31/8/09 We're just here in St Just - few miles from Land's End..

Uneventful journey down - met a few fellow LEJOGers at Paddington. They set off on the 1206 & I waited for the 1306 meeting up with Andy & another lone LEJOGGER on a new bike with only 2 panniers!
Eventually met at Penzance Station by Jason in a big van. Fantastic steak at The Wellington Hotel as chatter turned to all things bike/hills/rain etc.
Breakfast 0730 & off for photos at LE 0900. There is a predicted strong (AND WET) SW wind. #
And Wednesday on Dartmoor predicted to be poor weather before things ease off....We have no choice but to get on with it
Any nice 3 pints of 'Tinners Cornish Bitter' and an early night.
Room-mate dave just commented that this should be 'the ride of our lives!'
ALE OF THE DAY - Tinners Bitter (Cornwall) lightly sparkled cool slips down easily

30/8/09 packing (and eating!)

bag packed - lots of lists & ticks

feel pretty nervous at this stage - legs feel like jelly - will they do the 70-80 hrs of peddling ahead of me?

I know the neck & upper back will be sore...

...but I cant wait to just get started

Weather forecast for SW looks pretty bad for Tue/Wed...wind direction however looks OK.

We'll just have to deal with being soaking wet up on Dartmoor!!

Now off for preparitory & farewell fat juicy steak!

I really+++ appreciate all the support I've had from Ali & the rest of my family. Without them I could not now be setting out on ths big ' adventure'.

It's into the physically unkown for me & I'm expecting to visit some interetsting & difficult physical & psychological places....

27/8/09 ...last ride..

...well that's it for the training...
1800+ miles in the past 6 months or so...some tough days, paticularily the Norwich 100 in June (but September type weather)
did the same circuit as on 20/8. Pushed quite hard & managed to squeeze under the hour. Blustery tonight.
Fellow LEJOGGER on the discoveradventure website reckons the long range forecast is for fine weather with brisk SW wind (GOOD), but wet & crap in Scotland(BAD)! By then we should be hardened to whatever the weather can throw at us...
Got my list - starting to get the gear together. Just want to get started now...
16.5m 59m41s at 16.6mph

26/8/09 bike serviced...packing started...ready to go

Getting close now - I can't believe how generous everyone is being - I've already hit my target and there is still alot of cash donations from work & the Church (thanks Ali) to bank
- can I again say a massive THANK YOU to all my sponsors...

Bike went back to Pittsford Cycles today for a good service/lube/check up - so she's ready to go...and I feel rested & ready too. Just one more ride planned for tomorrow evening..

24/8/09 Penultimate ride on a lovely calm summer evening. Planned to do a leasurely 30 miler. Headed out past Rothwell, Harrington to Kelmarsh. Then down the A road past Lamport to Brixworth & home via Old & , for a change, Pytchley just as darkness fell. As I started my legs felt heavy but once warmed up they felt strong throughout...
28.7m 1h47 @ 16.3mph

24/8/09 ..one week to go...

- cant wait to get started - have had a few rest days off the saddle
-I have a long list of..items to pack..jobs to do...get bike serviced etc etc
Will try to get a few short rides in this week.

THANKS AGAIN..I'm really pleased with the volume & rate of sponsorship coming in...I KNOW that every penny will help motivate me through the difficult times.
I hope thay are few, and that we can all enjoy the experience. I certainly aim to remain positive throughout, and keep smiling whatever challenges present themselves to me!
I really want to get a good feel for the places we pass through.....

.....it all feels a bit of a dream at the moment....

20/8/09 back in the saddle

Felt strange to go three whole days without a cycle!!
Battled out against a strong wind on my Rothwell-Harrington circuit passing the Kettering CC time trialers coming the opposite way. Felt easy & comfortable, so I pushed it on the last few miles home.
Getting all my stuff together & plotting the route. I'm not quite sure how the navigation works but I sure as hell want the whole route in my Garmin. If there's technical problems etc it might be easy to get left behind...I do not want to wast time in getting lost.
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has sponsored me so far...the total is building up nicely.

I've been asked about my saddle (!) In fact I'm just using the Bontrager one that came with the bike. Once I'd fiddled about with the height & angle of dangle, it's been very comfortable. I did consider the Brooks leather but just haven't felt it necessary.
16.5m 1h3m at 15.6mph

17-19/8/09 packing preparation & rest

getting bits together
worked all Monday, busy Tue & did night shift.
ie long days...no time for a ride
Got myself a pump...that works!

Thought I'd try posting a movie! Looks like it worked...will do some clips on the trip.

