Thursday, July 4, 2013

And the Final Scores, Please, Miss Doors....

Garmin Connect - LE to Llanberis

Garmin Connect - Llanberis to Kielder

Garmin Connect - Kielder to John O'Groats

So, it's been about 3 weeks since I rolled up to the finish post, and I have finally managed to re-plot my route (albeit in 3 parts not one due to technical difficulties. If you zoom in about 3 clicks the route will appear as if by magic!), which you should be able to link through to from here. The final distance comes in at a slightly-shorter-than-expected 1477.83 miles, but had I the inclination to do battle with the temperamental nature of the Garmin site, I might have tweaked it to take into account the unplanned modifications to the route that I had to make from time to time, and might have squeezed a few more miles out it. Either way, it was considerably further than the 'standard' route, and I am very pleased with myself for finishing it, not to mention over the moon with everyone who took the time to donate and support the venture. Thanks to your generosity, the current amount raised is £1804.28, plus a further £330 in gift aid, making a running total of £2134.28. My fingers are crossed for even a little more yet, as the page will remain active until the end of July I think.

In addition to the amazing total you all raised, I received a contribution from the Joyce Chapman  Charitable Trust, a trust that supports UK children's charities, cancer charities and Alzheimer's research charities, who very kindly gave £2000 to my fund as well, which means that between us, we raised a magnificent £4134.28!!

I for one think that is pretty darn good, and you should all be very proud of yourselves.

Just as a little aside, when I got back, I put the bike in for a well-earned service. It needed a new chain, new back gear cartridge, new cables and brakes etc. The shop called me up 3 days later to say the work had all been done but, while giving it a test ride up Headcorn High Street, a van made a turn without indicating, and the poor bloke testing the bike crashed into him, damaging the front wheel! Fortunately he was not hurt, and the van driver accepted responsibility and repair costs, but the poor old bike got a duffing up that I'd managed to avoid for the last 6 weeks! Never mind, hopefully this is the only crash that bike will be in, and I wasn't even on board when it happened!

So, what now? Well, I have to try and maintain the fitness I have earned until at least mid August, when I fly to Geneva and then cycle to Nice over the Alps - a 5 day ride of 80+ miles and 3500+ meters of climbing a day. So far, since I got back I have been out a grand total of zero times (the bike is in the shop, see), so I will have to buck up my ideas. I may well add a few posts during that time if I can find the internet, but as for the next major Crazy Roads Trip? Well, your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid. Maybe the next one will be a journey of intellectual discovery rather than geographic exploration, as I embark on my Osteopathy Masters in September. But that would not make for an exciting blog, I shouldn't think. I'll have to see what I can cook up. I suspect it may involve motorbikes and revisiting my cycle route at speed! Until then, thanks a thousand times more for your support, both moral and financial, and for making this a truly successful Crazy Roads 5 :-)