I've always wanted to do something special for my 40th birthday. Perhaps a luxury safari in South Africa? Or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Asia? As soon as I found out about this 1000 mile cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats, leaving on the day of my 40th, my choice was clear.

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ABOUT LANDS END JOHN O'GROATS

Lands End to John O'Groats (LEJOG) is probably the most challenging ride you can do in the UK. I'll be covering around 1,000 miles, from the rugged coastline of Cornwall up to the barren majesty of the Scottish Highlands.

We will have to cycle for 100 miles every day for 9 days without a break.

Tonight I made the mistake of working out how many hills I'll need to climb. The total is somewhere around 42,000 feet. To put that in a food analogy (and I like food analogies) the energy I'll need is equivalent to 40 large pizzas...

Maybe it would have been easier to just stay home and eat the pizzas.