16/8/09 Woodcote Southern Sportive 82 miles

Final big 'workout' before the off. Chosen as it is known as a 'tough' route as it crosses the Chilterns back & forth several times. Some real calf busting lung testing steep buggers too!

Slept in ruby ip the road by the Thames allowing me to get to start early & get going. The usual 'flock' of lycra clad loonies murmuring quietly in anticipation of the challange ahead. This distance matches the 'average' daily mileage I'll need to keep to, and with 5000ft of climbing replicates many of our days.

Sunny & warm we all shot off mainly down hill the first few miles. Soon we were out into the great expanse of the magnificent Oxfordshire countryside. Along the way we came across some large combine harvesters...some quite suddenly!

A few miles in a fella asked how I was..."You OK Clive?" What? I assumed he'd read my name on my helmet but in fact it was a fellow LEJOGer Stuart. He's been on the lookout for a bloke in red, on a blue bike..and the only bike with a rear mudguard!! as spotted in the blog picture.

We took a steady pace. The hills were very steep both ways with some difficult descents too. These tended to be from bright sunshine into dark woods with loose gravel (I HATE GRAVEL!!) and speckled shadows making it hard to spot the treacherous pot holes. The UK roads are generally rubbish, and very hazardous...from a cyclist point of view.

It got hotter & harder but I was ok until the last 10 miles or so as my feet & neck ached. In all I took on over 4 litres of fluid as the sweat flowed!

This quickly recovered once finished & after a good cup of tea.

The bike performed well and in the last couple of weeks before the off I'll be doing mainly short sharp rides. Also to get bike serviced, buy a few spares & get packed up.

Fundraising takes centre stage......

82.5m 5h31m at 14.9mph 4980ft of climb!

14/8/09 Article in local paper

Thanks to the Kettering Evening Telegraph for publicising my fund raising efforts:-

"By David Trayner
Kettering reporter
A 50-year-old doctor is set to cycle the length of Britain in memory of his mother.
Dr Clive Shackleton, who is based at Eskdaill Medical Centre in Lower Street, Kettering, will cycle the 990 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats in 12 days in memory of his mother, who died within three weeks of being diagnosed with cancer in June.Dr Shackleton, who sets off on his challenge on September 1, said: "When times are hard and the hills are tough you need something to focus on."I feel excited but slightly anxious. I'm looking forward to getting on with it."Dr Shackleton is funding the trip himself, meaning an extra £2,000 will go to Cransley Hospice in Kettering.

He has been riding 100 to 200 miles a week around Rothwell, Loddington, Walgrave and Old, as well as Corby and Brigstock, to help him prepare for the race.He has also been competing in races around the country in preparation for the challenge, but it has not been without some drama after smashing his helmet twice in bad crashes, one of which left him unconscious and in hospital.He took his hands from the bars to stretch a few metres from the finish line in a Manchester to Blackpool race in July when a gust of wind blew him from his bike. He awoke in hospital with no memory of the incident.He said: "My right temple would have hit the road hard."

Dr Shackleton's mother did not receive care from Cransley Hospice in Kettering, which is where his money will go, because she lived in Bury St Edmunds, but he said he understood the value of the palliative care it offers patients.He said: "As a doctor I know the importance and brilliance of the hospice at helping terminally-ill patients."I'm really happy to be helping with fundraising."

Dr Shackleton and his 19-year-old son Sam completed a four-day ride from London to Paris in aid of Alzheimer's disease in 2007.

He said: "Having achieved that I thought why don't I give the big one a go?"It has always been a lifetime ambition, but I never felt it was something I could do. Now I feel that the time is right."

3/8/09 four weeks to go!

2/8/09 Well 4 weeks to go!
due to accident & holiday I feel a little behind in my training.
Over the next 14 days I plan to ride each day with organised rides on Sun 9th (Suffolk Coast 60m) and Sun 16th (Woodcote 82m). Plan is to get up to 400 miles in the next 2 weeks...
...need to get the sponsorship publicity going.

14/8/09 Friday

Frustrating unwanted rest day due to work commitments/lack of time. Duty doc in pm so home too late to get out as was a bit gloomy. Dont want to risk having an accident at this late stage.

Pleased with article in paper - reporter did well to summarise alot of my woffle into a concise 'story' Justgiving site starting to attract some sponsorship - many thanks.

13/8/09 Thursday

Calm sunny evening so decided to do 30 miles at easy pace. Headed out through Rothwel, Harrington to Kelmarsh, then up the A508 nearly to Market Harborough. Once the Garmin said 15m I turned back. With the light wind at my back and altitude attained I flew back at good speed. Legs feel stronger - I really feel that I am attaining some fitness!

