Well here goes....most of you already know that I have recently been preparing for the Lands End to John O'Groats bike ride!  The start date is 15th June 2007 when I will travel down to Lands End with my team mate "Lance", aka as Pete.  However, as he's the only person I know that cycles like a professional (and is prepared to put up with me!) the title Lance is apt!  Sue, his partner is to be our support driver and back up, valued encouragement and rather unselfishly encouraging us to drink alcohol at the end of fun day of cycling....or is the alcohol to numb the pain and aching muscles...!!?!  . 

Starting on Sat 16th June, we intend to cycle 120 miles per day - give or take a few metres, stopping for a coffee along the way and one lunch stop (don't worry girls I will try my best to get at least 2 coffee stops in each day!)   We will sleep at youth hostels or B&B's en route.....and we reach John O'Groats in 8 days, well that is the master plan....!?  Only got to get over Dartmoor, through the Lakes and the Highlands of Scotland before we see the sign for John O'G.....can't be that hard...!?!  For those that are interested the route is planned as follows:

Day 1  Lands End to Okehampton

Day 2  Okehampton to Bristol

Day 3  Bristol to Shrewsbury

Day 4  Shrewsbury to Arnside

Day 5  Arnside to Moffat (north of Lockerbie)

Day 6  Moffat to Crianlarich (nr Loch Lommond)

Day 7  Crianlarich to Inverness

Day 8 Inverness to John O'Groats

When I first mentioned I was doing this the question everyone asked was "why"...."what charity are you doing it for"..?  Most of you will know I can't claim to be a cyclist....just daft enough to give it ago....!  I do though think it will be most enjoyable and am really l looking forward to the "holiday"....although most others are calling it a "challenge"!!   So that’s the reason why!  The lovely bonus to my friends supporting me is that they have offered to sponsor me...!  So following my mum having to have treatment in Christies a few years ago, and it being a pioneering cancer treatment hospital & research centre I thought I would like donate any money that people are willing to give (no matter how small) to Christies...giving just a small something back to them for the wonderful and invaluable gift of treating my mum so successfully when she needed it. 

Thanks everyone for putting up with me and supporting me during my training....the interesting conversations I've been able to have these last few weeks have been amazing.....rain, wind, hills, gears, spokes....not to mention such things as bonking, nipples & nuts....yip all true cycling terminology......!!   

 Looking forward to catching up with you when/if I have completed......  Yvonne