"CYCLE FAT BOY, CYCLE"

Any thoughts of similarities between Lance Armstrong and myself as I span along at 25mph with a car alongside (not Johan Brunyeel of the Astana/Radioshack team but Bonita and Stan) on the last leg quickly evaporated as he wound the window down and rather than passing me food or drink as the 'big boys' do on TDF, Stan merely shouted "c'mon fat boy, you can do it"

It's all over now. I'm not going to recount daily trips here; that job has been done brilliantly by Bonita and Abby. I can summarise the trip though and answer sone already frequently asked questions:

1) Weather - I waas truly blessed with exceptional weather. Not too hot or cold. Apart from strong cross winds on the first day, I had a North wind blowing me down all the way. In Cornwall on Thursday and Friday, the wind then changed direction - North Easterly. Just how lucky was that? I can honestly say I probably couldn't have finished the event if I'd encountered lots of headwind. The cyclists among you will know just how demoralising they can be. I did have hailstones and rain on the first day, torrential rain on the final day but by then there would be no stopping me!

2) Worst part - Day 1 will go down as one of the darkest days of my life. I don't mind admitting I got very emotional at times. I don't think I was really ready for the enormity of what I was tackling and the drive from Inverness to John O' Groats really opened my eyes. It's bleak, desolate, in fact I can't think of  a nice thing to say about Caithness. At one point I heard a truck behind me and thought "well if he nudges me off the bike and I'm unhurt but he crushes the bike, it will all be over!" But he didn't and I survived Berridale and Dunbeath and eventually reached Invergordon (not Inverness as planned) from where I set off the next day. Very, very, very hard.

3) The bike - Felt F80, Aluminium. Had a bike rack fitted for a Topeak rack bag (7 litres) and also a 7 litre handlebar bag fitted. Also carried small rucksack. Doesn't sound much but all in all, weighed a ton and made a real difference to the ride in all aspects. I took 2 spare tyres and about 6 inner tubes, with tools. My tires were new Michelin Krylion Carbons and I'm delighted to say I had no punctures, in fact no bike issues of any sort - fantastic! (Thanks to Alan and Ceri at Twenty3C cycles in Stony Stratford).

4) Injuries - I finished training early because I was concerned about knee pain I was encountering. My left knee was a known quantity, the right more worrying. I always use a knee brace on the left and decided to wear one on the right too as a precaution. However this seemed to cause more problems. Ditched this and from then on both knees worked perfectly! No bottom problems, Rido saddle worked a treat.

5) Food and drink - Gallons of Lucozade Isotonic orange, flapjack, home made nutrition bars, Kendal mint cake, jelly babies and massive steaks every night.

6) Best road - A9. Fantastic wide road, great smooth surface with little rolling resistance and cyclist friendly traffic.

7) Worst place to cycle through - Wolverhampton held the record until I reached Bristol, approaching the centre on the A38 - truly awful!

8) Best place to cycle through - Worcester without a doubt. Bus lane all the way in to the centre, well signposted - in and out in a flash.

I started planning this trip with the aim of being unsupported. However, without the support I received, I can honestly say I wouldn't have finished where |I did (Lands End of course), when I did. Mick & Georgie, Bonita's Uncle & Aunt saved me by stopping ahead of me at regular intervals on that first day and really kept me going when |I was at my lowest and darkest points. I'll never forget the support they gave me in those first 2 days!

Bonita was at the Forth Bridge to meet me on Day 3 and how fabulous was it to see her - more tears, but this time of happiness! Her presence on that day really lifted me and not only had she some nice food for me when I stopped, she also had some clean clothes (ever worn the same pair of sweaty underpants for 3 days?). She gave me loads of pep talks and convinced me that this really WAS possible.

Her Dad, Pete, took over at the peak of Shap and was there with me on both Tuesday and Wednesday. For those of you who know him, Pete's language can be colourful at times and I can tell you that I almost fell about in stitches when he finally caught up with me after Bristol. His language covered every colour in the rainbow and I and tell you he won't be driving there again in a hurry!

Thursday I was on my own until Bonita and Stan the Man arrived that evening in Launceston. To see Stan during Friday at every layby, out of the car, in the rain, clenching his fists and encouraging me on like (Sir) Harry Redknap really motivated me. I must admit to a bit of vanity on this final day. OK, it was raining so I couldn't wear my shades but with a strong North Easterly wind behind me as I sped towards Lands End, I really tried to look good for Bonita, trying to look good and relaxed as I sped by at 25 mph on occasions. Did it work? She said I looked "kind of good" but not TDF style...yet!

So there it is - finished. Since starting I've had so many messages telling me I'm a hero, a leg end (oh I see, legend!), 'the special one' etc but I've had a team of heroes to help me this last 8 days. Everyone who's sponsored me deserves special thanks - at this time you've raised nearly £1500 with more pledged.  Everyone who left a message on my mobile, sent me a text etc was a hero because all the messages really cheered me up, inspired me and motivated me. To all those who came out to help me along the way by 'leapfrogging me' and being there with sustainance, you were and are all heroes and there were times when your help was needed more than you will ever know.

Mike, who turned up unexpectedly at Birmingham New Street and ensured I couldn't back out by getting me and the bike safely on board the train to Inverness. Elizabeth and Martin who drove from Southampton to Bristol for just a brief visit - but did they make me laugh - ever had your sister try and give you a head and shoulder massage in a busy restaurant? Jane who kep me updated with texts about Spurs (yes, we did it), Cobblers and of course, Gillian Duffy! Heroes all.

Pat, Frank's wife, and Sarah, Pat's daughter in law rode 30 miles before meeting me for the last mile to Lands End - in torrential rain; heroes both! Frank Mattock, in whose memory you raised such a large amount of money was a true hero and legend to all his friends and family.

But my hero(es) have to be my gorgeous wife Bonita, along with Abby and Stan. I feel like the person who takes all the praise, all the acclaim while actually all the hard work/pain has gone un-noticed in the background. All the weekend training rides which have curtailed our family activities, what must have been total boredom for them listening about the merits of this route and that route (but all the time managing to come up with sensible things to say!). Not minding as I bought various bits of kit (SatMap) convincing them we can all use it in the future. Everyone who knows Bonita knows she likes her sleep and she was up and out of the house without complaint at 4.30am on 2 occasions this last week. They put up with such a lot as I've moved from Triathlons, to climbing Ventoux, now Jogle. Well, the challenges can wait for a while now and I hope to return the time and love that you've given me over the last 6 months.

So, thank you all who've shared this adventure with me in many ways.