LEJOGIN7

Land's End to John O’Groats in seven days. Easy when you say it quickly over a few beers in the pub! Doing it in 7 days meant covering between 196km and 238km daily; being in the saddle for up to 9 and a half hours every day and climbing nearly 17,000 metres. Straddling our bikes for the iconic Lands’ end photo we really didn’t understand how exhausting the coming 7 days would be. It would all be worth it if we raised £10,000 for Aspergillosis and the Balerno High School Tanzania Project

Day 1 from Lands’ end to Crediton (196km: 3,200 metres or 40% of Mount Everest!). All day It seemed there were no flat roads in the south west of England – just climb after climb followed by blind descents. But the excitement of getting started sustained us on day 1 while we each harboured our own worries about the journey. 

Day 2 to Ross on Wye (213km: 2,533m). A considerably less hilly day – though it didn’t feel that way. Was it the climb through Cheddar Gorge or the stunning scenery that took the breath away! Every hill we conquered was a mini victory that encouraged us that we just might make this. We had a welcome surprise when Lorraine Nevill, an Aspergillosis sufferer, went out of her way to meet us at the top of Cheddar Gorge. The B&B in Ross on Wye and dinner and pints in the pub that evening were welcome respites after 2 tough days. 

Day 3 to Knutsford (223km: 1,556m). Day 3 was much more to our liking. Very little climbing, all of which was in the first half, left us enjoying the ride and increasingly believing in our ability to complete the challenge . Lunch at the Roman City in Wroxeter was a highlight of the day. For almost 100km that day, despite the late afternoon rain, we averaged over 28 km/hour. Hospitality that night was exceptional with Andy’s friends in Knutsford. 

Day 4 to Brampton (238km: 2,049m). While relatively flat this was the longest distance day – though the climb over Shap was a challenge. We passed half way following some testing cycling in traffic around the Manchester area, a fall and a few other adventures that are better kept for another time! John informed us we had cycled further than the Tour de France riders!


Day 5 to Perth (234km: 1,879m). Rain came on day 5 particularly on returning to Scotland, necessitating a café stop in Moffat to dry off and warm up. Friendly faces greeted us at the Apple Pie in Carnwath providing a lift that sustained us over the remaining 70km to Perth. An expertly arranged change of plan meant a stay in Perth for the night where our families arrived to celebrate what had already been achieved and provide encouragement for what lay ahead. A happy end to the day, though the following day’s climbs weighed heavily on our minds. 

Day 6 to Inverness (210km: 2,649m). Day 6 began light-hearted, though not light-legged as we started a day that had loomed large since the beginning. As Glenshee approached it was obvious that the cumulative efforts had sapped the energy from our legs. Reaching the top was a huge boost: I had feared I wouldn’t make it; Andy was really suffering and even John found his legs had no zip. But despite the big climbs ahead, including the looming Lecht, conquering Glenshee seemed a major milestone and we rolled into Inverness at 6.45pm tired but looking forward to the final day. 

Day 7 to John O’Groats (228km: 1,754m). Day 7 began with a decision to shorten the route by adding a hill that rose about 342m. Every bump felt like a hill; every hill felt like a mountain that day. The hoped for tailwind instead became a persistently cold sidewind that felt like a headwind for nearly 3 hours. About 2km after the final nutrition and warmth stop, the sign for Thurso and John O’Groats appeared like an early Christmas present. Though it felt longer we were less than 50km from the finish of our challenge. The sign announcing “John O’Groats 1/4” confirmed we had successfully completed LEJOG in 7 days. 


Evening logistics were run with military precision. John’s parents, Will and Anne-Marie gave up their week to support us arranging everything from bottles preparation to snacks, lunch, dinner and photographs and reassuring family that all was well. We could not have done this without them! 

Recovery, nutrition and preparation for the following day’s start at 7, was time consuming before settling down around 10.30 each evening. Warm bodies meant sleep came slowly and was regularly broken…particularly one night by a rooster who is lucky still to be alive!

Throughout, we received messages of support from family, friends and complete strangers. Surprise meetings with supportive people was a recurring theme throughout, sustaining us through the challenge. Brought on by increasing camaraderie, tiredness or both there were some belly aching moments of hilarity that will keep the winter warm!

We undertook this ride to challenge ourselves, but also to raise funds for Aspergillosis and The BHS Tanzania Project. Every day saw new donations to Aspergillosis and The BHS Tanzania Project. Special thanks to Performworld, Babcock and Pedal Power of West Lothian who kindly serviced our bikes. 


The generosity of the people who contributed over £11,000 to the two charities constantly encouraged us. Most importantly we are honoured and humbled by the support of many Aspergillosis sufferers, including Andy’s wife Jo, who repeatedly told us that our efforts were raising awareness of their suffering. Thank you to everyone who has followed and supported us and contributed to the fundraising. 




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