It's just about organised...

Well, here we are again, it's this year's challenge... cycling from Land's End to Land's End via Lowestoft or LELoLE.

Land's End is the most westerly point of England while Lowestoft is the most easterly point of England, it's a distance of around 450 miles and once we've done that, we are then cycling on to Land's End again!!

But, we're not that foolish, the second Land's End is actually located at the delightfully named Rottenstall Lane in Great Yarmouth - 16 miles north of Lowestoft!

I've been talking to good friend Tony for a couple of years about doing another long distance cycle tour but have been preoccupied with my swim and marathon. During last summer though it was agreed we should do something this year (09). There are a number of tours with appeal: Land's End to Lowestoft, Welsh End 2 End (Cardiff to Llandudno... ish) and round Britain (approximately 4000 miles and 3 months).

Round Britain is something I'd like to do when retired, Welsh E2E's appeal is that it is very hilly and picturesque across the Brecon Beacons in the middle but, it's a bit far away really, so LE - Lo was the one.

I started looking for a possible route and was surprised when Google Maps found four 'Land's Ends' for the search 'Land's End Lowestoft'. Apart from the Land's End we all think of there was one near Reading (!!) and one just north of Lowestoft: it had a ring to it - Land's End 2 Land's End (via Lowestoft). Tony agreed!!

It was September when we made the initial arrangements and agreed to go the week before the late May bank holiday, however, come Christmas we got 15 year old son Alex's GCSE dates -which clash with the proposed cycling dates. OK. The weeks before and after were all no-goers for one reason or another and so the final dates are now 11th to 18th June, Thursday to Thursday.

Bearing in mind all the problems I had travelling to Land's End (in Cornwall!) last time, the first day is primarily getting down to Penzance and a short 16 mile run round the peninsula to Land's End and then on to our hotels for the first night in St Just.

The next day is up to Padstow, a fairly short run of about 50 miles (so we can bed our legs in), where we're staying in the Golden Lion pub... fantastic.

Day 3 sees us getting into Devon and staying just outside Okehampton in a Travelodge but close to a pub which is described as 'one of the most unusual pubs in Britain', should prove an interesting dinner venue! (65 miles)

Glastonbury in Somerset is the next day. It's flattening out now and the miles are increasing a bit, this day is 70.

Oxford is Monday's destination. At 89 miles the longest day we do.

Now another cliche as we cycle from Oxford to Cambridge, a distance of 79 miles.

Wednesday is our second longest day with 86 miles to Lowestoft in Suffolk. Lowestoft is really the finish point as it is the most easterly point but it doesn't quite sound as impressive as...

...the final day, Thursday 18th June, is a short 16 mile ride up to Land's End which is the actual finish point!!

The majority of Thursday is then spent getting home - trains from this neck of the wood aren't easy! While all the hotels are already booked and I know the trains we'll be taking down there, the route back is still up in the air: to travel only by train means going into and out of London as good old Dr Beecham closed all the cross country routes and stymied us. The best looking option at the moment is a train from Norwich to Cambridge and get picked up from there but it all needs 'firming up'.

A bit of a problem is that Tony and I haven't really done any training yet! We did 15 miles back in January but our next scheduled ride was snowed off and then things have just 'got in the way'! Still, we have one booked in the diary for next Thursday. I'm dong the Silverstone half marathon tomorrow so hope my legs are still up to it!