The record time for completing LE2JOG is 43 hrs and 25 mins (for men) and 52 hrs and 45 mins (for woman). I’ll take a wee bit longer than that!!
Day 1 of my LE2JOG started with my alarm going off at 6am. I packed in as much energy (food) as I could … and when I was full I put the rest in my pannier bags. I’m so glad I did as you’ll find out later!
I made my way to the coastal edge and got the obligatory photo with the Land’s End sign. It was something to look out to the Atlantic Ocean, New York evidently beyond the horizon and John O’ Groats, my final destination, 874 miles as the crow flies.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, so I just concentrated on my Day 1 journey.
I bumped in to Peter at Land’s End. He’s from the Wirral and he is also doing LE2JOG, but he has selected a different route to me.
I went off for the above photo, not before padlocking my bike. He’s from Liverpool you know ! 🙂
I was interviewed on radio by ECFM’s breakfast presenter, Allan Moffat.
I would describe today’s 68 miles in 3 sections:
The first 15 miles was most enjoyable, riding into, and through Penzance, with it’s picturesque promenade and super cycle path stretching along the 5 mile coast, then quiet agricultural country roads.
The second part – from about mile 15 to about mile 55 was really tough with numerous short sharp steep hills. 7 of which had a gradient of more than 15 degrees and lasting longer than 300 yards. 12 had gradients in excess of 10 degrees. I had to walk with my bike on a couple of them as my front wheel was lifting off the road with the weight distribution (pannier bags) on the rear of the bike. I felt I was in my lowest gear for most of today’s journey!
The final 10 miles stage was great as it was all off-road thanks to a fantastic network of cycle paths on approach to St. Austell. However, there was another nasty steep climb in the final couple of miles as I neared my destination of Fowey.
St. Michael’s Mount is just off the coast at Marazion. Apparently, French Benedictine monks were given the island in 12th Century and built this striking monastery. The island currently has 30 permanent residents.
I met another LE2JOG cyclist. This is John from North London and he was also doing the same Day 1 route as me.
We soon parted and wished each other well for our onward journeys.
My route soon moved inland. It is very agricultural and took me through old mining towns. The hills soon appeared and the climbs were brutal, but the descents were exhilarating. My reading of the LE2JOG trip does say that Day 1 is the most challenging of the whole trip. I sincerely hope that is the case!
My trip required me to negotiate the River Fal, so I experienced novelty of taking the short trip across using The King Harry Ferry, an 18th Century mechanical ferry using a steam engine on the riverbank to pull the ferry along underwater chains.
I had one technical issue today. The chain on my bike came off as I was changing gear. Not a problem. I popped it back on in a matter of seconds.
However, I snapped my shoe cleats into the pedals to set off again. I suddenly realised I was in a BIG gear and struggled to complete a rotation of my pedals AND that I was trying to set off on a hill climb. As my shoes were locked in to the pedals and I couldn’t release them before gravity took control, I ended up a crumpled heap on the tarmac. Fortunately the only damage was my bruised ego. Erse!
It was a tough 9 hours on the bike today.
But amongst the gritty determination there were moments of light-hearted humour.
I couldn’t help myself taking a picture of this sign.
For my amusement, I would like to invite you to provide your suggestions, with a LE2JOG, context.
I’ll donate a prize to the best suggestion.
About 7 miles from the end of my destination, I cycled through the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Not so much lost as neglected by the descendants of the Tremayne family who planted them over a period of 150 years from the mid 18th Century before finding it all too much. Prior to World War 1, the Heligan estate employed 22 gardeners. However, 16 were killed in action, after the war leaving the remaining staff who struggled to cope. The gardens were later transferred into a trust and over the following years restored to their former glory.
Today’s trivial facts
NO. OF MILES CYCLED TODAY : 68
MOMENT OF THE DAY: Getting the picture at the Land’s End sign and then pushing down on the pedals to start my LE2JOG challenge:
WEATHER: Dry, sunny & cloudy intervals, 15 degrees
FUEL: I ‘fuelled up’ and ate well for breakfast and relied on the 2 x bananas, fruit cake and apples which I also put in my bag. 7 x miles from my eventual destination I was feeling so weak I stopped at a chippie and got a Fish supper!
SONG OF THE DAY: The Climb – Miley Cyrus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs
% of FUNDRAISING TARGET REACHED: 49% (Thank U for sponsoring me)
TOMORROW’S STAGE 2 DESITINATION: Crediton, Devon (65 miles)
Scotty Boy's Bicycle Across Britain 
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