Day 6 – Cumbria and Scotland – 95 miles

I awoke early at 5 am today and felt good for a change. No fatigue and the legs didn’t feel like they would buckle underneath me as I made my first steps off the day. Jelly’s snoring was keeping Kit awake, and in turn Kit’s mumbles and attempts to stop him with his pillow were stopping me from getting back to sleep so I regrettably had time to plot my own downfall for the day. 

Having had issues with my Garmin (sat nav for bikes) as well as becoming too attached to uploading the daily routes and performance onto Strava (geeky bike web site), I searched the internet for a solution. In a state of thoughtless desperation brought on by tiredness I opted to reset my device. All ok..... then I realise I’ve deleted the daily route maps which is how we are navigating up the country and I still can’t connect to my computer to upload them again!

Yes, yes, I’m aware we haven’t always had technology and that people have gotten by for years using the old method of maps and notes, but I’ve already put an extra 22 miles on this trip by failing to follow the Garmin’s advice. I’m also on a good day still 10 minutes in the hour behind the other Belters, therefore stopping at every junction to look a map didn’t seem a proactive or favourable option. I simply need every bit of help I can get on this ride. By the silence at breakfast this was also the mutual feeling of the group.  Jelly kindly offered me his Garmin, but knowing how annoyed I’d been in losing my daily records of this ‘one off trip’ I couldn’t deprive him.

The only solution was that we would ride together until the A6, at which point it was a straight road up to Scotland. A sensible plan except for the fact that while I’m now just surviving till the end, the others Belters are getting stronger and stronger! Jekno is like a pig in his favourite place and owning with pride the front of the road. Despite his moans that no one else takes a turn up front, the fact is when they do he sets off at a destroying pace until all are happy to fall in behind him. Jelly seems to be climbing stronger and stronger and make it all look too easy. Then Kit, who only took up (mid life crisis) cycling this year and should be my company at the back, is enviably holding his own and keeping up with the battle for the front between Jenko and Jelly. 

Shap - a cycling education

The A6 was only 15 miles away but already seems so far then I saw that within that distance Shap.

I have two bits of knowledge about Shap. A) It looks miserable and bleak when I’ve passed through it on the M6 B) I’d once been asked 'if I’d had a paper round on Shap when I was younger'? It wasn’t a complement! They thought I was older than I was claiming. 

I didn’t really appreciate the saying until today. Despite the weather being glorious it was a physical and emotional period in my cycling career and gave me chance to face a few demons, both real and imaginary. The positive, on reflection, was that it reminded me what a great free councillor and healer sport can in itself be, especially so when it’s making you suffer. 

Reaching our first stop in Shap village marked the end of the days tough climbs and showed me what I’d

missed in being so far behind the others. Fruit, soreeen, coke, haribo. The energy treats were endless. I had no idea where the kitty was going, but suddenly understood! More importantly to me, it was down hill to the border from here and we were going via Carlisle where I studied for a year so was mentally occupied to revisit an old haunt. Needless to say my only interest at that time was where to party next so Carlisle was virtually unrecognisable except for the castle which I use to live opposite.

The big highlight of the day was crossing the border into Scotland. Lands’ End to Scotland! 

The length ofEngland and Wales in 6 days, fairs doo’s that’s some going! I was delighted the boys waited England side so we could cross the border as a team. The Scottish saying goes that fortune favours the brave, and to our joy the sun came out and gave us a glorious ride from Gretna to Dumfries looking back across the Solway at England and the miles we’d so far peddled.

During this leg the competition up front was back on again, together with the more important race for a well earned pint at the end of another tough day. The occasion got to me I decided to have a go and keep up!

It is commonly recognised that drafting on a bike (sitting behind another rider) can save up to 30% of energy due to reduced wind resistance. A good incentive to stay behind faster riders, however, in my case there is the issue that my fellow Lejog(ers) seem to easily be able to climb the slightest of gradients at least 35% faster than I can. Herein lies the reason for my chosen solo effort. At each minor rise or up and coming bridge over something and my stomach is in knots and my legs are burning trying to keep the pace up. An imaginary piece of elastic stretches several times as the riders in front pull away and you realise more effort is needed, but what you are giving is already sending a burning sensation through your legs that will soon be unbearable. All I’m focusing on is the wheel in front and my breathing which is now becoming uncontrollable. I’m about to give up then the gears in front change down

demonstrating an ounce on vulnerability and, as I copy the gear change, the burning recedes a little and I concentrate on controlling my breathing. All that’s between keeping up or not is if the road in front goes up or down. We stop at a set of traffic lights and I look into a shop widow. I’m white, sweaty and breathing heavily. The others are just chatting casually! It’s clear I’ll soon be on my own again. The elastic is soon at stretching point. Mates or not, you know they sensed it at the lights and are putting in an extra dig. It stretches beyond comeback and ping.... your off the back with an imaginary slap to your pride. I sit up...... realise that I’ve cycled to Scotland and begin to enjoy the view, which I’ve been missing for the last 20 minutes while staring at the wheels in front. Life at the back seems more enjoyable and less stressful all of a sudden. It also has the added benefit that the drinks are already ordered when you arrive!