Cornwall... DONE... Devon .... almost done!

So i didn't post last night for one enormous reason..... I made it out of Cornwall alive, but i merely survived it!!! I don't think i conquered Cornwall in any way at all.... i finished cycling as darkness descended after 8pm  - and all i could do was shower, eat and flake out .... also there was no wifi or mobile signal, so had i wanted to post i couldn't ...

Fair to say - incoherence would have ruled!

I had a real battle with the ride yesterday - it was an uphill slog out of Perranporth and we seemed to spend the day climbing the steepest of hills ... and descending their cliff like counterparts....  glorious weather meant that the sun drained energy and a bad choice to have a milk shake at lunch prior to grinding up some grim hill out of Bodmin saw me sick a few times during the afternoon... I did in the end make it up to Minions (the highest village in Cornwall! Up on Bodmin moor.... ) and the last 10 miles home were hard won.

Yesterday i really doubted my ability to make it to the end ... the briefing in the morning had told us that once at Minions it was a long descent to the River Taymar which marked the boundary of Cornwall - but then 3 miles of steep climbs to the B&B...

Well...i hit a real low point in the afternoon after I was ill... and I was pretty much planning that i would make it to the bridge and then fold & beg for the support van to pick me up ... to be honest there were times when i doubted that i'd get to the river... But Jeff/Geoff (must check!) the amazing sweep rider
from Bike Adventures (who is pretty much my riding buddy as i'm the slowest in the pack!) is brilliant and sorted my head out! He also knew that a bottle of Coke & a flapjack at Minions would restore me! Also the combination of the descent from the Moor,  knowing that we'd done with Cornwall, and Jeff's wise words was enough to get me 'home' ... and when i arrived the rest of the team cheered me in ... it brought tears to my eyes ... was a lovely lovely feeling!!

Now i haven't mentioned the rest of the group much - shall do in due course, but i really like the feeling that sits amongst us... a great mix of ages - some couples, some cycling solo, young and old alike...  there's a lively banter and great sense of team spirit ...  or that's what i've felt for sure...

Right - the internet speed is woefully slow... was going to do photos but i shall do a mass photo upload tomorrow!

And on to Devon - Well.... a longer day if you go by miles, but i was cycling better today - the climbs were long and arduous but not so crazily steep (well the odd one!) ...  and there were stunning stretches of 'undulating' roads ...  it was tough to be only at about 20 miles by lunchtime and i worried that i'd be crawling in at midnight ... but the main climbs were the long slog up to Dartmoor.... which, when up there, is not flat for sure but somehow the beauty and the sweeping views made the hills less imposing ... (having spent a good proportion of yesterday walking really steep hills i was in the saddle a lot more today) .... and so many animals... sheep - cows - horses wandering around ... getting in the way (why was it always when you were descending to 'catch the next hill' they'd stop you in your tracks...) i don't know - it just didn't seem as painful.  The descent from Dartmoor was naturally a joy ... and then through lovely Devon villages.... some nasty hills ... but also some 'flying roads'... and then i whooped with joy when we crossed the motorway and saw a sign 'M5 - The Midlands' suddenly i felt as though we'd made real progress...

And tonight we all went for dinner... and Rob (Team Leader!) let on that we're less than 10 miles from the Somerset border ... Devon ... nearly done....

And now for bed... that's all a bit factual ... and i'll share photos and the entertaining side of things tomorrow ... but for now brain is only able to spill the beans and let you know that i am surviving .... ahhh and i thought that the world was perfect when i arrived at the B&B to find my ensuite had a Bath .... AND the owner would put a wash on .... there is no more that a girl could wish for!!

Oh ... but you must know this.... as i was slogging my way up to Dartmoor this morning in the heavy mist .... a 1920's Bentley flew past ... pretty sure it was a 3 litre but may have been a 4 1/2 ....  just like Dad's... felt like he was swooping past to say hi....

I promptly burst into tears... and then pushed on up the hill - it was beautiful!!

