John O'Groats to Lands End

Here is the final updated map of our trip and a picture at the finish (where it costs a shocking 12.50 to stand next to the Land's End sign - how rude!!).

Greig and I would like to thank everyone who has supported us during this trip (the support has been fantastic) and to everyone who has made a donation to one of the charities for which we were trying to raise money (I will add in some figures of how much money was raised for our respective charities later).

And many thanks to Mark for keeping this blog up to date for us as we were going along!

Conditions were much the same as yesterday for my final days cycle - fierce headwind and severe hills. A tough morning - but arrived at Lands End at 1.30pm and was drunk on Champagne at 2pm!!

56 miles covered today with accumulated height gain of 6250 ft, 5 hours in the saddle.

Completed end to end (our route taking in 945 miles) in 9 and a half days, within our 10 day target!!

Job done.... but never again!!

A constant 25 mph headwind, rain and uninterrupted severe hills (peaking with a long 17% climb) made every mile an unpleasant battle today. After struggling all day, eventually ended up in St Austell.

Stats - 8hrs 10mins in the saddle, covering 93 miles, with a whopping 8750 ft in accumulated height gain. Fingers crossed for what should be my final day tomorrow and hopefully the challenge that we set ourselves, of completing end to end in 10 days, will be met!!

Started the morning with a bad choice of route, giving me 35 miles of punishing hills! Any would be end to enders reading this blog would be well advised to avoid the A466!!

Greig went home last night to get cleaned up etc, (it was needed - scruffy git!) and returned with his car to meet me at Chepstow. He then went ahead at 15 mile intervals to meet me for breaks to sort me out with energy (Mars) bars and energy drinks (not Guinness!!). He also found time to persuade a petrol station sales assistant to shout stuff at me through the forecourt tannoy when I went past!!

I decided to try and put in a really big day today to break the back (and possiby mine!) of the rest of the trip. It was a tough day - when I wasn't climbing hills, there was a relentless, fierce at times, headwind, which I had to swear at a lot. But with support from Greig, I didn't have to stop for so long so I finished the day in Exeter after nearly 11 hours in the saddle and 134 miles covered.

Saddle and achilles soreness now beyong belief. Tomorrow is Cornwall, which apparently is a nightmare of steep undulation. I need this to be over soon!!!

Started slow to warm up our very sore legs. Straight away, Greig had to keep stopping because of severe knee pain. After 6 miles of start stop, attempting to get ride through the pain barrier, it became clear that Greig couldn't continue, he had to stop. He was obviously massively disappointed, but in my opinion, to have got so far with his knees in that state was a huge achievement.

After finding somewhere for Greig to be picked up, I had to set off on my own. After a hilly start, I hit a road closure which required a massive detour via Nantwich - and then the rain came. I met Greig and the southern loony tunes support brigade in Shrewsbury. After a change into dry clothes, I set off again southwards, getting some more quality support from the southern loonies passing me and waiting further on to cheer me on.

Eventually I coasted into Hereford after climbing the big hill that I was subsequently warned about!!

In summary, 3500 ft in accumulated height gain (meaning current trip total of arounf Mount Everests height!). 8 hr 15 mins in the saddle, covering 112 miles.