BURKEYS END 2 END : Day 9: Home for the Night

Yealand Conyers to Prestwich 60.92 miles

Time spent cycling: 4 hours 52 minutes

Average speed: 10.9mph

After a lovely cooked breakfast we thanked Auntie Alicia for her hospitality and set out for home. Today was the day we'd make it home to Prestwich, wash our kit, recharge our aching bodies and renew our spirits for objectives 3 and 4. We were really looking forward to seeing loved ones and we had pre-booked Croma Restaurant in Prestwich for the whole family that evening.

We had cycled 494 miles up to Alicia's and so we stopped after 6 miles to commemorate the halfway point of the End2End. We had made it so far and it was good to know that with each turn of the pedals from now on we would be nearer to Lands End than to John O'Groats.

We had opted today to cycle down the A6 through Lancaster then Preston and cut across to Prestwich once we reached Bolton rather than take the more scenic, but extremely tough to cycle, Forest of Bowland. It was a good decision as rapid progress was made and although my chain came off in Lancaster it didn't prevent us reaching Preston by lunch time. It was another milestone as Preston was the place where we caught the first train up to Inverness from so we had returned to where the adventure began. We took a break at McDonald's before heading for home.

It was all going so well until we got to Rivington when we encountered road closures. Undeterred, we carried on avoiding lengthy diversions which would have added several unwanted miles to our day. It was great cycling along closed roads devoid of any traffic. We wondered what the roads might have been closed for but just then a road cyclist came whizzing past with a number on his shirt. Then another road cyclist. And another. Then there were barriers at the side of the road and clapping and cheering fans. We were unwittingly taking part in the UK Iron Man Championship! We had no alternative other than to carry on, riding to the right-hand side of the road as the competitors sped along the left. It was surreal, especially when we overtook a struggling competitor going up a hill. We almost saw him do a double-take as we passed him! The theme continued further up the road when we entered the running zone of the event. Nobody challenged us so we just carried on. We joked that in addition to cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End, we had also competed in the Iron Man UK Championship!

Once we had navigated through Bolton it was plain-sailing all the way home along well-ridden roads. It was sad to report that the roads through Little Lever were the worst roads we had ridden on our trip so far. Are you listening Bury Council?

The second of our objectives had been completed: We were home and it was only 2.40pm. A great, if somewhat strange, day on the road. We could now enjoy the night.