Despite how big this day was, we just got on with things as normal. Fortunately weather was great, and there was a strong wind helping us along. Also, we shadowed another group of cyclists who had been following the same route as us for the last few days, which created an amazing atmosphere!
As we were now following the coast, there were lots of hills (but at least there was a proper road). Navigation was still straightforward, and we kept up a very good speed despite the Cornish nature of the terrain.
The north coast was much more populated than expected (actual towns) which we thought was a plus - more places to buy food! After a town called Melvich, the cycling became flatter and we covered ground quicker. By Thurso we could stop for lunch, only 20 miles from John O' Groats. Sam's bike was disintegrating again, but we told him there was nothing that could now stop us. In our excitement we covered the 20 miles in one go, and arrived in style at John O' Groats (taking up the whole road).
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| From LEJOG Day 17 |
After arriving and getting our pictures by the sign, we enjoyed a snack at the Journey's End cafe. The problem with winding down was that when we tried to set off, our bodies had shut down, and the two miles to the hostel were the hardest miles of the day (it had also started raining and the wind was working against us).
We dropped our stuff at the hostel, and were then treated to a meal at a local hotel (thanks to my grandparents). Later that evening we were all thinking about how far we'd come, however, I was also thinking about the plane journey and if we would actually get home!
Total distance was 65.9 miles.
