At 1347on Saturday, 24th September 2011, seven hours and six minutes after Mark and I left home for our local gym, we cycled down Thomas Close to complete the hundredth kilometre of our bike ride and with it the Tour de Francis. 

The day had started well – if getting up at 0540 counts as starting well – as by 0641 we were on the road and heading off on our bikes for our local gym. Just under twenty minutes later we were in the pool and embarking on the first stage of the Tour de Francis: the 1000m metre swim. This flashed by – well we swan the 40 lengths in 24 minutes – and after a very quick shower headed for the gym next door and an appointment with, in Mark’s case, a treadmill and mine a cross trainer (my ankles really hurt if I try to run so that’s why I went for the cross trainer – that’s my excuse anyway). Mark completed the 10,000m run in just over an hour while I powered (surely some mistake: Ed) my way to 15,000m on the cross trainer. 

Having said our goodbyes and thanks to the gym staff, who encouraged us all the way, we road back home to drop off our wet swimming stuff and to take on board loads of liquids and sugar – an excellent excuse to eat bananas and chocolate. It was then that the serious part of the challenge began. We first headed out east along the A47 (clocking up a top speed of 56.7kms) before turning left on the road to Tilton on the Hill. The clue is in the name. No matter how you approach it, you have to cycle up a series of very steep hills. The only good thing about going there is that the return journey to Houghton is mostly down hill. 

Once we got back to Houghton we headed out of the village on a long loop that took us past Leicester Airport and eventually to Great Glen. We then headed back to Houghton this time going via the village of Stoughton. As with the ride out to Tilton there is no way of avoiding yet more hills but we were able nevertheless to get back to Houghton for just after 1100. 50kms done, just 50 more to go. As we weren’t racing anybody we took this opportunity to eat and drink some more before heading back out of the village on two more loops – with more strategically placed refuelling breaks on the way. We eventually made it back to Houghton for the last time just after 1330 only to find that we were 4.8 kms short of the 100kms. Three and a half loops of Houghton later we’d finally clocked up the 100kms and at 1347 we drew up outside our house for the last time. We’d actually done 100.45kms so we felt we were owed a refund!