Day 10

10 mile run to the finish line at Lands end. 

Watch the video of day 9 & 10 here: http://youtu.be/Zw9lf3gCPtU 

Thank you for all your support and donations 

My page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Callidusfundraising

https://www.justgiving.com/Callidus-Health-Safety

Day 8 & 9

Day 8 

After not a lot of sleep it was a tough start leaving Trowbridge. Directions were once again working against us, Steve managed to cycle 14 miles yet still be only 4 miles from Trowbridge. We eventually gave up on trying to use the cycle directions and decided to just follow the A roads that Steve knows in order for him to be able to get his head down and ride. We had the road bike fixed (once again) and transferred him onto it around 17 miles in. Steve was in a lot a pain with his knee whilst riding but was managing to plough on. The roads were unkind to him with a lot of hills, at one point we had to go into first gear to get the car up, which should give you an idea of the gradient. We were making steady progress but after 37 miles we pulled Steve in and he was in an enormous amount of pain, he felt he physically couldn't ride any further. At this point Steve could hardly even walk and we had to give him help for him to get in the van. We made the despising here that this was the end of the road for the challenge. Even the slightest touch of his knee was agonising. Mentally he was still very determined and heartbroken at the thought of having to call it a day. We drove onto the next hotel in order for Steve to rest. At dinner we decided that Steve would attempt to ride again the next day for as far as he could physically manage but it looked unlikely that he would make even 5 miles as he was struggling to even walk from the room to dinner. 

Day 9 

Steve set off from Okehampton with the plan to meet us at short intervals and we would go for a long as possible. We were shocked when he hit the 10 mile point, he was still in  horrendous pain but the fact that this would be his last day of cycling was spurring him on. Steve said "the faster I do this, the less time I will be in pain for"  When he stopped at 17 he looked very ill, his nose was bleeding and he looked drained, after some food and rest he insisted on getting back on the bike. From this point on we met Steve every 7 miles and he was doing the stints in record time - sometimes we were struggling to park and prepare a drink before he was at the side of the van! At one point we pulled over and he drove straight on by smiling! The entire journey was a series of large inclines and everytime Steve managed to get up one of the hills we were extremely surprised. When we told Steve we had made it to Cornwall we broke him and he cried with happiness. This news gave him that last burst that he needed and that's when he said 'I'm going to make it all the way to Penzance' (another 45 miles) from then on we continued to pull him off the road every 5 or 8 miles depending on terrain. We made it to Penzance while it was still light.t 92 miles cycled!! On the day we told him to stop, I think this proves how stubborn he is! 

Day Seven

#JOGLE2014 Stats

So far:

82 miles running 

355.4 miles cycling 

Day Seven:

Yesterday Steve was exhausted before he had even set off. He set off on the bike and immediately we were all lost! The directions were really complicated making it difficult for Steve to get his head down and just ride. We had various pit stops to refuel and the pace was good. The pace was particularly good when Steve had yet another puncture!! So it was back on the mountain bike until it became to dark to carry on. He covered 56 miles. Steve was in pieces after the ride but decided to attempt some running but his body would not allow him to get further than 10K. It was a particularly long day for everyone and we finally called it a day around 11pm. 


Steve: "I'm sorry but my knee has completely given up and wont take any weight at all. It finally gave up the ghost at 11pm last night as Nikki and i were finishing 10K to try and get some extra miles in. Going to plough on today on the bike. My knees are absolutley screaming at me and my shins and my head and my ankles..."

From here until Landsend Steve will attempt to complete as many miles on the bike as he can. Running is no longer an option - he can hardly walk. 

Day six

Day six 

This morning started out well with Phil brown from Audas coming down to join Steve for a 10K run. It was great for Steve to have some company to keep him going. 

Steve hoped straight onto the bike and continued down the A6. After 21 miles on the bike and making very good time Steve stopped, this is when I saw that he was shaking very badly and had bloodshot eyes as he came towards me I thought he was going to collapse, he fell into the van. I decided it was best to drive him to Cannock in order for him to get warm. When we reached Cannock Steve couldn't remember any of his cycle or why we were in Cannock - this is when we decided it best for him not to continue for the day. He is very frustrated as he knows he can do the miles but his body is no longer allowing him to. Steve has been covering much further in daily training runs but it seems all the training has exhausted him. 

Tomorrow is a new day and Steve is determined to go as far as possible. 

Steve has said "I feel so ill I would even take a day off work" - that's when you know he's not well! 

Day Five

Day Five: 

Watch day five here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB0Wj6c4qZs

Steve set out with a lot of determination on the morning of day five and straight into a hill! Deciding to cycle all the way to Lancaster after the scare on the previous day. Steve was going at a very good speed until half way through when his tyre blew. He changed onto the mountain bike and continued on while i went in search of someone to fix the bike (again) It was ice cold and blowing a gale so Steve found it very hard work on the mountain bike. 

I eventually got in touch with a nice guy called Scott who said he would be able to fix the bike but was currently out of town and wouldn't be back for another half an hour. He then suggested we meet half way and fix the bike at the side of the road. So 15 minutes later we were at the top of Shap hill fixing the bike in gale force winds. Thank you Scott!! 

