PENGUINS AGAINST CANCER

Charlie's LEJOG Potted Diary

(as relayed daily to Trevor the Trainer and Andy)

 

Day 1

• Cornwall has been wet, windy and hilly.

• Ideal conditions.

• 75 miles of soggy cycling.

• The forecast thunder stayed away.

• I have been advised that I need to replenish my electrolytes.

• I assume that Guinness will take care of that.

• More of the same tomorrow, hopefully with the thunder.

Day 2

• Devon has been largely sunny, scenic and hilly.

• Still no thunder.

• We ascended 1680 m.

• We descended 1787 m.

• So we have a net loss of height but it didn’t feel like it.

• I am not sure how the electrolytes are but the Guinness was delicious.

• Somerset tomorrow.

 

Day 3

• The team has travelled through Devon encountering more hills and rain.

• We then reached the Somerset levels which as the name suggests are thankfully relatively flat.

• The sun shone and we had a close-up view of Glastonbury Tor and Bath.

• Transiting through Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire tomorrow.

 

Day 4

• All have arrived in Ludlow following 86 miles of cycling through rolling countryside with some sun.

• Great views of the Malverns on the way.

• The Team and support crew are performing magnificently.

 

Day 5

• (I did send Day 5, but it seems to have vanished. Perhaps it got washed away.)

 

Day 6

• Ludlow to Warrington yesterday 94 miles – Wet.

• Today torrential rain

• Roads closed.

• Team had to divert via Lancaster.

• Now at Warcop.

• Thank goodness for Zinc Oxide tape.

• Scotland tomorrow.

 

Day 7

• It’s raining again.

• Today we entered a county (East Lanarkshire) without it raining, for the first time this week. 

• It only remained dry for 1 hour however.

• Our visitor joined us and enjoyed it I think, although his waterproof gloves are clearly not waterproof.

• We had 7 seconds of sunshine near Gretna.

• We cycled for 84 miles and finished in a place in Scotland I have never heard of.

• Tomorrow we go to Perth.

• Forecast looks wet to very wet.

• We will send you some pictures.

 

Day 8

• 5:34 pm: The team has cycled 80 miles from Crowfordjohn to Perth via Edinburgh.

• Scotland is a beautiful country in more ways than one.

• The clouds appear to have been emptied because for the first day since the start of LEJOG it did not rain. 

• Aviemore tomorrow.

• 7:17pm: It has now started raining.

 

Day 9

• We have transited in glorious sunshine for 81 miles with 4500 feet of total ascent.

• Perth via Braemar to Balleter.

• Glenshee Pass is a beast.

• I understand that all the rain has moved to the Midlands.

• Apparently heading for Dornoch tomorrow.

 

Day 10

• 84 miles Aviemore - Inverness – Dornoch.

• Only 2 hours of rain.

• Team in good spirits.

• Last day tomorrow.

 

Day 11

• At JOG.

• Long day: 94 miles.

• 2 diversions.

• Some rain.

• Curry now.

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Charlie Beardmore