LEL 2017 / London - Edinburgh - London Audax

Well, I do find socialising with other humans both stressful and pointless, and own many dynamo lights, maybe this is the only way to resolve my issue? There was much Merrymeet at the bright pink gilet I was wearing today and theories abound that said colour was the cause.

On a bleaker note the heel has swollen up again to the same size as a fortnight ago but seems to be harder.

Can you feel knots/ adhesion's in it? If so cross friction massage may help but won't fix it in a week

I don't think so, just a big fat lump. Am going physio tomorrow hopefully.

Hope the physio can help, I dropped out of LEL with patellar tendon problems, I have learnt that tendon's suck when they get injured, hope you get some relief tomorrow

@cgg not sure about when you intended to take the start, but it's unlikely I'll live up to my previous commitment to riding you out for a bit, I'll be travelling over the weekend.

maybe I'll do the last leg with you instead if you keep us posted of your ETA!

No worries. Starting time is 12:45 pm. Cut-off will therefore be 9:25 am on the 4th of August but hopefully I'll have some time to spare. We shall see. In any case have a look at https://londonedinburghlondon.com/tracking-rider/ (number Z35) if your day is going slowly!

To do: print some date/time <-> remaining time cheat sheet.

SPD sandles are never the answer.

I damaged my achilles tendon, or more specifically the fluid sacks around it doing dunwich and back 2 weeks ago.

Scherritt will know far more about this but the key thing IME is, if something is causing a problem, to stop it, you have to change something in your setup. If not, you'll keep getting the same result.
I got Achilles problems during IPWR and my solution then was to lower my saddle. Relief was immediate.
Your problem is different as you're getting a delayed response.
Regarding whether you can do LEL or not, first question is how important is it to you / what pain are you willing to put up with?
My physio said that if I was doing permanent damage, something would really hurt and I would know to get off.
Based on how you describe it, if it was me I would change something in my set up and ride it. If it hurt badly, I'd abandon.
Good luck!

I can't walk on it this morning, it's still swollen and is clearly not going to play ball. We did change fit for the ride yeserday, but it clearly wasn't healed from last time so has just returned with a vengance.

I've spoken to Danial and he has deferred my place until next time, and I will be volunteering at the start and in Scotland. Look out for a bright orange volvo with an angry looking londoner offering dynamo tune ups!

That's really disappointing but certainly the right decision, no point going into it already in pain and discomfort. Nice one for volunteering instead!

+1

That sucks! I'll try to give my condolences in person on Sunday - 10:45 start.

That's rotten luck, Matt. Hope it heals quickly and you get to the root cause.

Well done for volunteering, that's laudable.

Follow my sobs.

Volunteering seems like an easy way of not sitting at home sulking and viewing the last year's riding as a massive waste of time. I mean I could have just sat around drinking and eating pizza all year and still volunteered come to think of it, but whatever.

Hopefully you have all already seen, but Audax Club Hackney are hosting welcome drinks at The Salt Key in Rotherhithe this Friday. http://www.saltquay-rotherhithe.co.uk/

There will be feeder rides from Trafalgar Square and Loughton but I expect most people on here will be able to find their own way!

We will have people watching bikes, but this is London so locks obvs still recommended.

Hope you can all join us for a beer or two.

Route has been changed. Check emails

We allowed to come without a bike? Will be suited and booted from the office...

Of course!

So I've somehow managed to be volunteering up in Scotland now too. I'll be at Moffat Monday and Tuesday, then Eskdalemuir Tuesday night and Wednesday. I'm driving up, and will be ferrying various volunteers so space will be a premium (even in the volvo) however if anyone is like my mate Joel and forgot to do drop bags I'd happily take them up. Similarly I can take fluids or stuff that you don't want in the drop bag. Let me know.

Weather is looking much less ominous than a couple days ago...

Weather bagel looks glorious.

Epic Ride even suggests we'll get a tailwind both ways.

One can but hope...

(It does look quite cold on Monday night in the Pennines, though)

As long as it's not very hot or very wet then I'm not going to complain*. At least with cold it's possible to layer up (though I feel bad for riders from hot countries). Have done my last two long rides on particularly hot days and they've been awful.

Still not packed, done various last minute bits of bike maintenance, etc... I really need to get on with it.

• about the weather. I'll complain about other things.
  

A forecast of a tailwind both ways is clearly lies.

The BBC is currently saying that it's going to rain at Moffat from Sunday to Tuesday.