Some numbers
202 miles
24,461 vertical feet of climbing
32 hours and 6 minutes out with the bikes
Maximum speed 38.6mph
Average speed 6.7mph
But it's not about the numbers it was always about taking a week out of life to 'just do it' instead of wondering what it would be like. Being 40 was an excuse to take on a challenge, it was one hell of a challenge too. Whilst we were out cycling Sir Ranulph Fiennes conquered Everest on his 3rd attempt, I know its not the same but I felt close to my limit at times, and I felt alive too. The varied beauty of the English countryside not to mention the hilliness of it!
I got blisters from walking in cycling shoes, cold feet from wading through rivers carrying our bikes, wet everything from going over the handlebars and landing face down in a bog. But I was mainly smiling even at the time, the sheer daftness of it.
Another aspect I wasn't expecting was the people we met out on the trails and in the Hostels, the 2 guys that ran Wainwright's route in 6 days! The 2 couples from from Surrey who did a version on road bikes. The tirelessly chatty lady who walked it in 3 weeks with a husband who appeared not to speak, ever!
What next? hmmm still thinking about that.
No comments:
Post a Comment