I spy with my little eye....something beginning with H ?

Avoch - Durness- Beauly - 214 Miles

About three months ago when Speedy and i were syncing diaries for training i thought it would be a good idea to plan a significant cycling milestone for my birthday weekend rather than spending it indulging. So this is how i chose to celebrate me turning 35.

This weekend was to mark our longest rides back to back, Saturday 110 miles from Avoch - Durness and on Sunday 104 miles from Durness to Beauly and what a delight it was...

Saturday we met about 7.45am, We left the rain clouds behind us hovering over Inverness whilst we cycled North towards beautiful blue skies, we cycled over the Cromarty Bridge, through Evanton and over the Struie to Bonar Birdge, perfect cycling, and a lovely tail wind pushing us along. At Lairg we met up with a different support team, my mum, dad and heidi, we figured it was about time to find out if dad was up to the job as official lejog support team, only kidding dad, kind of ;-)

After a soup stop in Lairg we were on our way again. The further we cycled the better the weather got and the layers kept coming off, 40 miles 50 miles 60 miles we seemed to be clocking up the miles pretty effortlessly, such a joy after the last few horrible long rides.

The support team were also clearly getting into the swing of things ......At one point we found them writing us messages in chalk on the road which was just fab for morale, at another we found them paddling in a nearby stream, at another they were chilling in camping chairs at the side of the road waititng to give us a cheer as we passed .....  good work guys ;-)

My first signs of tiredness started to show at about 70 miles so we stopped to fill up on energy gels and tablet which got me through the next 20 miles to Hope, but at 90 miles i was starting to wilt.  For a moment my mind was taken of my tiredness, as we cycled in to Hope we saw the biggest stag in someones garden just standing there, so big and confident, looking straight at us, we both had to have a double take, it was stunning.

Hope = Coffee Time on the grass at the side of the road as i was starting to get wobbly legs. The support filled us with caffeine, bananas and sweets, i had 20 miles to go, we took it slowly up the hills, the sunshine was beautiful on my skin, the views turned form being stunning to breathtaking, we had one last cheer form the support 10 miles from Durness, which was just what i needed to see me through to Durness. Day 1.  Avoch - Durness ....Done ;-)

Pics at 100 miles .....

Sunday - I woke early in Speedys caravan to hear the rain bouncing off the windows, uhh ohhh ....not after such a lovely day yesterday. This is so typical of Highland weather. 7.30 time for porridge 8.30 time to hit the road, we left Heidi and Mark in Durness to explore the beautiful beaches whilst we rode of into the rain ;-(

The last time we cycled this road we were on our way to Ullapool and the wind was horrific, so although it was raining it was still so much easier than our previous ride. We cycled a drizzly 15 miles before having a banana stop, then on we went till we reached the Overscaig  Hotel. If you are ever passing then stop for the Lemon and Coconut cake it was Yummy with a capital Y ( and this from the girl who doesn't really do cake )
We got back on our bikes pretty quickly, the rain had stopped but the midges were out in force. we cycled back towards Lairg but on our way passed a pine martin and an eagle ( i think ) .....just beautiful....

We climbed up the Struie and then followed our tracks back through to Evanton. One last climb in to Dingwall and we were almost home. At 100 miles we hit Muir of Ord then we rode the last 3 miles at speeds of aprox 28mph.... sprint finish ;-)

This has been undoubtably my favourite cycling weekend so far, i've had it all Sunshine, Tail Winds, Fab Cake, Beautiful Wildlife, Stunning Scenerny, Beautiful Beaches, Great Support and the best training partner you could find,  as always, thank you Speedy for keeping me going.

However, I have managed to collect a few war wounds, some sunburn, some midgy bites, some blisters, and a sore bum ..... 214 miles cycled, 8080 calories burnt, 15 hours in the saddle......knackered but delighted x

Lets hope for 11 days like this when we do end to end ............

People often ask me what do you find to talk about after so long on the road, well.... some of its nonsense, some of it's lejog plans, some of it's just quiet time, but a lot of this weekend was good old ' i spy ' ............. i spy with my little eye something beginning with  H  ???

WOO HOOOOOOO 50 DAYS TO GO !!!!

Cairngorm Challenge The UK's highest event on a public road (632m)- Finish on Scotland's Alpe D'huez!

This week took us to the Cairngorm Challenge. It was a fab day, i entered the 50 mile ride and Speedy the 100 mile ride. It was quite an experience. Given that most of my cycling has been done with at most two others, it was quite scary having theses big cycling packs flying past shouting in their cycling club slang. I can understand totally now why they are called 'packs', one minute you are cycling solo and the next they are upon you like wolves. raaaaaaaaaaaaaarrr !!

The route took us from the car park at the Cairngorms, along to Colyumbridge, Nethy Bridge, almost round to Grantown then back in a circle finishing back where we started, a 600 mtr climb over 3 miles back to the car park. I kind of lost it on the hill and must have been overtaken by at least 15 cyclists. I didn't really stop to eat or re fuel so that didn't help, in hindsight i could have done with some calories before the climb. Never mind lesson learnt, it certainly didn't put me off, I've entered another 65mile race In Ullapool on the 24th of September, considering the 100miler from Glasgow to Edinburgh and registered my interest to do the Etape Caledonia next year..... its all very exciting this cycling business....

So i came, get this .....104th woo hoo .... which i wasn't hugely proud of until my dear mum pointed out that although this may be the case i was 17th lady which made me feel loads better ...thanks mum, love you mwahhhhhhh xxx

So neither of us broke any records, not that we thought we were going to, but in my eyes we were both champions ......

