I MADE IT!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!!  1,118 miles

Day 16 St Austell to Lands End

69 miles today, total miles 1,128, moving average 9.0 mph, overall average 6.6 mph, total time 10.5 hrs, total climbed 5,493 ft

Left at 7:30. B&B was good and really helpful, just the location that was odd.

Decided to head straight down the A390 to Turo instead of my planned back road (read hilly) route. I figured the traffic that early on a Sunday would be light and it was. Cut about 5 miles off the planned route and helped save my very tired legs.

Made reasonable headway and left the main roads about 10am. Got hillier (what a surprise) but I made steady, but painful progress across Cornwall. In fact the sign 5 miles to Penzance came as a nice surprise and I got so excited that I missed the turn. Doubled back and was soon rolling along the coast road. Stopped for a very enjoyable clotted cream sitting in the sunshine over looking St Michaels Mount. The lady serving me the ice cream asked me where I had cycled from. "John O Groats" I said and she looked at me with wide eyes and took me a while to convince her I was being serious!

Dropped the panniers off at the B&B in Penzance and set off to do the last 10 miles to Lands Ends, which seemed to take forever. Was a great relief to finally arrive at Lands End and I had  the obligatory photo taken with the signpost. Chatted to a few people there and a couple of them congratulated me and shook my hand, which made me feel quite emotional.

Right now it hasn't sunk in and I mainly feel exhausted and relieved. I have a 5 hour train journey back home tomorrow so after a good nights sleep will try to gather my thoughts. Really looking forward to going home and seeing the family. Seems like I've been away forever.

Gavin