Day One... and we're off!

It's time to sleep but i will write properly tomorrow... but for now ...

 The night before ... staying at Sennen Cove (beautiful!) the sunset didn't disappoint!! 

 This is like a 'first day at school shot' ... not only the nervous/anxious smile..

... but also the 'she'll grown into' look of the jacket!!! 

 Beautiful coastline ... 

But the hills... oh ouch the hills!!! 

 Yay! Look at that!!!! 

Perfectly named... almost 'home' ... little did i know that the last few miles had some of the worst hills! 

So ... Day One under the belt .... aching legs and feeling happy that i'm 'on the way' .... but a long long way to go ... so sleep now, and i'll tell you more tomorrow... 

(But thank you - thank you - thank you - for your messages..... haven't had much time this evening to reply to you all - was tied up sorting out the gear problems that Bradley's been having ... and having 'team bonding' dinner... but the messages have helped me up hills for sure!!!) 

xxx

Screw your courage to the sticking place.....

I can still remember how clever i thought an old school friends parents were when they wished her luck in her O'Levels with a quote from Macbeth....

Macbeth -              If we should fail?

Lady Macbeth -     We fail?
                              But screw your courage to the sticking place,
                              And we'll not fail.

I have spent the day today metaphorically 'screwing my courage to the sticking place' ... I'm now in Penzance with Mum - staying in a charming hotel  and as we haven't seen a flat stretch of road since Somerset the reality of 'Cornwall and Devon are the hardest bit' has well and truly sunk in!  I'm not kidding - i can now see that the first 4 days will be spent either grinding up hills or free-wheeling down them... none of the lovely speedy pedalling along in the sunshine! 

But it is beautiful here... oh so beautiful .... we stopped for a coffee in Launceston a sweet little town with a stunning church and a hilarious attitude to parking restrictions. It would appear that the cornish way is to stop wherever you like and let everyone else deal with the consequences which generally meant mounting the pavements and scraping along the walls...  and then we had a tootle around St Ives before landing in Penzance....  Tomorrow i shall meet the rest of the gang, be-reunited with Bradley and on Sunday we shall head off from Lands End.....  when the day's ride shall look like this .... 

Which whilst hilly doesn't look too awful .... on Monday however we shall start at sea level and fairly quickly (??? well.....)  be up at the highest village in Cornwall on the edge of Bodmin Moor... but for now ... one day at a time and i'm heading towards possibly the most beautiful bed i've slept in for a while.... G'night x

Nerves....

I've been packing today and as i tried to work out what i'll need for this trip the size of what i'm embarking on hit me .... and the nerves kicked in!

I'm sure this is the equivalent of the bit before an exam - after you've left your books behind but before you've sat down to answer the questions - the 'no mans land' where you can't cram anymore. Losing the bike has left me like that for the next few days - i can't calm myself by jumping on my bike to reassure myself.... so .... the nerves kicked in!

My mantra is ... slow and steady - i'm just going for a ride each day in beautiful countryside....  all of which will add up to cycling the length of the country .... and i've been much heartened by my lovely friends reassuring me of my determination and resolve ....

But i have a niggle....

To date in life this 'determination' has always been tested through work.... working long and hard to deliver 'the best' job.... striving to get the right results....  it's always been long hours working and the like....

I've never tested the determination and resolve with a physical endurancy type thing ...

I do hope the determination kicks in in the same way....

We shall see.

My other niggle is ... am i leaving anything behind!?

xx

(BTW ... it is confirmed I've decided to name my bike... 'Bradley' .... Bradley and i will conquer the hills... maybe not in a Wigginsesque effortless manner... but we shall conquer the hills!!!)

Bikeless.....

My bike ..... possibly to be known as Bradley ..... has gone now - next time we're together will be at Land's End!

Me next ....


Oh my!

But to take my mind off it .... a couple of thousand invitations to put in envelopes today .... the sun is shining ... there's a garden in SW London waiting to host a 'stuffing party'!!

xxx