A month after finishing the End-to-End.

I want to thank all of you who have given such encouragement and support to me over the course of my training, journeying and recovery. I have just been to the bank with the various cheques and cash. The total raised with the gift aid extras for the two charities amounts to £2,728.16. I have been staggered at folks' generosity, watching the email notifications as I travelled and returned, and as neighbours, work colleagues and church friends have added to the amounts as I have been welcomed back. Both the Lifebox charity and the INF medical camps groups have thanked me for the on-line giving that they have seen in the last two months.

Physically I have been more uncomfortable restIng than when I have been back on the bike. The bike is in good working order, and I've been commuting to work again as my preferred option. I get compliments on my slimmed-down appearance in cycling Lycra. Overall I am about 6 or so kilograms (1 stone) lighter than when I started training at the beginning of April. I feel 20 years younger too!

My family want to enjoy cycling more too. Our youngest has never got an adult-sized bike till now, and my wife, Sue, has cycled up the steep incline towards work for the first time ever on a hybrid bike out on trial. We haven't quite decided which is the correct bike for her yet, but we look forward to more recreational excursions together on our bikes. At work at the hospital, we have just had a bike week and the maps of Dunstable & Luton with their cycle paths is an encouragement to start to find them and use them. I've already had an exploration on route 6 between Dunstable and Houghton Regis coming back from the bank - not the most direct route home! The guided busway is due to open in September, and the maps indicate that cycle paths will also follow that new route.

So I'll sign off here with my grateful thanks again, and wish you all lots of fresh air and exercise and safe travelling. Will I be doing it again, I have been asked? I haven't ruled it out. A supported tour is a great way of doing LEJOG, and Peak Tours Ltd from Glossop has my thumbs up for their organisation of the holiday.They run shorter tours and are planning European ones too next year.

Let me know if you set off on a similar challenge. I hope you have enjoyed these blogs.

Michael
24th June 2013