Knock knock knock !!!!
" Hello, you are the last person left on the boat, everybody else has gone. Please get up now !!! "
Oh dear !!!
Quickly dressed and out the door, not the best start to a day which would already have been hard without such a rude awakening.
No breakfast.
Back down to the lowest deck where I find my solo bike on the floor next to 20 feet of rope.
Quick check, re-pack and ready for action.
I head out of the boat down the ramp and wave to the other cyclists who are hovering around the cafe area. I should really stop and get some food, chill and get my 2 cups of coffee as my brain was now shouting into my ear. My heart however had other ideas, get to London. You will be fine, The sun was just about creeping out from under the eastern sky and I could not have waited. I wanted to get this done as fast as I could as I knew today would be hard.
I set out and just used my right leg to turn the pedal followed by the left leg to turn the other pedal trying to move in a forward direction and repeat the process as many times as I could before my body did not want to any more. My legs actually felt OK, my backside was fairly free of sores or rash. The only thing that I was fighting was my lack of sleep and the way it made me feel... incredibly thin and lacking in energy. I downed some more of the toxic Oasis drink that was sloshing around in my bottles and ate the last of my energy bars.
The roads were very quiet, I was alone and the sun rose......
As I headed back up the road towards London I felt as though I was riding my bike through a vat of yogurt, every pedal stroke was hard work and slow. I also had to deal with the hills back up to Forest Row and the horrible steep roads around Lewes. I looked down at my Garmin at one point and noticed I was doing 5 miles an hour. This was going to be a long day. For a 60 mile bike ride this was turning out to be the hardest part of the entire journey.
I think I spotted a deer, I just looked to my right and about 10 metres down a side lane was a beautiful large cream coloured deer which looked straight at me and I honestly have no idea if it was real or another hallucination. At least this was nice and not a dancing zombie or an oversized cat !!!
By the time I got to Forest Row I was feeling very sick indeed. I had not actually been physically sick but it was threatening. I stopped a couple of times and that helped. I remember saying to myself, once I get to the top of this next hill I will see what is on the other side and free wheel as far as I can and just stop. When I did I found the speed of the bike and downhill helped revive me a bit and I started to feel a bit better. The wind rushed through my helmet and the cooling effect of the air really helped, I got rid of a layer and cooling down was a bit factor. I remember this was the same on other long rides, over-heating was the main factor for feeling ill then.
So cooling and lack of climbing helped me get over this and by the time I got to the Caterham by pass I was feeling OK. However, the roads were getting busier now and I made the decision to not go onto the by pass opting for the town instead. I recommend this.
It seemed to pass very quickly then from Purley into the city and getting nearer and nearer to the starting point of Trafalgar Square.
By the time I got there it was around 8:45 am and I quietly joined the rank and file of all the other cycling commuters into the city.
Then we were stopped by a parade of young cadets on horseback.
At Parliament Square I circled the point I had stopped for my picnic and waved to Gandhi.
Then back up Whitehall and into Trafalgar Square where I set out 39 hours before....
Thank you for taking the time to read this and if you feel you would like to chuck a quid or two in the bucket for Nightingale House Hospices, please click here.....
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RichardOwen
Until the next time XXX
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