Autumn is here. Beautiful mild weather this weekend and the Cork and Limerick country side looked beautiful.

Main goal for the next few months is to keep my weight below 85Kg. I managed to cycle 1500Km in 9 days and put on 2Kg.

3 days of post JOGLE decadence are at an end. The highlight was a burger in St Ives.

Time for the 7 hour drive back to Preston.

At 21:30 in the dark a group of 4 cyclist, a swarm of red and white flashing lights, emerge from the rain to arrive a small stone. Parked next to it is a black Nissan 4X4 and stood next to that is a robust man, with tree trunk legs, short trousers, a utility jacket and a heavy rain coat with the hood up.

‘Get off bike’, he says, ‘you’re finished’, a thick Preston accent.

We dismount, stretch, shake hands and embrace. We then stand there unsure what to do. Nothing to do but cycle back to the caravan.

‘Well done son’,  Terry says, as myself and Paul enjoy a glass of whisky from Scotland’s most northern distillery.

‘We were there’.

At seven thirty this morning I got to throw away the nappies we were using to dry our shoes every night. (Thanks Dylan). It felt good, a real landmark.

Two hours later we were struggling to make progress on the rollercoaster landscape that is Dartmoor. I could not see us getting to Lands End before 9pm. The rain was heavy. I thought to myself, ‘We could stay in Truro tonight and do the last 35 miles at our leisure tomorrow’. We’d need nappies for our shoes …

The life of a JOGLER is not always as glamorous as you might think. It’s not all Gypsy Caravans and fresh fruit & yogurt and how would you like you eggs.

We took nearly two hours to complete the last 5 miles. We stopped on Bridge over looking the A30 and ate the last of our food. It was less than one mile from the finish but we all needed to stop and as we stood there chatting and eating in the rain I slowly came to realise we had all suffered a good knock.

In the dark we arrived at the check in desk soaked and clip clopping in our shoes. The girl at the desk didn’t look up. She left the key on the desk and still looking at the VDU she pointed over her shoulder and said ‘The is more secure parking at the back’ We could have been Lord Lucan and Shergar doing our own version of ‘Into the West’

Dinner? Little Chef of course

Checked the wall this morning to see how we’re doing. I’m scoring poorly considering how excellent I have been)

Only two more stamps to collect

Brand new chain, 6 days old, oiled everyday and when I got to the bike this morning? Rust.

It was wet yesterday