Author Topic: Dover to Durness and Cape Wrath  (Read 2871 times)

ronstrutt

Dover to Durness and Cape Wrath
« on: 17 May, 2008, 06:46:36 pm »
I've always wanted to go out to Cape Wrath but, although I've done the End to End once or thrice, I've never made it there. For a few years I've had in mind going there at the end of a trip from Dover to Durness but it's kept on getting postponed. However, this New Year I decided that this was actually the year it was going to happen. 
 
The precursor to this had to be that I lose a bit of weight and get myself back to fitness. For some hard-to-fathom reason (possibly associated with eating in over-enthusiastic quantities), my weight in recent years had crept up to 14½ stone, and my waistline to 40 inches, a combination of which my doctor assures me is technically obese! Apart from which, it had a substantial impact on my ability to cycle long distances, to the point at which 60 miles a day was becoming hard work.
 
So, since January 1st:

  • I've cut my weight from 14 stone 6 to 11 stone 12
  • My waistline has come down from 40 inches to 34 (anyone want any old trousers?)
  • I've featured in The Times as one of their Health Club members of the month
  • I've pushed the longest distance I've cycled in a day from 135 to 148 miles
  • I've ridden at least one century each month
  • I've so far ridden 20 metric centuries this year
  • and I've just completed a just-sub-500-mile bike ride in 5 days from Woking to London via Stafford and Diss (Norfolk).

The plan so far is:

Sat 14 June: Dover to London via Canterbury/Rochester 72 miles
Sun 15 June: London to Ramsey Cambs via Ware/Royston 73 miles
Mon 16 June: Ramsey to Lincoln via Spalding/Sleaford 70 miles
Tue 17 June: Lincoln to York via Selby 76 miles
Wed 18 June: York to Roker via Northallerton 84 miles
Thu 19 June: Roker to Wooler via Blyth/Alnwick 65 miles
Fri 20 June: Wooler to Edinburgh via Kelso 65 miles
Sat 21 June: Edinburgh to Pitlochry via Forth Road Bridge/Perth 72 miles
Sun 22 June: Pitlochry to Tomatin via Kingussie 72 miles
Mon 23 June: Tomatin to Ullapool via Inverness 73 miles
Tue 24 June: Ullapool to Durness 70 miles
Wed 25 June: Durness-Cape Wrath-Durness 35 miles
Thu 26 June: Durness to Thurso via Tongue/Bettyhill 72 miles
Fri 27 June: Thurso to Wick Stn via Dunnet Head/JOG/Duncansby Head 50 miles

My final major training run is planned for Sunday 1 June from Newport (Gwent) to Woking, and then my bike is booked in for a thorough service with the superb Mike Madgett in Diss the following weekend. I am booked in for an overhaul with the physio and masseur on the Monday before departure.

The only down side is the weather which is currently being predicted as light rain for the first week, dry for the second, cool temperatures (10-15C) throughout, and a northerly head wind the whole way - so much for the prevailing wind theory!

Now, here's the important bit. I've tried to imbue the ride with a sense of purpose by dedicating it to Cancer Research. Having lost relatives, friends, colleagues, and admired ones to this dreadful disease I want to do my bit to help eradicate it. I hope you will sponsor me as I struggle onwards. You can do so by logging on to www.justgiving.com/ronstrutt where your contribution will be taken off you totally painlessly. I'm hoping to raise £2,000 through this, so please be as generous as you can. The thought that each mile I pedal will be worth £2 to a very worthwhile cause will help to ease my passage.

Provided that the technology works as planned, I will post regular progress reports on here as I head northwards.

In the meantime, if any of you would care to join me for a local part of my ride, you'll be more than welcome. If you offer to carry my panniers you'll be even more welcome!