DAY 9: 107 miles.
I joined a group of 6 seasoned cyclists for the 107 mile ride today. It was quite cool in the morning and we averaged 20 mph for nearly 4 hours, with just one stop to cram in as much food from a boulangerie as possible! The headwind strengthened as we neared the Atlantic coast in the afternoon and, although our average speed only dropped to 19 mph, we had to work significantly harder. Taking turns at the front we all pitched in to get the group home. We arrived in the campsite just after the support vehicle after 5 hours and 45 minutes of cycling. We pitched all of the tents and enjoyed some drinks and snacks. Goodness knows how many calories we are burning at the moment! The terrain has become much flatter but we still have hundreds of miles to pedal to St Malo before the French leg of the journey is complete. My legs have been quite stiff since the end of day one and, like many of the One Mile Closer team, I am now nursing some fairly nasty 'saddle sores'! All of this will be quickly forgotten I am sure. I have been absolutely blown away by the team spirit and camaraderie so far. Everyone has been mucking in and helping one and other out. We have also been looked after so incredibly well by Miriam and Helen and the rest of the support team. It is humbling that they are working so hard behind the scenes to make the whole event possible - we simply cannot thank them all enough.
I joined a group of 6 seasoned cyclists for the 107 mile ride today. It was quite cool in the morning and we averaged 20 mph for nearly 4 hours, with just one stop to cram in as much food from a boulangerie as possible! The headwind strengthened as we neared the Atlantic coast in the afternoon and, although our average speed only dropped to 19 mph, we had to work significantly harder. Taking turns at the front we all pitched in to get the group home. We arrived in the campsite just after the support vehicle after 5 hours and 45 minutes of cycling. We pitched all of the tents and enjoyed some drinks and snacks. Goodness knows how many calories we are burning at the moment! The terrain has become much flatter but we still have hundreds of miles to pedal to St Malo before the French leg of the journey is complete. My legs have been quite stiff since the end of day one and, like many of the One Mile Closer team, I am now nursing some fairly nasty 'saddle sores'! All of this will be quickly forgotten I am sure. I have been absolutely blown away by the team spirit and camaraderie so far. Everyone has been mucking in and helping one and other out. We have also been looked after so incredibly well by Miriam and Helen and the rest of the support team. It is humbling that they are working so hard behind the scenes to make the whole event possible - we simply cannot thank them all enough.