Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:39:23
Subject: 7.5k done so far! 450 left.. If i don't get lost!
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:01:34
Subject: 8.45... Tent up, food eaten, waiting on d water to boil!
Well I won't lie... That was a tough one today! Legs are shattered.. I have a funny feeling they will be sore tomorrow... Only another 4 days to go... 90k I think done... Pretty happy with it, through d hills of Snowdonia, and I'm after ending up a campsite in a tiny village called Carrog! There was 2 climbs today that lasted an hour each before any bit of downhill. Speeds dropped to 10kmh, I would have been faster running! There was a few patient drivers out there and plenty of beeps for encouragement! They actually helped...
I got the route planned for tomorrow, a little bit longer I think.. I'll hopefully end up in Ludlow... Hopefully a little flatter!
Kevin
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:22:04
Subject: 110 km actually!! Maybe that's why I’m dead!!
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:05:21
Subject: Sore knee day.. Oh oh...
The day started reasonably well, beautiful sunshine, some bacon
butties from the group next to me in the campsite helped me on my
way.. The first hour was a bit of a struggle... I stopped 3 times..
The wheel of the trailer was rubbing against the material acting as a
break... I was very conscious of it today. There is a hole in the side
of the trailer from the constant rubbing.. Even today my lock was up
against the left aide... The rubber outer shell is worn away in
patches... I still have to much stuff for my trailer, I'm going to
have to sort something out. It's like pedalling with the breaks
pulled... Not good!
Everything needs to be right if I’m going to get through this.. 12 o’ clock came round, 3 hrs 15 done.., lunch time!
Lunchtime was spent eating, icing stretching and resting!
I hadn't taken my iPod out yet.. I've been trying to go as far as I
could with using it.. I though for the afternoon it might act as a
distraction.. away from the pain.. My left knee is becoming swollen on
the inside.. The afternoon didn't quite go as planned.. I was meant to
finish in Ludlow, 15 miles closer than where I am. Right now I’m 170
miles away from London... If I do 60 miles tomorrow that leaves 130
miles left for Tuesday and Wednesday..
we'll see how I feel in the morning....
Kevin
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:20:44
Subject: Ants in my pants.. Day 4
Ants in my pants.. Day 4
What I thought was going to be te easiest of days turned pretty tough!
1 excruciating hill, called fish hill leaving evesham.. 10% gradient..
30 min slog up it... Wanted to put my foot sown sooooo many times but
if I did it would be much harder to get going again! Then there was
the path beside me.. I could get off and push the bike up.. But I
didn't, the prodigy helped me up to the top... A cyclist past me by
and said to me, "you didn't drag that up fish hill, did you???" it was
tough..
When I get by that one then there was another hill.. Pretty tough, but
not as tough as the third! Up to a village of chipping norton.. When I
made it there I thought ok.. It's not going to be anymore up hill
until it was uphill all the through the village!! But then after that
I took a little break, sat down on the grass outside a field... Got
back up on my bike and felt a little bite or sting... There they
were... Loads of ants on my body! Hopped the fence
Into the field behind the bushes and took off enough clothes to get of
a the ants!! Not a pleasant experience! Second time that has happened
to me.. The last time was in the Congo when we went to see the
gorillas.. There was no gorillas here though ... Only cows!
After that I got a bit of lunch, chilled
Out on an ant free piece of grass and relaxed.. Let the legs recover..
Got back on the bike and felt pretty good for the remaining 18 miles
to oxford. Decent road, only small uphills!! Checked into a hostel for
the night, relaxing here till the morning when I begin the final leg!
Wahoo!
Kevin
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:50:38 +0100
Subject: Final Day!
First of all, best of luck to Sam Barry tomorrow in qualies... I'm glad I
made it here for that!
I have to say that today was the easiest day of them all! 100k in about 5
hrs... and through all the hassle of london city and traffic lights.... I
was cycling into Roehampton at 3pm.
For a good bit of it, I met an english cyclist who passe me out... I HATE
HATE HATE being passed out on the bike.. even when pulling a trailer! So
I
ended up catching up with him again and the two of us kept together for
about 9-10 miles, passed windsor, heathrow and then on to hammersmith..
we
were keeping speeds between 33-35kmh.... for me on this trip this was the
best speeds that I was able to maintain for a long period of time. The
route
I had taken was a nice scenic trip from Oxford to Maidenhead, through
Henley
on Thames, a huge rowing town by the looks of things. It was the last bit
of
country side I saw until I came to the grass at Roehampton.
I felt pretty good getting on the bike in the morning. I think knowing it
was the last day always helps. I was thinking back a couple of days ago
to
day 2, when I didnt go the distance I wanted to because of my knee. I
didnt
want to write about it at the time, but I was having serious doubts about
whether my body was going to be able to do this. I'm delighted now that I
kept on going day after day, hill after hill.
One thing that kinda annoyed me was not knowing how much further up the
hill
was before it finished!! Another thing was why do the Brits use miles????
Kilometeres go by sooo much quicker!! Its much better for me when I work
in
kilometers...
So its been an interesting way to spend 5 days. Here are somen rough
facts
and figures from the trip!
Hours spent on the bike - 25
Kilometers in total - 467
Average Heart Rate - 143
Highest Heart rate by day - 185, 185, 179, 183, 171
Average Speed - 18.6kmh (i cant believe it!!!) ah includes a few stops
along
d way everyday....
Top speed - 69.4 kmh
Slowest speed (that I saw) - 5 kmh (going up a little hill!)
Calories burnt - 14000
Flat tyres - 1
No of near crashes - 2 (didnt want to put that in in case my mother read
it!)
Roadkill - 15 (foxes, rabbits, grainneog's, squirrels, rats, hens, I
think)
number of Nurofen tablets - a few too many
Toughest part - trying to cycle with my right leg, keeping left leg
relaxed
to keep the pain to a minimum....
Best part - covering 5 miles in 12 min.... (last day coming from
nettlebed
to Henley on Thames)
Worst part - going to see the physio tomorrow about my leg :-(
Any ideas for my next cycling trip?!
