Day 8

What can you say about Day 8 of 9? It’s the day no one wants, it is an orphan of a day, it has no saving graces. The day is without the optimism of the earlier days where the bulk of the work is to be done and the miles get eaten away and yet it’s not the big final day with the ecstasy of the finish line. And so it was that we embarked upon Day 8 with nothing in the plan other than to get it over and done with. This was a longish day at 117 miles and with over 10,000ft of climb it was always going to be hilly and potentially difficult. In the light of all this we decided to change our nutritional strategy and stop for a bacon sandwich in the morning and find a decent place for a proper lunch. Previously we had forced down the unchangingly boring baps and wraps at the pit stop and then survive on gels and energy bars but we had had enough of that and the lure of the bacon sandwich became the focus of the day. I can recommend this nutritional approach to all aspiring athletes, it may be very inefficient in terms of glycaemic index but it sure made us feel 100% better and in the end it was a great day. We cycled strong and hard and fought our way up the hills with some fight in our legs. Let’s hear it for bacon!

There is some great news on the fundraising front. It looks as though we have enough money pledged to get to the target of UKP 9,000. The justgiving page is still a little short but the balance has been promised. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraising I have been really touched at the generosity people have shown and that is what it is all about I suppose. You can see the very best in people (and maybe in yourself) in the face of a real challenge and it reflects in the mood of all the participants , helpers and those of you who have been so generous donating. Thanks again.

Talking of real challenges this has certainly been the hardest thing I have ever done and it looks as though there will only be around 350 people who will finish all the stages out of a starting group of 600. I am sure this event will become an annual occasion as the prime long distance cycle event in the UK and will develop a reputation as a tough event that is accessible to average people in the same way that the big city marathons have now become. We will see.

Oh..... and the photo, well its amazing how attractive things become after 8 days on a bike.