Day 1 06:22 (24 May 2012)

The intention was for a good nights sleep pre-ride. And as the lights in the hostel went out at around 10:30pm it seemed that our intention was good and noble and going to plan. And so it remained until around twenty past midnight, when the mayhem commenced. A noise not heard in these parts since diplodocus and his/her chums roamed the planet. A deep rumbling sound, shaking the old windows and striking terror, and later frustration, into most of Team Upside Down. I say most, but not all, as one of Team UD was responsible for this commotion.... A snoring Paul Sheldon! Now we find ourselves 'ready' for the day ahead not quite as rested as we might have hoped. But the humour is good (currently at Paul's expense), the weather is shining and soon we'll be heading the last 50 miles north to commence our journey south. The final countdown has begun. At 0900 (ish) we shall ride!

Day 0 19:15 (23 May 2012)

19:15 and we find ourselves at the Helmsdale Hostel. At this point it looks as though we might be the only guests in our dorm. The place is clean, beds look OK but there are few dividers and thus the anticipated snoring will be allowed to echo from wall to wall and thus from bed to bed. Alas, the anticipation of what tomorrow brings will doubtless mean little, if any, quality sleep anyway. Dinner is to be found in the 'Tartan Lounge' where we await chilli con carne and rice.... Journey here was trouble free. The expectation is that the journey back will be equally so! We are now just hours away. The excitement is building. Gulp.

Day 0 14:00 (23 May 2012)

Our journey north continues, with lunch taken at Stirling Services sitting/standing in the sunshine. So far we've been driving over four hours and, blimey, we've another four hours to go! This up north is a long way up, it seems that John O'Groats isn't a suburb of Glasgow after all.  Onwards and even further upwards we go....

Day 0 09:30 (23 May 2012)

Today is 'travel to John O'Groats' day. Our anticipated 08:15 departure time was delayed somewhat by the realisation that we had 500 cubic metres of kit and about 3 cubic metres of space. Cue frantic packing, repacking, more repacking and the installation of an inflatable roof rack and we're on our way - 45 minutes behind schedule. John O'Groats here we come (well, Helmsdale actually as we have our overnight accommodation there)...

Rules, rules rules (22 May 2012)

Four men (rarely has a term been used so loosely), three bikes, 900 and something miles and nine nights away. A recipe for arguments, for relentless taking of the Mickey and possibly, even, for the odd finger wagging 'good talking to'....

And so it seems right, proper and sensible (and good health and safety risk management) that Team Upside Down have some rules by which we'll play. Now these are not, by any means, exhaustive but are our top eight and give a sense I think as to how we should approach these coming few days together. 

Rule #1

Enjoy the ride, the banter and the fresh air.

Rule #2

It's not a race, so take time to appreciate the journey.

Rule #3

Take it in turns to take the headwind (or hope and pray there isn't one)

Rule #4

Take lots of photos, and smile when being photographed. Thumbs up are good too, but only one thumb at a time and hold on tight with the other hand whilst doing so.

Rule #5

Warn fellow riders of hazards/obstructions or slow moving vehicles (tractors, milk floats, Pete) up ahead.

Rule #6.

Don't be too much of a hero to say "Guys, I need to stop for a rest".

Sub-rule #6.1 - Make sure such a request is not within 3 miles of the previous stop.

Rule #7

Help one another in the event of a breakdown, puncture, saddle adjustment etc*. and give one another lots of encouragement on those long hills (particularly those going up).

Rule #8

Appreciate our roady, Paul, and his support to making this happen and don't get too cross when struggling up a mountain pass and he sweeps casually by in the car, waving...

*This help does not extend to the application of chamois cream, sudocrem or other protective subtances against saddle sore. 

It's so close now, I can smell it (19 May 2012)

At least that's what I think it is....

Would you Adam and indeed would you Eve it? Barely have we said "Riding from John O'Groats to Lands End might be fun" we now find ourselves just a handful of days from finding out one way or the other whether it will be 'fun' or not. 

And finding ourselves midway through the pre-challenge weekend I now have a to-do list longer than the A9 and a shopping list of nutrition that is equally extensive. The COOP, being 'good with food' had better be well stocked on products containing a decent amount of carbs (especially those in easy to carry packaging) because I'll be clearing the shelves.

My list contains some 18 Snickers bars, 9 tins of rice pudding, a container load of bananas, and nine bottles of milkshake - amongst (many) other things.

Whilst on the subject of nutrition this whole carb things is really quite complicated. In short we need carbs because carbs provide energy to power our legs which in turn will make the wheels on the bike go round and round, round and round, round and round, the wheels on the bike go round and round all day long. The wipers on the....., oh no, hang on, I'm getting carried away.

Some very rough mathematics (and for those of you that read our 'whistle while you work' post you'll know our mathematics can be very rough) suggests that pre-ride some 200 grams of carbs need to be consumed. That's based on a 6' 2" 84kg athlete. Now then, if you have studied carbs (and it will be very surprising if you have) you'll know there are slow release types, with a high GI and fast release with a low GI. So not only do we have to consume bucket loads of the things pre-ride, we also have to carefully select the right types. And to give you a clue on scale - 200g of carbs is about 6 bowls of porridge or ten rounds of wholemeal toast. We'll need to be up 4am carb loading.

And while we're on the subject of said loading of carbs I've read that porridge before bed is a good idea, sounds odd but anything is worth a go! 

During the ride we'll no doubt become patrons of a variety of tea rooms, cafe's, service stations and anywhere else that provides tea, cake and a few minutes out of the saddle and in the warm/dry/shade/cool* delete as appropriate. Such establishments will be a welcome break on the highways and byways of Scotland and England.

Right then, lets get eating......

Sleeping arrangements (13 May 2012)

As the big day (departure day, as opposed to some other unconnected event) approaches I thought I might take the opportunity to share our unbelievably varied accommodation plans for the end to end adventure that is Upside Down 2012.

Rest and recuperation is vital for athletes involved in challenging endurance sports. And so it is important for us too. That's why much of April has been spent not, as you might imagine, out on the bike but instead perusing the internet for places to stay over the nine nights to come.

So, how've we done? Well, as it turns out, rather well I think you'll find.

Our rest and recuperation will be delivered through the following combination.....

One night in a bunkhouse, three nights in a tent, three nights in Travel Inns, one at Pete's mums and one in a chill pod. So that's it then - sorted. We have our beds for the night, sometimes with a warm bath to soothe aching legs and sometimes having to build our accommodation before standing in a shower block rubbing in the Radox.

What's that? Oh, a chill pod? Yes,I thought you might ask..... Well its hard to describe really, its kind of a cylindrical shed with beds and a kitchen and somewhere to sit (which appears to be outside). Comfy? No idea. Dry and warm? Probably. Better than putting a tent up having just ridden 100 miles? What do you think?

Remember, we're raising money for children with life limiting ilnesses. You can help us through our Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/upsidedown. 

Anyway, rather than you try and envisage a 'chill pod' from my rather poor 'shed' description here's a picture...