Can't get the photos to load sorry! I'll try later....
Stats: 93.4 miles, 10 hours 27 mins in the saddle, 9588 feet of climbing (!) 6002 calories, ave speed of 9mph, top speed 51.4 mph
Another brutal day over and the finish line is almost in sight! There were times today however where it seemed a long, long way away both physically and mentally and if it wasn't for Kieran and Dec's encouragement and making sure I could see the funny side of things my knee might have forced me to give up if I was on my own.
As it was the day started rather well with the owners of the pub we were staying in ( The Cromwell Arms in Bovey Tracey, I would thoroughly recommend it!) had left £15 taped to a compliments sheet on our breakfast table. They had also offered us a free drink the night before when they heard what we were doing. I don't think a pot of tea and a pint of water with some lime cordial was what they imagined we would be having!
No porridge on the menu so it was down with scrambled eggs on toast and the usual cereals and fruit. Finding the bikes had not been knicked from the lean to they had been stored in overnight we loaded up then unloaded as Dec's chain needed oiling. Finally we were underway about 8.30 for the 3 rd day in a row.
Within a mile we had started the massive climb of Haytor Vale onto Dartmoor. Having cycled over Dartmoor before I kind of knew what to expect although I hadn't done it with 900 miles in my legs carrying panniers! As Kieran and Dec disappeared into the distance I just concentrated on keeping a nice even pace up the 6 mile climb. The views on the way up and Oh Jean helped me slog my way to the top. Up ahead I could see the slowest ever race to the summit as Dec ever so slowly reeled in Kieran at the the front. At the top I had 2 versions of the same story with Kieran saying he thought it was me behind and he slowed up waiting to pace me to the top, Dec's version being that he could see Kieran slowing up and went for it.....
After 45 minutes of relentless climbing I finally reached Kieran and Dec waiting at the stones at the top with only the famous Dartmoor ponies for company. It was time to have a drink (it was already baking hot) and admire the scenery. Not since the Trough of Bowland had we seen such amazing countryside, so it was a few snaps and onto the decsent into Widdecombe on the Moor. In a pattern that would last all day we would spend lots of time climbing only to have to take our brains out for the stupidly fast and steep decsent straight onto the next climb.
After racing down the next decsent to Ponsford bridge their was just a wall of road in front of us. With my knee already hurting, I made the sensible decision to in lip and push the bike up the 30% gradient that met us on the start of the hill. Fair play to Kieran who just pushed his big Jan Zurich legs round at about 2mph and managed to grind his way up the climb. Even though we were both pushing, he wasn't to far ahead of us when it levelled out to 15% or so and we got back on to spin to the top. No sooner had we got back on then it was the 25% downhill into Dartmeet and the slog up to the radio mast signalling the highest point on Dartmoor. Stopping at the bottom we had done 19 miles in just over 2 1/2 hours. It was not looking good for how long we would be in the saddle for today! We decided to have some tea after the very, very fast decsent into Tavistock (51 mph!) and take stock.
A coffe and a panini seemed to make things better and when Kieran commented that he hoped the doctor had one of them caravan sized water holder for Dec's urine sample for his medical on Wednesday coffe was spat out and an uncontrollable laughing fit started for all 3 of us. The good humour didn't last long however and we began the first of a succession of 2 miles climbs of excess of 15% followed by very steep very hairy downhills. We were now on the A390 and we would stay on it
for most of the day and it was also a busy road not helping when your climbing at between 3 and 5 mph with the traffic getting stuck behind you.
Surprisingly I felt pretty positive about the day for most of it until the brutal climb out of Gunnislake. It went on forever and was getting steeper and steeper. The pain in my knee meant I could only turn the granny gear over, any higher going up hill and it would be unbearable. It took seemingly hours to finally get up up it but then it was straight down to Callington and no rest bite what so ever.
Pulling into Liskeard it was 2.30 and we had come 40 miles in 6 hours, done 5500 feet of climbing and we were cooked. Not wanting to go into the town as it meant another down and up we stopped at a bakers and had some coke and cake. I phoned Tracy in the office to ask if she could let Redruth know that we wouldn't be getting there while they were open and with me and Kieran sitting on the step outside in the shade, Dec sat down on the bench and promptly fell asleep! Trying to get a photo he woke up just as we were about to take it but he said it we stayed any longer that would be him for the day. Pausing only to take a photo of me next to a poster advertising a Proclaimers gig, it was back
on the rollercoaster of the A390 and ontowards the 20 miles to St Austall where we would stop again for something to eat. With me lagging at the back the relentless grind continued only with the added rush hour traffic added to spice things up. With Dec and Kieran holding their pace to keep an I on my and Dec keeping reminding me that we were in fact on holiday we rolled into St Austell at 5.30.
Stopping at a garage that didn't have any toilets we ploughed round the ring road until a Costa appeared as if in a mirage and we turned off and slumped down.
At this pace it was not going to be until around 11 o'clock until we dragged our sorry backside into St Ives and as the only reason we were going there was because we all liked it there seemed no point crucifying ourselves to get there when everything would be shut. Looking at the map Camborne looked about the right place as it would shave 11 miles of today and add on only 5 in the morning. Decision made and we managed to find a couple of rooms in the Tyatts hotel in the centre. With the mood bouyed by the fact we had 31 miles to go instead of 42 we set of in lessening traffic and headed for Truro.
I can't really remember much about this bit apart from how much my knee hurt and for the first real time on the trip thinking this isn't much fun. To keep me entertained a couple of cyclists cam past us and said some patronising comment as they went past. That was enough for Dec and engaging the turbo off he went after them. Me and Kieran tried to follow but we'd left it to late and my knee meant there was no chance. In the distance though we could see that Dec was up and passed them. Catching him up in a layby a couple of miles later he said their expressions were priceless as he cam round the outside one of them saying the only reason why he caught them was that he'd had a 12 hour day, to which Dec's response was " so have I on this chuffin bike!" Brilliant!
Arriving at Redruth at 8.45 we took a picture of me outside the empty and barren store and headed
the 5 miles into Camborne. On the way in With Kieran out in front Dec had a quiet word with me thanking me for letting him come on the trip so trying not cry I told him I couldn't have done it without him or indeed any of the people who had joined us and sat in the wind. He did say however if I ever asked him to come on holiday again he would put the phone down on me.....
So it's nearly done. There's a bit of time pressure in the morning but I'm sure we'll get there. Day 11 blog will follow hopefully on the train tomorrow......
No pictures!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems a bit suss, are you sure you did it at all????