Brother, can you spare an achilles?

Oh dear.

Well, very sadly my journey to Scotland came to an end yesterday in Lancaster due to an inflamed Achilles tendon and a sprained knee.

There was no great accident or shock that triggered it, from making good progress on Sunday morning I felt a slight ache in the achilles area after lunch. We completed the ride into the Premier Inn with the usual aches and pains associated with riding 100 miles a day and set off for the steak supper and a bit of golf watching before hitting the sack.

Hopes that the ache would be gone in the following morning were dashed within a couple revolutions of the pedals as the aching came back. After pushing through for about 30 miles we reached Lancaster and stopped and called a couple of people for advice. The general consensus of describing the symptoms was to rest and that this wasn't an injury that would go away in the short term, nor were there any quick fixes.

Pushing on would have made very slow going and might have ended with a much more serious injury, so the very sad decision was made to get on the train home from Lancaster and after about 500 miles of cycling.

Back home now, I've been the doctor and had our thoughts confirmed namely - rest, no cycling/strenuous excerise for 2-4 weeks, depending on progress, and referal to a physio.

I was really devastated to have to stop when the trip was progressing so well and feel terribly guilty about leaving Dave to go it alone through the wilds of Scotland whilst I sit at home with the leg strapped up thinking about when I'll be able to get back on a bike.

I will cross that line on the road in John O'Groats, though it will be with Catherine later in the summer, not with Dave on Friday, and planning for the second half will begin soon, more to follow...