480+ Miles Lowestoft to Lands End- DONE! Next…
10 Aug
Saturday 31st
Lowestoft – Barton mills
Was a good opener to the ride.
Some very nice scenery….not many hills…only got lost once
Absolutely soaked for the first three hours.
We took it at a steady pace and got in at about 7pm.did the last 5miles in 30mins
Sunday 1st
Barton mills – Milton Keynes
Extremely long day
Left at 9am
72miles
Some long hills on busy A roads here…
Daves knee is hurting quite a bit but he pushes through the pain barrier and keeps going.
Sat nav did its job and got us there, all be it late and batteries ran out by the end of the day
Daves Pannier rack broke at the side of a very busy road
Got in at 9.30pm and destroyed a dominoes pizza as everywhere was closed.
Very cold bath…protein shake and bed time.
Monday 2nd
Milton Keynes – Oxford
Dave’s knee is really causing him some pain, but he kept on going.
Sat navs took us to the centre of Oxford and not to the Travel lodge so had to book in at a Holiday Inn
as it was 7pm by then and the Travel lodge was 22miles out.
Had to swop bikes for last 20 miles so Daves knee could have a rest
Had Daves pannier on the seat which wasn’t ideal but it worked.
Getting very tired.
Tuesday 3rd
Oxford – Bath
Daves knees are getting too much to even walk on.
So we ride 8 miles to a meeting point with my dad where we were due to swap dirty clothes
for fresh ones.
Dave takes my bike and I ride his. My dad takes Dave to Bath with the bike in the car so he
can rest his knee and hopefully carry on tomorrow, and I ride the next 67 miles solo.
Very hard day, I didn’t enjoy riding on my own.
Some long windy farm roads
Got in at 6pm very sweaty and very very tired.
Wednesday 4th
Bath -Wellington
The pain is too much. He rode for 60miles in a lot of pain but decides enough is
enough…Dave takes a train back to Worthing so he can drive back up to support me.
Left at 9am for a 67 miler.
Started to rain as soon as I left and didn’t stop for the next three hours.
Some truly monumental hills up and down.
The HARDEST days riding I have ever done.
40mph head winds for 22miles.
Rain, thunder, hailstones.
Today was my breaking point.
It took all the mental and physical strength I had to carry on.
And yes there were tears.
Got to Wellington exhausted at about 6.30pm
Dave managed a very quick turn around and got back for 8pm.
Tomorrow is another day.
Thursday 5th
Wellington – Launceston
Was 72 miles.
Planned to meet Dave on Oakhampton for lunch.
I can’t describe to steepness of some of these farm track hills.
It was Mental.
I pushed it up 90% of them as there was no way I could ride them.
Coming down was just as bad as they were steep but all the corners were blind corners.
So I had to peep and creep round all of them so as not to be ploughed into the road by a
tractor.
Car knocked me off my bike. He didn’t stop to see if I was ok either.
By lunch time I was mentally and physically exhausted.
I felt like I had nothing left.
Had more tears whilst riding.
With the help of Dave and some energy drink I got back in the saddle and soldiered on.
Managed to rip up the last 17miles at a quite frankly stupid pace and got in a 6pm.
Knowing that tomorrow will be even harder.
Friday 6th
Launceston – Newquay
The end was in site 45 miles to go.
A lot of very very steep and long hills.
Some of which went up for 4 miles.
I know this because the sat nav told me.
Oh yea and it was raining again.
Got some encouraging “TOOTS” from cars driving pass.
Met up with the girlies who gave me and Dave lots of support.
Lots of awesome scenery on route.
Last day tomorrow.
Saturday 7th
Newquay- Lands End
44 miles today.
And yes you guessed it more HUUUGE hills.
I was destroyed…knees were hurting , spine was hurting, bum was hurting, hips were
hurting and ankles were hurting,
Got some energy drink protein bars tools and spares…the rest I left behind.
Had a three mile diversion through some small hilly towns. Which was brilliant….NOT
Some very satisfying down hills stretches though which were a lot of fun…Satnav clocked
me at 42miles an hour at one point….haha.
I set a very good pace from the get go and met Dave for lunch 25 miles in.
I did the first 25miles in 2hours.
18miles to the finish.
I told everyone that I would meet them in lands end at 4pm.
I had a target time/goal and it gave me something to aim for.
I was a broken man.
All I could think off as I rode up some stupidly big hills were all the messages of support on
face book and what Sherri Dave Hannah and Dani said to me.
It kept me going, it gave me power focus and drive.
I rode through the Lands End gates at 4.01pm exactly.
I almost passed out when I got off my bike, my legs went to jelly, my eyes glazed over.
I dry humped the flag
The ride was over.
DONE!!!!
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