Nate parsons strength and conditioning

We Hard at work creating a new vision and very excited for this.

This has been a long time coming......👀🏋🏾‍♀️🚧

FINAL DAY 🚴‍♂️

Day 5: Kilmore → John O'Groats

One last push.

The day started with another battle before we'd even turned a pedal... forcing down a huge breakfast. Eating enough when you're this exhausted is a challenge in itself, but with around 50g of carbs every 30 minutes, it had to be done.

Straight out of the door we were hit with one of the toughest climbs of the entire trip. Around 2 miles long, with brutal sections reaching 16%. Exactly what you don't want when you're already carrying four days of fatigue.

Once over the top, though, the reward came. Fast descents, breathtaking Scottish scenery, and a welcome tailwind made for some unforgettable miles.

We even got stopped by the police while three enormous wind turbine blades – each around 50 metres long – were escorted down the road. Apart from that brief delay, we kept rolling all day with very few interruptions.

There were still plenty of climbs left to conquer, but knowing the finish was getting closer gave us that extra bit of fight. The roads were brilliant, the views kept getting better, and every mile brought us closer to John O'Groats.

Then, with just 5 miles to go, the rain arrived. One final long climb... before a glorious 2-mile descent to the finish line.

We did it.

A massive thank you to everyone who helped make this challenge possible.

Especially Andrew Channing family who without the support wouldn't of worked out. 🙏🏽

To everyone who donated, supported, shared our journey, and sent messages along the way – thank you. Those messages genuinely helped me through some very dark moments when my mind was telling me to stop.

This is a challenge I'll never forget. It showed me exactly what ultra-endurance cycling is all about: resilience, determination, and finding a way to keep moving when every part of you wants to quit.

Now it's time for a well-earned break and to let the body recover...

..before the next challenge. 👀

887 miles 🚴
49,000 ft climbed ⛰️
57 hours in the saddle ⏱️

LEJOG in 5 days. ✅

Lesmahagow ➡️ Kilmore 🚴💨

Running on very little sleep, we started the day already feeling the miles in our legs... and were immediately hit by a brutal headwind as we skirted around Glasgow. 🌬️
Once we escaped the city, we found an incredible 10-mile tarmac cycle path all the way to Loch Lomond. After that, it was a slow grind over rough paths and back roads, doing everything we could to avoid the busy traffic.

A big lunch stop gave us the fuel we needed before tackling the climbs towards Glencoe. What followed was, without doubt, the toughest headwind of the entire week. Every pedal stroke had to be earned. 💪
The reward? An unforgettable descent into Glencoe, stunning views around the loch towards Fort William, and some of the most spectacular scenery we've seen on the whole journey. 🏔️

The final miles flew by on fast-rolling roads, with a few last climbs before reaching Loch Ness. We rolled into Kilmore at 10pm—just in time to grab dinner before the kitchen closed! 🍽️

A huge day, one of the hardest yet, but the finish line is finally starting to feel within reach. Onwards! 🚴🔥

🚴‍♂️ Day 4 of LEJOG begins...

After 3 gruelling days, nearly 12 hours a day in the saddle, the challenge has been nothing short of relentless. The miles are adding up, the body is feeling every pedal stroke, but giving up has never been an option.
Today starts just outside Glasgow, with the finish line finally beginning to feel within reach.

Every mile ridden is for Our Jay Foundation, raising money to help provide a lifesaving defibrillator for our gym and the local community.

If you've been thinking about donating, now would be the perfect time. Every single contribution, no matter how big or small, makes a difference and will give a huge boost to morale for these final miles to John O'Groats.

Thank you to everyone who has supported, donated and shared so far. Let's help get this challenge over the finish line together. 💙
Donation link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/nateparsonslejog?utm_source=WA&utm_medium=DT&fbclid=IwdGRjcATL98JjbGNrBMv3wGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHkb9f5ZIfBF8sXDbLDXE5Q7gH0UXEfTfQpDvfSZNH85WUNz9arjn0jPQWvHx_aem_sqQ2Ku0f7K6rkTT2czdilQ

Please donate if you can and share this post to help us reach more people. 🙏🚴

A day of two halves 🚴‍♂️💨

📍 Bristol ➡️ Warrington

Our biggest mileage day started on the edge of the Mendip Hills, with plenty of climbing straight out of the blocks before a slow roll around Bristol.

Once over the Severn Bridge, the climbs kept coming through Wales and Monmouth. The legs were feeling the fatigue after a poor night's sleep, so a longer lunch stop near Ludlow was exactly what we needed before the long drag towards Telford.

