So today I hit a new milestone. My longest ride to date has been just over 100k (63 miles), I needed to prove to myself I could do more. Today I rode 167km (just over 100 miles) in 7 hours and 20minutes, which I'm really pleased with. Now admittedly I need to be doing these kind of distances every day for the best part of two weeks and, the way I feel right now, makes me think that's going to be tough. But hey, at least I'm on track.
The target was to ride from Warwick to Uppingham, but I got as far as Sutton Basset, just past Market Harborough and about 8 mile short of my destination. The computer said 80k and I saw no point in carrying on for the sake of it, so I sat in a pub garden (a pub that was receiving customers at 10:15 am but I resisted) loaded some carbs and water then set off back to Warwick the way I had came. At least that was the intention, if I hadn't have taken the wrong road out of Market Harborough and made a 10k detour. I thought I could take advantage of my mistake by taking a route around the big hill into East Farnham. Unfortunately more poor map reading popped me out right at the bottom of the hill! So much for the Geography degree.
I passed through some lovely English villages and across the historic battlefield at Naseby at which Cromwell effectively settled the English civil war in his favour (what with crossing Edge Hill earlier in the week its been a history lesson and training combined).
The last 20k was torture. I had run out of food and water and peddled home on empty. I staggered through the back door when I got home and made short work of the contents of the fridge and the cake Beth & Imogen were busy making.
I have to say, despite my near terminal fatigue, I enjoyed the day and it was a joy to come home to Imogen, my 3 year old who bounced around with boundless energy and Beth, my wife, who fed me and let me put my feet up. I'll miss them and the rest of the kids when I go away for 12 days.
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