You’ve worked hard, endured exhaustion, battled lactic acid burn and probably have a boil or two in uncomfortable places.  What’s kept you going for the last two days is getting back to your loved ones, friends and colleagues.  More specifically basking a little in the awe and admiration everyone is bound to hold you in.  If you’ve made your effort for charity (even if only as an excuse) all the better and the more you deserve it.  You’ve earned your bragging rights.  Now it’s time to cash in.

Sadly it doesn’t work that way.  Once you’ve completed your end to end it seems everyone has done it, or at least know someone’s granny who did it faster than you on a 1920’s fixed wheel, 25 kg bike with 30 kgs of equipment and a baby in the handle bar basket whilst wearing a floor length heavy black velvet dress.

Almost inevitably, just after you finish, your local paper will run a story about an amputee (who tragically lost their leg whilst rescuing a tiny baby in a combine harvester/picnic based disaster) who has just completed an unsupported hop around the world, barefoot, to raise money for orphaned kittens.  If your bragging has become intolerable do not be surprised to find that a colleague has accidentally left this open on your desk.  Don’t let this deter you.