After a epic 24 hour coach journey I arrive in John O'Groats and the following day I start a epic adventure going from John O'Groats to Land's End in 17 days. The plan is to jog at 5 mph for 4 miles and then walk at 4 mph for mile 5 and then keep on repeating ...
JOGLE 2018:
Day 1 - John O'Groates to Dunbeath - 37miles - 08:29:30 - started at 09:00 - taking it "easy" on this stage - very windy - total bister count: 1
Day 2 - Dunbeath to Tain - 49 miles - 11:05:00 - started at 06:00 - taking it "easy" on this stage - nice and sunny conditions - total bister count: 2
Day 3 - Tain to Dunmnadrocht - 47 miles - 11:21:52 - started at 06:00 - struggling now to keep over 4 mph - first real test of rain and wind - total blister count: 3
Day 4 - Dunmnadrocht to Fort William - 52 miles - 13:45:42 - started at 06:00 - took a detour in the Scottish Highlands to do some "trail" jogging instead of using a canal path - total blister count: 4
Day 5 - Fort William to Crianlarich - 52 miles - 12:40:54 - stsrted at 06:00 - just about keeping to 4 mph - windy and rainy - total blister count: 5
Day 6 - Crianlarich to Glasgow - 54 miles - 13:39:41 - started at 06:00 - stopped off before the finish for a "takeway" - nice and sunny conditions - total blister count: 6
Day 7 - Glasgow to Moffat - 64 miles - 15:41:41 - started at 06:00 - "pep" talk from Steve advised that if me and Chris did not make over 4 mph today we would be DQ'd - nice and sunny conditions - total blister couunt: 6 - managing the bisters now
Day 8 - Moffat to Carlisle - 43 miles - 10:54:52 - started at 06:00 - stopped off before the finish for a "takeaway" - cramping up from yesterday's excusion - nice and sunny conditions - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles
Day 9 - Carlisle to Burton - 58 miles - 15:27:37 - started at 06:00 - struggling with cramp and stomach issues - nice and sunny conditions - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees
Day 10 - Burton to Haydock - 58 miles - 15:28:23 - started at 06:00 - same as yesterday - struggling with cramp and stomach issues - nice and sunny conditions - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - stopped takiing "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 11 - Haydock to Shrewsbury - 59 miles - 15:25:23 - started at 05:00 - clocks went back 1 hour - struggling with cramp and stomach issues - nice and sunny conditions - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 12 - Shrewsbury to Hereford - 60 miles - 16:29:22 - started at 06:00 - the "toughest" day so far in terms of cramps and the weather - "hailing" at 2 seperate occassions - thanks for a couple of runners to support me - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 13 - Hereford to Bristol - 50 miles - 12:43:05 - started at 06:15 - struggling to get prepared in the morning - thanks for some more runners in Bristol - nice to finish in Bristol in daylight unlike last year - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 14 - Bristol to Wellington - 51 miles - 13:44:47 - started at 06:15 - struggling to get prepared in the morning - seriously struggling now with the 4 mph time limit - thanks for some more runners along the route - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 15 - Wellington to Okehampton - 48 miles - 14:37:00 - strarted at 06:10 - struggling to get prepared in the morning - "Garmin" failure" - did not fully charge overnight so had to charge along the route so the times are not accurate - last year this route took me 23 hours so glad to get past this milestone - thanks for some runners along the route -last year's "best" overnight stay was Moffat this year it's Okehampton Travelodge as last year they let me stay despite arriving in the early hours of the morning and this year they also left us a BIG WELL DONE message - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 16 - Okehampton to St. Austell - 50 miles - 16:00:02 - started at 06:45 - struggling to get prepared in the morning - last year had to do this run 100% unspported - this year self-supported - really struggling again to make the 4 mph cut-off but so close to Lands End - too tired to keep moving and with the on-coming traffic decide to take a few "powernaps" during the day - finished in the early hours of the morning - nice and sunny conditions during the day - total blister count: 6 - swollen left and right ankles and swollen left and right knees - left hip started to hurt - stopped taking "tailwind" and now have to find an alternative source of kcal
Day 17 - St. Austell to Lands End - 50 miles - 17:54:00 - started at 05:10 - not enough overnight "kip" - "Garmin" failure" - did not fully charge overnight so had to charge along the route so the times are not accurate - last year had to do this run 100% unspported - this year self-supported - I got up late due to late finish, preparing the "kit" for the next day and lack of sleep and now I may even struggle to get to Lands End before the end of the Day 17 - too tired to keep moving and with the on-coming traffic decide to take a few "powernaps" during the day - I'm currently going at 2-3 mph so at this pace looks like it might be Day 18 when I'll finish - I somehow manage to drag myself to Penzance and with about 30 miles to go now I'm confident I can finish JOGLE on Day 17. I take a final break - eating a couple of sandwiches, half a cornish pasty, some liquorice sweets and a salt tablet. I now head off to Lands End in good spirits knowing the end is in sight finishing at around 23:00 on Day 17.
