungry, very wet, very dirty and very smelly. But all part of the course for four tough End2Enders, who just get tougher.

Our luxury 14 bed dorm! Beds make useful clothes dryers!

Men at work! 

Day 2!!

After setting off from Lands End in a blaze of glory, supplied by Mike and Keith, the enormity of the task ahead of us truly hit home. We hit the first huge hill within 2 miles and they just didn't stop all day!!!
We arrived in Fowey hot, tired and very hungry! The sun had shone all day and we all caught it down our right sides only and so look completely ridiculous!

However, we woke up this morning to torrential rain and gail force winds! Typical summer's day......

The ride to Plymouth was wet and uneventful but after the short ferry crossing we were powering our way towards Yelverton up yet more hills(!) when Ian's chain snapped!!!! Eeeeekkkk!!!

Just as well he's a nerdy cycle head because not only had he the tools in one of the bags, he also just sat at the side of the road in the pouring rain and just fixed it!!! 20 mins later we were back on our way.

Dartmoor was misty, wet and extremely tough but we're now safely in Moretonhampstead and ready for our beds.

Tomorrow is another day!

Day One: Saturday 3 August

At the start line at Land's End, and off they go...

This next photo was just after the 'Ready, Steady Go' moment, as they disappeared off for Day 1...

Kate's report following the day's cycling at the end of Saturday was: "a hot, long, hard day".

(Pseudo-blogger: ER20130805)

Land's End - and we're off!!

 

10am yesterday morning - fresh legged and full of breakfast... 

The Last Supper!

stuffed!

Still on the M4....

It's very busy...

Sam's got the right idea!

On our way!

M4 - heading west!

Getting ready.......part 4!!

How is all this:

going to fit into these: