The idea came from two previous trips, Barcelona to Paris in 2012 and previously Lands End to John O Groats in 2009.
My fine lady, Kathy who is my chief supporter in all things I do has voiced, many times, that she wishes she had been cycling rather than driving the support car on these trips.
So 'do it' I said. 'Get cycle fit , a decent bike, panniers, a tent and lets go play'.
Sep 16
After several small trips in 2016 where we tested out the kit we carried and the way we packed, we believe we are now ready for a major challenge. The 500 miles trip around Normandy in September 2016 was so enjoyable, lots of laughs and a few cheeky slopes that the idea of taking on something far more challenging seemed logical.
So ...... the planning phase is complete, campsites found on Google Map - I am sure other sites are available....but who cares :-) ..... and the hunger to get going is like a slow burning stove - and that with 5 months to go!
Update......if you wish to make your God laugh, make a plan!
After each of us suffering bad chest and throat colds in January, in February, Kathy came off her bike while training and needed crutches due to a very sore knee. Once the knee began to ease, her shoulder, hip, back and thumb???? began to hurt, so off she went for a series of chiropractic appointments.
Feb 17
Once signed off fit from the marvelous chiropractic college here in Bournemouth, Kathy endured more than a little stress, not helped by me having another 'fit' while out cycling.
Luckily for me, this fit was after I had begun to walk after seemingly realising I was 'in trouble'. A former colleague of mine found me 'lost' on the prom, called Kathy who drove to pick me up and ferry me home.
I think the stress and disappointment of my 'fit' brought yet more stress to the home and Kathy came down with another cold. So, as Kathy had now missed 9 weeks out of 12 weeks training ....... I made the unilateral decision to postpone the trip giving Kathy an extra 6 weeks in which to restart training.
I had a week off the bike and then re-started training, adjusting / lessening my efforts to ease the pressure on my, seemingly, slowly-failing body.
The target date is now June 2 when we shall leave for Lands End and head north with more rest days planned. We have 2 days booked into the schedule, one in Carlisle and one in Glasgow, when we shall use hardened accommodation and planning is centered on those days.....everything else is very flexible to ease the stress on me.....with my 'fits' and Kathy .....with lack of training.
We expect the LEJOG trip to take 6 weeks as we zig-zag our way north, visiting friends and relatives and taking in a little sightseeing at places that are of interest to us.
When we have completed the journey we shall take a series of trains from Wick back to Glasgow via Inverness and then on to London before finally heading for Bournemouth once again for a well earned [temporary] rest. Written like that, it seems so easy. :-)
The call to travel by cycle-camping is strong for both of us and the pleasure from taking on challenges, testing ourselves, meeting like minded folk but most of all, being active. Hopefully we will continue to enjoy such trips for a long time as they provide us with wonderful experiences, photographs and memories.
Meanwhile, I have increased my training runs, to 2 days training and one day off. The training rides are currently involving 21 hills via Greggs the bakery in Parkstone - other bakers are available - and carrying 2 rear panniers each with 3 x 1 litre bottles filled with water. The number of hills will gradually increase every other ride as will the amount of bottles carried but every 3rd ride, by one bottle a time, until I am carrying 4 litres (kg) per pannier.
The normal amount carried, while cycle camping, on my bike is about 27 kg, so the training with ever increasing weight seems like a logical step to take. Kathy carries the lighter load but bulkier gear totalling around 18 kg. If that doesn't seem like much, put that in a rucksack and go for an hour's walk. :-)
To ensure we do not waste the fitness from this LEJOG trip, we plan to 'do' the Pyrenees in mid September cycling from Barcelona to Perpignan to Bilao.
Mar 17
After the Pyrenees trip we will be home for autumn and Christmas and then fly to Gran Canaria for some warm weather cycling and walking, where the night time temperature is expected to be 15 c and the sea 19 c ..... a little more exercise-friendly than the temperatures endured in Bournemouth in Jan and Feb.
For now, with the Lands End to John O Groats route completed, (if you would like a copy, please email me - therealtonylane@hotmail.com).