15.7 58m16s at 16.2mph

12/8/09 Wednesday rest day (no choice!)

slept all morning after a night shift. Got pictures taken by local paper ar 1230 (thanks Alison). Spent afternoon trying out various new cars & worked early evening, so no opportunity to get out

11/8/09 Tuesday

Squeezed a quick pylon ride in between work, and going to see Kettering draw 1-1 with Oxford Utd. Exiting end-to-end stuff but spoilt by useless clueless referee. In the end draw is a good result. Felt strong at finish of ride. Doing night duty tonight & busy into the evening so may be a rest day tomorrow. Might get on turbotrainer in garden

12.25m 44m @ 16.6mph

10/8/09 Rest Day

Felt tired after those rides plus short of time so decided a rest day was necessary.

9/8/09 Sun - Suffolk Coast Ride.

Up at 0700. Lovely sunny morning. 9 miles to the start. set off along with several hundered others. Suprisingly there are alot of undulations in Suffolk! Some picturesque villages, and a general Olde feel to the area - like most of Britain would have been 100 years ago. I diverted off to look at the Russian Doll chrches in Cove Hithe, along with the road to nowhere! It disappears off a high cliff. Spoke to an old locall bloke who told me there was once a bungalow out there!!! - now 300y out to sea. Looking South I could see Southwold pier, & Sizewell in the distance. Feeling hungry & was grateful for a portion of chips at Southwold pier! Lovely setting, one of my favourite seaside towns. Heading south in the increasing heat I was back at the campsite by 1330 and fantastic Cup of Tea! Had another rear puncture 10 miles out, & managed to switch tubes pretty quickly this time. [Kettering FC won 1st game of season!!]

59.8m 3h50m @ 15.6mph

plus 18.4m @14.5 to & from start - 214m in 7 days

8/8/09 Sat

We all headed out to a great camspite past Woodbridge in Suffolk ready for the 'Suffolk Coast' ride tomoorow. As it was a beautiful evening I headed off to see the Orford castle. I remember seeing this when we had our Summer Holiday in Southold. Back in the 60's dad had done a full survey of this keep and mentioned it quite frequently. I have the drawings & will try to post, along with some photos I took. I sat on one of the cannons in the evening sunshine & could almost feel Dad's presence there - it was a peaceful place. Back for lovely Barbecue with Les John & Lucy, plus late night laser game in the woods.

18m 1h17m at sedate 14mph

7/8/09 Fri

What a contrast in weather - lovely cool sunny eavening. Got a bit carried away (chasing a hot air balloon!) and after Brigstock decided to head to Oundle! Getting there I realise I was over an hour away with less than an hour of daylight. And I missed a turning & strayed onto the A605 - quite unpleasant busy road. Shot back throght Thrapston and home at good speed

32m 2h4m at 16mph

6/8/09 Thu

Dull wet evening. Nearly stayed in but I put the gear on & headed out into the murky evening. Headed out to farpoint - up to Harrington & back via Rothwell. Had to cut ride slightly short as it was getting very dark! Despite extremely uncomfortable conditions I felt strong & back muscles seem to be slowly getting used to the punishment!

16.2m in 1h4m at 15.2mph [86m so far this week - 1500+m in 2009 average 7m EVERY day!]

5/8/09 Wed

Nearly stayed in bed but dragged myself out. Headed west past far point then up to Braybroke & home via Geddington & Cransley. Got very wet again in the middle section & pleased that I resisted the temptation to take a short cut home. Legs ok but alot of stiffness across my shoulders. Got 18 holes at Northampton GC this pm..I'm gonna be knackered..

Interestingly my average heartrate is now 135, was 150+ a few months ago

36m 2h28 at 14.6mph

4/8/09 Tue

Got home from work - grey horrible wet evening. before I could dissuade myself I jumped on the bike & did a quick pylon run. Heavy rain stining my face but glad to have the mudguards.

dashed out to see Kettering FC lose 18-20 in a charity game! [they did start 0-20 down vs a team of amateurs!!] Good entertainment & looks like a few good signings by Coops.

Day 1 four weeks today! feels very close now..

12.3m 44m33s at 16.5mph

3/8/09 Mon
Afer work set off via Rothwell, Harrington to Lamport & back via Old & bombed down the A43 with the strong wind at my back. Legs felt fresh & powerful & I got home with energy to spare (I should do after only 22m!) but the speed was good.
22.2m in 1h19m at 16.7mph