Sunday 4 October 2009

Summary "The other side of Knackered...a good place!"


(click photo for large picture..)


I’ve been reflecting these past two weeks and it’s hard to get down in words what the whole trip has meant.
There are so many levels that this journey has touched.
Firstly to achieve what I always though ‘other people do’ is a tremendous feeling. As an old bloke of 50 I always thought that you needed to be a club rider in his 20’s to succeed at LEJOG. Not so with the support we had both from DA (great food & drink) but primarily from each other.
Secondly the emotion that was stirred from within me was so powerful & unexpected. To climb up the long Scap Fell thinking of my parents and sobbing uncontrollably so I had to stop, felt…well it felt just right! This enabled me to grieve for my parents & others that have passed on recently & I feel that I can now move on. As one gets older the great outdoors means so much more.
Thirdly I am still amazed how our tired legs still kept turning. In fact on many occasions I visited a place I’ll call ‘The other side of knackered’ With 70 down and 25 miles to go there was no choice but to press on and I found that my legs continued to respond to my efforts and we even raced into the Hotels some afternoons. We all got stronger as the trip progressed.
But most importantly the trip gave me time to consider my family and where I am. My love for Ali, as we approach our 25th Wedding Anniversary, is stronger than ever. I just couldn’t contemplate with life without her. I’m incredibly proud of my kids and, as they start to set out on independent life, they will all make a success of life.
On the one hand I did not want the journey to finish & would have gladly continued on back down the east coast & home. But the trip was long enough to satiate us & in the end I think most of us were happy to get back into the ‘real world’ again.
There were uncomfortable times with painful backside, back, neck etc but these really didn’t bother me. Even during my training I used to stop at the village War memorials for a drink & also to read the names. These young soldiers were denied opportunities that I have had and any ‘pain’ I was experiencing really pales into insignificance when you read those names.
If anyone is reading this because they are thinking of doing it, or have already signed up, then just GO FOR IT! You need to get plenty of training in, don’t worry about wet weather, it really doesn’t matter. It can be done…well the 26 of us did it, with DA’s support.



Here’s a few words on my fellow riders:-



Gerry – the LEGEND, our celebrity, the Pacemaker metronome. Just keeps pedalling along keeping steady pace – looks like he could pedal for years & years at a stretch – we are all in awe of you mate! (and terrific ping pong player too!)
George – another LEGEND – the old man of the party – grit & determination to the n-th degree. Fought debilitating squits over many days with fortitude & even did Scap Fell when feeling (and looking pretty rough) – respect++
Steve – son of George – great support to his Dad – pedalled steady pace each day - ‘The Bath Boys’
Dave & Susie – the ‘Lovers’ Always had words of support & encouragement. Dave had little training pre-trip & Susie left him behind at first but he cycled his way to fitness. Enjoyed time with Dave appreciating wild scenery up from Bonar Bridge.
Fliss & Simmie – two sisters on a mission – great grit & determination and always a smile – even on the cold wet windy days.
Nikki (Nakky-Noo) – Baby of the party – on her own on borrowed bike (that had done LEJOG in ’08) – became Queen of the Hills – ‘Muse’ powered sessions.
Andy-Arsenal – became very powerful cyclist – took on & beat the Pros with Simon on one occasion. Always with a one liner – supportive & sensitive to when someone needed to be on their own.
Simon fellow ‘Mitchell brother’ of mine. Friendly thoughtful – always quick to check if you were feeling OK.
Dave – ‘Van Driver’ Kept a steady rhythm throughout – Knew what he needed to do to get there…and did it! stayed off the beer until the last night– excellent room mate.
Dave – the quiet man. Efficiently covered the miles.
Mad-Dog Paul – Loud funny CRAZY IN TRAFFIC (honed by London Commuting) – beware the ‘London Pride’ shirt as it twists around in between and possibly under some traffic to get through
Devon Boys – Andy ‘Wurzel’ & Keith. Both powerhouses who demonstrate efficient cycling & total disrespect for hills - they eat them for dinner.
Rob ‘Pocket rocket’ Cycle mechanic expert with his smooth style rarely lifting out of saddle. Did amazingly well with chronic Achilles problem & fixes chains in all conditions…anywhere!
Crazy-Simon ‘downhill nutcase’ Claims he has to go fast down hill to compensate for slow flat/climb speed. Powered out some epic ‘brutal’ sessions with the Pros. Ale powered wheel buckling dynamo. WARNING - DO NOT FLY OVER MANCHESTER
Wigan-Mark – lucozade addict – him of the leisurely style with cocked head – could put on surprisingly quick sessions if he wanted
Wirrel-Phil – he of the fast scouser quips and extremely worrying taste in underwear which was along with his chest, frequently on display!
Mark II – quiet man – battled the squits with determination as this left him with little reserve energy – brave effort
Steven – battled injury & kept good pace – great news that 2nd child on the way came through on our final day Congratulations I hope all goes well.
‘Yorkshire’ John – 3rd oldest & gained in strength – happy to be trailing along at his own speed in his own world – or chatting as the miles slipped by.
‘Ice Bath’ Stu – always seemed to be trying to catch the pros – with his saddle back rocking from side to side. Could keep upp a punishing pace.
‘Novice’ Tim Tom Taylor ‘the man with the voices’ only got the bike weeks before departure. Got stronger – great company. One for the lateral comment!
AndyH kept a steady pace – really enjoyed the trip – rode through some bad knee pain – brave effort. Good company on some tiring stretches – esp into Invarary.


And our support team :-

Jason – ever efficient, excellent attention to detail, takes any task/problem in his stride & just get’s it sorted with minimal fuss – an excellent leader
Matt/Stuart – Jason’s support team. Ever helpful whether technical with the bike or just making a cup of tea when we roll in frozen & wet to the drink stop.




Thanks to all!

1 comment:

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