So here it is, the final installment of the blog. the route and the ride, the map is below.
an early start to the day saw me heading out the house at 8.20am, ready for a long day in the saddle nerves jangling and adrenaline flowing not sure if i hadnt taken on more than i could achieve. 10 hours seemed a long time to be out there on your own.
One last glance across the shoulder then off and up was to turn out to be a long hill
600m of climbing 4 hours later, shrouded in mist shattered and demoralised with legs like lead i reached for the phone to ask for a lift back. No coverage. No choice but to carry on, clouds, temperature and morale falling quickly as i began the descent as bleak looking as the ascent. Having seen nothing but sheep on the road for the preceding hour.
Finally reaching the half way mark nearly 2 hours later, i decided to push on to 80 miles and see how it went. Clearing the 80 mile mark seemed to lift the weight from my shoulders and suddenly the road seemed to fly by as the sun broke through and the end grew ever closer.
The next 30 miles seemed to glide by as my legs finally found their rhythm, the pain of the first 40 forgotten as i made up lost time. Pushing ever harder trying to pull the average speed over the 14mph barrier. Growing sense of elation as i realised that with one last push i would make 17:35 train saving an hours wait on the platform. Gritting teeth over the final tow ascents determined to make the departure, finally pulling up to the station 7 mins early. Elated, exhausted. A microwave cheese burger and larger will probably never taste that good again.
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