Then everything changed. The roads flattened, the pace picked up, and despite a strong north-easterly wind, we both found another gear. With most of the climbing behind us, we pushed hard all the way to Warrington.

We rolled into the city at 10:40pm, tired but feeling surprisingly fresh... maybe knowing the biggest mileage day was finally behind us gave us that extra boost. 💪

A huge thank you for all the messages of support—they genuinely keep us going, whether we're grinding up a climb or battling our own thoughts. 😂🙏🏽

Next stop... the Lake District and into Scotland! 🏔️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🚴

Follow our Journey live through my story...

Writing
LEJOG Day 1 ✅🚴

6:30am start in absolutely stunning conditions, and what a way to kick off the challenge! 🙌

The Cornwall roads were fast, flowing and we made great time early on.

Then Devon reminded us what this ride is really about… relentless rolling hills that just kept coming.

A quick lunch stop in Tavistock around 1:30pm before tackling the biggest challenge of the day – the long climb onto Dartmoor. It was climb after climb with very little let-up. By this point the legs were definitely feeling it, so it was all about staying disciplined with nutrition, hydration and taking a few extra stops to keep the engine going.

Once through Exeter and out the other side, most of the day's climbing was behind us. From there it was time to dig deep, keep turning the pedals and push all the way to the finish, rolling in just before 10pm. 💪

Recovery started immediately with a huge meal followed by a protein shake. 🍽️🥤

The bike position is feeling good overall. A bit of back ache and tight shoulders after spending over 12 hours in the saddle is to be expected, but nothing that can't be managed.
The biggest climbing day is now behind us… but next up is the longest mileage day. 😅

After a good night's sleep, it's back in the saddle. Not entirely sure what I was thinking signing up for this because this is no joke… but we always say it's 80% mental, right? Let's keep going! 🚴🔥

Back on Garmin live track for anyone wishing to follow our journey, link on my story......

🚴‍♂️ Fueling the Ride: Why Nutrition Will Make or Break My LEJOG Challenge

In a few days I'll be setting off on LEJOG—cycling from Land's End to John o' Groats in just 5 days. That's around 1,550 km, with long days in the saddle riding at around 200 watts.

People often ask about the bike, the training or the route. But one of the biggest challenges isn't any of those—it's nutrition.

I'll be burning somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 calories every day. It's almost impossible to replace everything I use, so the goal is to stay ahead of the energy deficit and keep my body supplied with the fuel it needs to perform and recover.
Here's the plan:

🍌 80–100 g of carbohydrate every hour on the bike to keep glycogen stores topped up and avoid the dreaded bonk.

💧 500–750 ml of fluid every hour, with plenty of electrolytes to replace sodium lost through sweat.

💪 170–200 g of protein each day to support recovery and help me wake up ready to do it all again the next morning.

🍝 Big carbohydrate-focused meals before and after every ride to replenish energy stores for the next day's stage.

The biggest lesson endurance sport has taught me is this: you don't just eat because you're hungry—you eat because your body needs fuel to keep moving. Waiting until you're hungry or thirsty is often too late.
For a challenge like LEJOG, nutrition isn't just about performance. It's about maintaining concentration, making good decisions, recovering overnight, reducing injury risk, and giving yourself the best chance of reaching John o' Groats strong.

The training is done. The route is planned. Now it's all about executing the plan—one pedal stroke, one bottle, and one snack at a time.

In just over 3 weeks I'll be rolling out for Lands end to John O'groats in 5 days, 1442kms, one end of the country to the other.

Training has been consistent for the last two years, building on the fitness and experience gained over the years. The numbers on the bike are the highest they've ever been, the position feels dialled thanks to Studio & Service Centre and physically I know I'm ready for it.

I'd love to say I'm looking forward to it, but if I'm honest, there's definitely a bit of apprehension. This is by far the biggest undertaking I've taken on so far. Five consecutive days of big miles, managing fatigue, staying on top of nutrition, and seeing what both body and mind can handle.

That said, I feel prepared.

LEJOG. 5 days. 3 weeks and counting

🚴‍♂️

Come and join us for the next installment of HiiT THE BEAT

Me on the decks mixing some high tempo music along with a high energy circuit class...🔊🏋🏼

Hannah Parsons Personal Trainer

Celebrating this week's birthday in Style at the weekend.

Can't recommend this enough especially if you were as much of a fan as I was back in the 90's . 😅