A tough day starting from home today! No motivational shouts
this morning just ‘get on your bike and ride’. Fatigue is definitely with us,
more to do with the two previous days of rain which have really sapped the
energy and positivity levels. I was shocked by how many local inclines that
wouldn’t normally draw an effort were making me sit in and push hard.
We were joined by a good friend of mine, Andy Morley (a
rival Winsford Wheeler), today and appreciated the fresh legs and optimistic
outlook on the day ahead. Sadly I was soon dropped off the back but not before
asking the boys to give Andy a testing day. Quite happy to adopt a tourists
pace, I pootled along merrily forgetting the shackles of cadence, speed and
heart rate and instead setting a pace that felt right. I guess this is a close
to a bra burning experience as I will get, and enjoyed every minute of it. That
is until I reached Northwich and received a call asking where I was which
highlighted I gone 10 miles off course!!
The realisation (including a loud
scream worrying local passersby) of a long, sad and tiring day hit home hard
and if it were not for the fantastic support we’ve all received in messages of
support and generous donations I might have plotted a course for home. Instead
I pushed on at a deflated snail’s pace only catching up with Belters LeJog team
at 80 miles. As a result there are no photos yet of the day, but I will try to
see what the others got along the way and add these later.
I have to drop a well earned plug because a last minute
sports massage at ProPhysio in Chester (www.prophysiouk.co.uk) really helped
the tired legs. At my low point I was really appreciative of the team there
fitting me in late on Monday evening and it made a huge physical and mental difference.
I was also delighted to pick up more sponsorship at the same time!
It was a funny and mixed route today. A early ride through
Delamere forest, followed by industrious Warrington, Manchester, Bolton &
Blackburn and all that’s in between. If I could have peddled fasted I would!
but it did make for some interesting people watching. This was then topped off
with a breath taking route over the West Pennine moors and the jaw dropping Ribble
Valley before finishing at Kirby Lonsdale and some steady isotonic ales to
assist with pain relief. Sadly with such visual candy comes vertical challenge
as the elevation chart shows.
The positive is excluding the final days short 50 mile time
trial, we are now half way. So it’s counting down each morning from here on in
which has to help the fatigue situation.
(A small apology
to the grammatical OCD’s out there. I’ve just looked over a few of the older
posts and realised it’s no modern classic, but being very knackered when
righting this means it’s all you are getting. I hope you can over look these imperfections
and enjoy in our pain)
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