Day 14. Altnaharra to John O'Groats

Miles cycled - 75
Total ascent - 3700ft
Terrain - hilly section in the middle, long rolling hills late on
Weather - cold, damp and cloudy but NO WIND!!
Best bit - seeing John get to the finish first
Worst bit - the long run between lunch and the last few miles

We set off early at 8.15, still 7 miles ahead of the rest. We knew they'd catch up but an early start would mean an early finish! The route was lovely, meandering along the lochside and following a river to Bettyhill where a 20 mile section of hills brought us up on the tops above the coastline. Nice views, but the cloud was low and it was a bit misty. 

Our first view of a John O'Groats sign

After lunch, I found things hard going. The hills were not steep, just long, but in my head we were nearly done, and yet we still had 40 miles to go. My legs had had enough, and it was a real grind getting to Mey, 7 miles short of John O'Groats. Here, everyone re-grouped after a cuppa (or a beer in some cases!) and we all cycled the last section together. John was given the honour of leading us down the hill to the signpost - a very fitting end to an amazing challenge.

In the last 2 weeks I have cycled from one end of the country to the other. I have pedalled for almost exactly 1000 miles and climbed more than one-and-a-half times the height of Everest. I think I can be proud of myself now. Mid-life crisis - done!!