I then drove on to find Steve - who had got much further than i had anticipated! He was freezing cold but determined to get to Lancaster. We swapped over the bikes and he continued...(ignoring my directions and briefly ending up on the M6!) he quickly found his way back to the A6 and continued. 

83.9 miles later and freezing cold Steve arrived in Lancaster very happy but exhausted. 

Day Four

Glasgow to Caldbeck

Alex:

We were up and ready to go by 6:30. We drove back to Loch Lomond, the point that Steve has finished the previous night, ready to make up the twenty miles and cycle into Glasgow. I sent Steve on his way, straight into a large incline! I drove ten miles ahead, as is now the system and waited in a lay-by in case he got lost or needed help. I received a phone call to say he had gone 7.5 miles and had a puncture so I drove up to meet him and swap over the bikes. When I got to him he was shaking, delirious and freezing cold. When Steve asked to be taken back to the hotel to warm up I knew something was wrong as he is the most stubborn person I know. So we decided he would change into warmer clothes whilst I took the bike to be repaired. When I got back Steve was much worse, completely delirious and still shaking so we called Nhs direct. They advised us to go to A&E or a doctor and to not continue with today's leg of the challenge - to which Steve's response was "she's told me to give up, is she bloody mad". We travelled down to Caldbeck and visited a doctors surgery here, Steve saw a very nice doctor who told him he had damage from his crash on day 1, mild hypothermia and exercise induced haematuria (?!).  He is now officially too old to be doing this according to the doctor. (Obviously Steve mildly disagrees with this). She advised to not continue with the challenge but if he insisted that he must then he would have to miss out major hills. She also advised him to see a doctor about his mentality after he explained the challenge to her.

Basically this challenge is going to continue but it's going to have to be taken in a more gentle approach because of his age (doctors words not mine) Steve is not happy about this so you'll probably see him speeding down the country on his newly repaired bike!

While I left Steve to rest I travelled to Carlisle to get the bike repaired and buy some protein shake to help with muscle recovery. The guys in Halfords and Palace Cycles were really helpful and encouraging. They did everything they could to help and fitted an extra protective layer to the tyres to hopefully prevent any further punctures.

Tomorrow we are starting a fresh! 

Day Three

"Why are the downhills never as long as the uphills"

So i set off early this morning to make up miles from the previous day. Came up against a problem before i had even left the door, literally, we were locked in our hotel! Once we had escaped i got myself into a good rhythm until my tyre decided to give up on me! *pop*.  I completed 12 miles of hills and bends.

Then it was swap over time again and onto the marathon - my knees are really feeling this! one foot in front of the other...

Change over time again, back in the saddle. Managed to complete 64 miles these roads really are tough! so many blind bends and unexpected hills but i must say beautiful scenery. Towards the end of the bike ride today i was feeling a lot better than yesterday. I cannot wait for some flat terrain and civilisation now. 

Many people told me i was doing this the right way round and it was all downhill...!

I literally pedalled this evening until it was impossible to cycle any further, the roads are deathly, i want to complete this alive. With no street lights for miles around and not being able to see anything,  it was time to call it a night.

Alex joined me today and has taken over the driving from Nikki. She will drive me back to where i finished this evening early tomorrow morning and i will cycle the 20 miles back to Glasgow before starting tomorrows route!

On a positive note i was feeling fairly good after the cycle this evening and the beard is growing well! unfortunately its coming through grey!! 

Check out day one here: 

Thank you again for all your support.

And we're off!

So its begun...all of this preparation and suddenly we are here. 

Day One: 

After staying in a lovely hotel in Thurso i started extremely early in the morning to get off to a good start. Freezing cold and dark at John O'Groats. Marathon went very well - almost too well! Finishing in 3 Hours 57 Minutes. After a lunch break it was time to get on the bike. The terrain is much steeper than i had imagined, but i guess the clue is in the name! HIGHlands!!  It was a shaky start as i was pushed off the road into a ditch after just 10 miles, Nikki came to my rescue and i took some paracetamol and then got back on the road. After another 30 miles on the bike i had to stop because of the pain in my ribs from the ditch incident. 40 miles short of target i felt quite frustrated. 

Day Two: 

Up early and back to the point where i finished yesterday to complete the rolled over miles, managed to complete it in pretty good time. Then it was a short break and onto the marathon. half way through i realised the direction were incorrect and i had gone a fair way in the wrong direction, at this point my frustration was really building, i managed to get back on track and completed the marathon in 5 hours. It was pretty late, around half 4 by the time i set off on the next cycle leg of the journey. Another route of dangerous and hilly country roads with many blind bends. Two hours in it had become too dangerous to carry on in the dark on these roads - i am very much looking forward to a cycle path at some point along the way! 

So tomorrow its an early start again to make up these 30 miles and then crack on with day three. So far the challenge is much tougher than i had anticipated. Please support me and these three great charities by visiting our giving sites to make this all worthwhile otherwise im just a nutter running from one end of the country to the other. 

Help for Heroes & The Firefighters Charity: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Callidusfundraising

St Catherines Hospice: http://www.justgiving.com/Callidus-Health-Safety

Thank you for all the support so far!!