Today was a big day, meeting the halfway point of the challenge is a huge milestone. We planned to celebrate by accepting an extremely kind offer from Craig (who lives in Preston and has been looking forward to this day all tour) to take us off mission, add a few miles to our total and lead us away from the busy and unrewarding roads up to Carlisle.
It was an amazing gesture and Craig kept point almost all day (no mean feat in this headwind) guiding us through some beautiful country that was empty, save of a few cars. Craig is great company, with a cracking sense of humour and an extremely accommodating nature, today was a fine example of his willingness to help the group. It was the perfect celebration of the fact that we had now travelled halfway across Britain, under our own steam.
As well as providing great scenery, the peaceful, open countryside allowed us to ride rapidly in a sweeping peleton, two by two and 5 deep.
We kept an amazing pace, and at some points caught a rare tail wind that swept us along still faster. The group were communicating like pro's and were carving around bends en-masse and with grace...it was exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable. So much so that, despite a puncture and one stop,
...we found ourselves riding over 40 miles before stopping for tea at a beautiful cake shop on Morcombe Sands.
Eventually we joined the planned route and merged with the busier A6, heading into Cumbria, the lake District and the town of Kendal. This provided an opportunity to nip into a shop and pick up some customary Mint cake..and then to pose like fools.
The next part of the day promised some more amazing scenery. Our route took us up to the top of Shap Fell, a long and winding 1200 foot climb onto the top of the world. A year...no wait...a month ago I would have struggled to take on a hill like this, but with the exhilaration of riding amongst a fantastic team, the great weather and the new ability that the past few days had honed into me, we wound our way up, all the while being buzzed by fast moving motorcycles, who had the same idea. Craig and Angus pulled ahead for a short while, whilst Philip stuck it out with me (as I enjoyed a break from the fast pace earlier in the day) and insisted that we wound in the hill together, I never did thank you properly for that Phill...
There, that should do it...
The top of Shap was beautiful but somehow undefined. Where I was expecting a huge sign shouting out my achievement for all the world to see, sat a layby and a small bin. It didn't matter, the entire area...in fact everything as far as my eyes could see, was so beautiful that I shall forgive Shap Fell for not supporting my efforts.
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| The sweeping downhill from the Shap |
Today not only marked the halfway mark for us all but was also a physical milestone for me. I seem to be coping well and am more than capable of holding my own in the lead group, the training really has paid off and today, over 100 miles we averaged over 15MPH, Despite the huge hills and relentless head wind.
This is a point that I hoped I would get to, to be halfway there and not struggling, to be enjoying the riding and not just getting through it, to be making this an experience not a tedious trial.
I can honestly say that despite the doldrums of yesterday and the prospect of some inevitably horrendous weather (this gorgeous sun cannot last), I look forward to each days ride.
Tomorrow, we enter Scotland, I doubt I'll sleep well tonight.
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| Feeling on top of the world |
PS, keeping this blog up to date is fun but I'm aware that its also tricky, not only to find a reliable internet connection but also to starve others of the laptop needed to do so, so please excuse any grammatical errors or typoes. I promise I'll tidy the whole thing up when I'm finished and at home with a beer one night.
Awesome day - so glad Craig took us on the diversion to Arnside along beautiful country lanes - otherwise we had 86 miles on the A6 to look forward to! I will never forget the speed of the afternoon ride as we worked to catch the group who did the pre-planned route, flying towards Carlisle at 30mph.
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