Update....... We discovered yesterday that my blood pleasure rises if I have not eaten substantial meals, so if I have only had poached eggs on toast for breakfast followed at lunch with a bowl of broth, my BP will start to rise and continue on up until I eat a decent meal. We are hoping that this will help us / me to self-help in 'fit-avoidance' as long as I continue to eat 'heavy' meals.
As I wait for Kathy to recover to fitness I have taken up meddling with old motorbikes and mopeds. I have luckily bought two mopeds that have exactly the same faults. What I have now realised after fixing the 2nd - I think correctly ...... that I will need to redo the 1st as I believe I have made errors on that one.
What I have also realised - due to my stroke? - that I do not have the ability to retain the learned method to do bike 1 in the same way ...... so each time I go to fix the bike I have to go to the manual and attempt to figure out the best method.
It's a little like groundhog day :-)......it could be worse .......
adapt and overcome!
6/5/17
After a very scary visit to the doctors, blood tests and xray/scans Kathy was given the all clear, healthwise, and concentration immediately turned to resolving the lack of energy, drive and hunger for exercise.
That solution was found and put to action and we have been back on the bikes hitting the local hills, 2 days on 1 day off for the past 5 weeks or so. We have had to make many changes to the plan for the year, shifting departure dates as was necessary and trying to remain positive and flexible.
Today we head for 10 days on Isle of Wight for a change of scenery and different hills as we build relentlessly towards our new departure date of 31 May..... not long now :-).
The new plan is to drop our panniers and tent at Whitsand Bay holiday camp before heading for B&B at Land's End and cycle 3 days back to Whitsand Bay without the burden of 55 Kilos combined weight. This lack of weight on the bikes should allow us to cope with the hills of Cornwall as long as I don't go too fast - a weakness of mine. The controller will be the use of Polar heart monitor and keeping beats per minute down to 115/120 along the flat and 130 on the climbs.....surviving the early stages to achieve the longer goal.....and not destroying Kathy's legs!
The burden of the added expense of Cornwall accommodation will be far outwieghed by the lightness of the bikes. We have trained (fully loaded with bottled tap water) for 4 weeks now and have also swapped the rear wheel block for 12/36 giving us an extra gear for the very cheeky hills.
The route will zigzag north, with highlights being a stop at Glastonbury Tor, Gloucester to see a former RAF workmate, Ironbridge for the bridge and hopefully, a visit from eldest son and his lovely family then onwards for some white water rafting at Bala. From Bala we will head via Llangollen and the world famous viaduct at Chirk for Liverpool to say hi to my niece Alice and hopefully one of my brothers too. From there we head north to visit another former workmate at Leyland and then try a little Glamping just outside Carlisle before heading for Falkirk's canal-side statues (skeplies) and canal lift before we head deep in to Scotland and midge country.
16/5/17
We are just back from a few day's cycling the hills of Isle of Wight and, as a result, we are feeling more confident in our ability to cope with both the distance and the challenge of the hills that LEJOG will put in our way. I declare us to be tired but content.
5 days on the bags are once again packed and with 8 days to go I am very keen to get the to Lands End . The waiting is as hard as the training, speaking of which, I plan 4 more days of hills then rest......and recover while avoiding the clock ticking down, slowly.
22/5/17
We have just returned from a 35 mile training run, taking in a favourite visiting place where laughs and good company are a sure thing......thank you John and Vera for permitting two sweaty cyclists to sit at your table and sending us on our way fully recharged.
We have one more training ride to do (around Poole harbour including the 1:5 at Creech) before we rest for the upcoming task......the hills of Cornwall, and beyond.
We will keep you posted.
23 May
It's my stroke's 3rd anniversary and I am surprisingly emotional about it.
My recovery, so far, is down to some good fortune, huge amount of patience and care from Kathy, lots of adjustments to the way we live and some fabulous friends who are far too many to mention here.
Kathy tells me that my drive to recover from shuffling around the garden ........ which then needed an hour's rest ..... to struggling to finish the 1 mile walk to the cliff top, moving 3 paving slabs each day ..... from which I needed a day to recover ..... has been amazing.
I never once thought 'oh well, that's it, no more exercising for me / us. Maybe that's why we are anow able to be 1 week from heading to Lands End ...... because my imagination is so dull that I never envisioned not carrying on as before.
