Monday 4 June 2012

Miles: 99.6

During a long cycling holiday, I never seem to eat enough on the first few days and seem to spend the remaining days feeling hungry most of the time, trying to catch up with my food intake.  It probably has not helped that yesterday and today our first break was after 40 miles.  Most people will be hungry before then, yesterday I did not have enough to eat with me, today I had some Cliff shots energy jellies for the 20 mile low.

Last night’s hotel was eccentric!  I eventually, took the mattress off my folding bed (put in a twin room with Jacquie and Fran) and slept on the floor and I had the best night’s sleep in 3 nights.  The two in the ballroom slept well apparently, no one was admitting how!  The breakfast this morning was equally strange as, except for the cereals, everything was served individually, hence the later start.

I changed the batteries in my bike computer and the sensor and it seemed to work fine until it closed down  5 miles from the end of today’s ride L.

We first cycled to Ludlow then on to Stretton with its beautiful thatched church, then through Church Stretton, our highest point of the day.  At the first break at Dobbies Garden Centre at Shrewsbury and after 40 miles of heading into the wind, we were all pretty cold and added a layer for the rest of the day.  It was otherwise not a particularly difficult day, not too many hills, but we all remained in silent concentration whilst riding, the banter and stories have been left for the breaks and the evening meal at the local Wetherspoons.   We missed the lunch stop and had to turn back so we added another 3+ miles to the original journey of 95 miles, but managed to find the Shire Horse centre for our afternoon tea.  When we arrived at the hotel in Warrington, some cycled on round the block just to make the 100!

We passed the 335 mile mark today, a third of the way.