Champion No 1

Champion No 2

Two Tired Bikes

1759 training miles cycled in four months

1100 miles in 11 days

Sometimes when i think about the distance it makes me feel a bit apprehensive, sometimes it makes me wonder what on earth i've commited myself to, sometimes i feel super excited, but mostly i think BRING IT ON ..............Lands End to John o Groats i just cant wait. What a fabulous adventure this has become ................

Blood Sweat and Tears(almost) ....

Ardendrain to Skye - 75 Miles

4am on Saturday. The rain is banging on the window so loudly, i find it impossible to get back to sleep. After a couple of hours lying there wishing the rain to stop, i give up trying to sleep and get ready for our ride. I have to get in to a positive state of mind but its hard when you know you have a long long ride in front of you and it looks like you are going to be soaking wet from the second you turn the pedal.

About 20 mins before Speedy arrives the rain cleared and blue skies appeared .... instantly my mood lifts and i'm lured into a false sense of security. By the time we left the rain had started again.....away we went.

As we approached Culnakirk 6 miles from Ardendrain we had our first of many soakings, the heavy pea sized droplets soaking us to the skin, why do none of my waterproofs seem to work that well, is there an on button somewhere  i just don't know about ? i just don't get it,....anyway,  by the time we reached Drumnadrochit the rain had stopped again. This was pretty much the order of the day, torrential rain, vicious wind with the odd dry spell, just long enough to let my leggings dry before the next drenching.

Saturday's ride was by far the hardest ride for me, it really tested me both physically and mentally and pushed me to a different place ............ a place that's dark, a place that's lonely, a place I've never been before ........i think they call it hell !! ok maybe a little dramatic ;-)

In a nutshell we were blown around like rag dolls, we were soaked through half a dozen times, i don't mean the kind of wet you get when your caught in the rain without your brolly, i mean the kind of wet you are when you go swimming but with all your clothes on. The force of the 48mph winds and the rain in our eyes was so harsh, on three occasion's visibility was at zero and we could do nothing but stop pedalling and get rained on at the side of the road. The motorists must have thought we had lost the plot being out in those conditions ..........maybe we had  ??

My first low point started 3 miles from the Clunie Inn where we had one of the heaviest showers. It really took its toll, my clothes were wet through, my trainers and socks needed ringing out, my fingers numb and white with the cold. We took shelter at the Inn, i didn't even want to sit down at first, i was paranoid that i was going to leave water marks all over the upholstery, i dread to think what i must have looked like, or sounded like.
I'm sitting here laughing now as i think about it but i really was squelching like a big noisy squelchy thing...............its just so totally unglamorous.

Souped and coffee'd up it was time to hit the road....i really didn't want to, so i delayed the inevitable by a further five minutes by hiding in the ladies with my hands under the hand dryers to try and get a wee bit warmer and psych myself up. I just wished i could be magiced home to my living room chilling in front of a roaring fire watching the Goonies with Heidi, but with only 28 miles to Skye there was no way i was giving up this time, no matter how hard this ride was becoming. Little did i know the next 28 miles were going to take me over three hours to cycle, I'd hoped the wind would drop a bit and I'd be done in half of that.

Five miles after we started again my body just started to freeze, my cycling jacket was soaking and it was giving me the shakes, i was starting to feel a bit wobbly, i had to get these clothes of if i was going to carry on. So there i was at the side of the road getting changed in the pouring rain and then off we went again. The next two ish hours was just hard hard cycling we should have had the most beautiful descent for miles as you approach Skye but due to the winds we had to pedal down the hills. It would have been such a joy to cycle under better conditions.

Finally, we came to a sign that says Kyle three miles, these last three miles felt like thirty miles they went on and on and on and on, my legs were weak, my feet were like ice bricks, inside i was crying and almost on the outside as well. I had run out of steam, i could see the Skye Bridge all i had to do now was get over it and then i would stop.

On the approach to the bridge i manage to muster up enough energy to have a conversation with Speedy, then i remember him saying ' you'll be head into the wind round this corner but its just over the bridge and you're there ' and as always he was right, we turned round the corner on the cycle path to climb the bridge and the wind was like a brick wall.

Where do you go in your mind when you feel like you have nothing left ? ..... I was swearing at the wind in my head, just wishing it would give me some relief for the last half a mile .....  I had to get over this bridge so what did i do ? the only thing that came into my head, i started to count ..... 1 to 10 over and over again till i got to the top.... and slowly i got there.....i did it !!!!.... now, i could make my way down the other side and finally get off ,get warm and re fuel.
I was delighted i made it and didn't give up, then 100 yards in front of me a dog walker was taking up the whole cycle path, i manage to say  "excuse me", by all accounts it wasn't very loud, she didn't move, i tried a bit louder, she had her earphones on, she didn't move, i was getting close this time i shouted "EXCUSE ME" ,  i was about 2 ft away and the dog saw me and must have thought i was making a bee line for his owner and went for me.

Can you imagine it, I'm exhausted to the point I'm about to fall of my bike and i get attacked by a dog !! It was just so not what i needed. Anyway, i was fine i just got more of a fright............

Richard went on to take his ride up to 100 miles then called it a day. An incredible achievement in such wild conditions. On the subject of Speedy I don't think i could have done it without him yesterday, the best training  partner i could ask for. Go Speedy !!

Woo Hoo tonight was cause for a celebration, away we went to Portree to meet up with some friends who had travelled up from Lesmahagow. The Plan =  Dance the night away at a Ceilidh in the village hall. Davey you rocked in your kilt ........ but i think we need to have a chat about the shoes ;-)

Last Weeks Training

Sunday -  Mini bootcamp

Saturday - Rosemarkie-Killen-Culbokie-Balblair-Tore-Avoch - 34 miles 

Tuesday - Rosemarkie-Killen-Munlochy-Tore-Munlochy-Avoch - 26 miles

Monday - Beauly Firth Loop - 38 miles