We have had to endure too many 'repeat episodes (medics words, not ours) but even then, I only briefly considered stopping cycling and losing the joy and satisfaction we both obtain from our exploits. Adapt and overcome is a motto I once read in a briefing room where I was once employed. It's true.
I am very aware that Kathy, as the carer, has endured far more stress, loss and anxiety than me .... (lack of imagination?) but she has been wonderfully supported by many friends to whom she has been able to go in search of relief from the stresses of living with the new Tony Lane.
Thank you to you all. It is safe to say you have very much helped us to ease our way through this unwanted difficulty, thank you.
I have to thank the Bournemouth counselling service, Steps To Well-being who have helped me to deal with the old and new me ...... if I take anything from this period in my life, it is the message to shout out when one is in need oioif help. It's OK to need help, really!
Back to those who have helped us, truly I
hope that if you are in need, we can return your kindness, laughs, support, friendship and love. Big hugs to you all.
,.................
25/5/17
While out on our last training ride, the other day, we met a cycling couple who were out for a ride with a bunch of their friends. We were chatting about long distance cycling and they then invited us to a talk they were giving on a ride they recently completed, to Compostela Santiago.......a ride we wish to do.
We duly arrived at the hall, met by the same couple, and after 2 minutes of talking, it transpired that they had known my father, and were grateful to him for the assistance he provided to ensure their daughter was provided a place in a local school. The daughter is now a professor of biochemistry in Baltimore. A lovely and touching moment ...... I hope my wonderful father was listening in from above and gained a little happiness knowing his efforts had achieved such a good result.
I knew he had helped many people in different ways, but this is the first family I have met who have recounted their story to me. Another wonderful and happy memory given to us from cycling.
...............
To follow our day to day efforts, use: therealtonylane3.blogspot.co.uk/
We will keep you posted.
23 May
It's my stroke's 3rd anniversary and I am surprisingly emotional about it.
My recovery, so far, is down to some good fortune, huge amount of patience and care from Kathy, lots of adjustments to the way we live and some fabulous friends who are far too many to mention here.
Kathy tells me that my drive to recover from shuffling around the garden ........ which then needed an hour's rest ..... to struggling to finish the 1 mile walk to the cliff top, moving 3 paving slabs each day ..... from which I needed a day to recover ..... has been amazing.
I never once thought 'oh well, that's it, no more exercising for me / us. Maybe that's why we are anow able to be 1 week from heading to Lands End ...... because my imagination is so dull that I never envisioned not carrying on as before.
We have had to endure too many 'repeat episodes (medics words, not ours) but even then, I only briefly considered stopping cycling and losing the joy and satisfaction we both obtain from our exploits. Adapt and overcome is a motto I once read in a briefing room where I was once employed. It's true.
I am very aware that Kathy, as the carer, has endured far more stress, loss and anxiety than me .... (lack of imagination?) but she has been wonderfully supported by many friends to whom she has been able to go in search of relief from the stresses of living with the new Tony Lane.
Thank you to you all. It is safe to say you have very much helped us to ease our way through this unwanted difficulty, thank you.
I have to thank the Bournemouth counselling service, Steps To Well-being who have helped me to deal with the old and new me ...... if I take anything from this period in my life, it is the message to shout out when one is in need oioif help. It's OK to need help, really!
Back to those who have helped us, truly I
hope that if you are in need, we can return your kindness, laughs, support, friendship and love. Big hugs to you all.
,.................
25/5/17
While out on our last training ride, the other day, we met a cycling couple who were out for a ride with a bunch of their friends. We were chatting about long distance cycling and they then invited us to a talk they were giving on a ride they recently completed, to Compostela Santiago.......a ride we wish to do.
We duly arrived at the hall, met by the same couple, and after 2 minutes of talking, it transpired that they had known my father, and were grateful to him for the assistance he provided to ensure their daughter was provided a place in a local school. The daughter is now a professor of biochemistry in Baltimore. A lovely and touching moment ...... I hope my wonderful father was listening in from above and gained a little happiness knowing his efforts had achieved such a good result.
I knew he had helped many people in different ways, but this is the first family I have met who have recounted their story to me. Another wonderful and happy memory given to us from cycling.
...............
To follow our day to day efforts, use: therealtonylane3.blogspot.co.uk/
