Itinerary - where we're going and when

For those of you who've asked me which places we'll travel through, and to whom I've replied, I don't know but Reg is doing an itinerary, here tis!

We're off in the morning at 5.30 am.  The packing's all done bar the toothbrushes - and my mobile phone.   Where you see that we're not travelling, i.e. 0 miles, is a rest day.          

Land's End to John O'Groats

Date	Itinerary	Distance (Miles)	Height gain (ft)
30th May	Filton to Bristol Temple Meads. Estimated distance	5
30th May	Penzance to Land's End and back to Penzance	19.2	1136
31st May	Penzance to Truro	34.5	1911
1st June	Truro to Camelford	40.4	2992
2nd June	Camelford to Hatherleigh	39	2219
3rd June	Hatherleigh to Tiverton	30.7	2069
4th June	Tiverton	0	0
5th June	Tiverton to Bridgwater	39.9	994
6th June	Bridgwater to Pill	39.5	1045
7th June	Pill to Gloucester	46	993
8th June	Gloucester to Droitwitch	42.7	1277
9th June	Droitwich	0	0
10th June	Droitwitch to Wolverhampton	37.9	1216
11th June	Wolverhampton to Stoke	33.9	815
12th June	Stoke to Manchester	33.3	1004
13th June	Manchester to Preston	38.6	898
14th June	Preston to Lancaster	30.9	723
15th June	Lancaster	0	0
16th June	Lancaster to Shap	40.6	2702
17th June	Shap to Carlisle	35.5	1174
18th June	Carlisle to Beattock	40.9	1478
19th June	Beattock to Carnwath	38.4	1621
20th June	Carnwath to Dunfermline	38.6	1410
21st June	Dunfermline	0	0
22nd June	Dunfermline to Bankfoot	37.7	1815
23rd June	Bankfoot to Blair Atholl	27.4	1533
24th June	Blair Atholl To Newtonmore	34.4	1403
25rd June	Newtonmore to Tomatin	35.4	1571
26th June	Tomatin to Evanton	36.7	1543
27th June	Evanton	0	0
28th June	Evanton to Brora	38.6	1403
29th June	Brora to Lybster	33.3	2516
30th June	Lybster to John O'Groats	36.6	989
1st July	John O'Groats to Wick then by tain to Edinburgh	17	349
2nd July	Edinburgh to Bristol by train. Estimated distance	4
Total Estimated Distance and height gain		1006.6(miles) 1620(kms)	40799(ft) 12435(meters)

Preparing

3 days to go until we leave Bristol to embark on our epic Land's End to John O'Groats cycling experience (well, I can't call it a holiday - though some people have used the term in a friendly sort of way).  Did I really agree to do this?  Will my knees last out?  Will it be one of the best experiences of my life - or the worst?  Dare I say that I'm actually looking forward to it (just a tiny bit).

We've spent several weeks training for this journey (cycling 3 times a week, covering about 40 miles each time).  What we haven't done is cycle 40 miles day after day, as we'll be doing next week.  We'll be having a rest day every 4 or 5 days.

Reg has booked all the B&B's, worked out the route (much of it on minor roads), and as far as I know is still struggling to get his Garmin (cycle sat nav) to behave itself.  He is pleased with the electronic maps he's been able to upload though, so I'm hoping, all being well, that we'll arrive at our destinations before nightfall.

I've spent today doing home admin, sorting out a few church matters & sending a few emails and making 1 or 2 phone calls.  What I'd really like to do is employ someone to come in and give the house a good clean once we've gone .....

Reg has spent today, and previous days, getting the bikes ready for our trip (in between watching The Wright Stuff & playing with our grandson Arlie yesterday .....)
We'll be away nearly 5 weeks.  It's the only trip I've ever gone on where I've wondered if I will survive it.   I WILL survive.