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30 June
1 July
2 July
3 July
Maybe the wet weather gear will not be needed after all, and the winds look favourable!!
Climbing the hill to Berkhamsted from Hemel, I get a call from Tim - taking the call while still riding - is that legal? Anyway, Tim decides to set off from Safron Walden about 9am and head west and hopefully we'll meet up later!Up at 6am again for the second day of our final team training ride before the event! All seven of us turned up - nobody appears to be struggling too much after yesterday! The weather doesn't look so good today, so I've got my overshoes and waterproof jacket on!
Iain's takes us up a big hill out of Guildford (nice way to warm up on a damp drizzley morning!) to the A31 were we double draft on the dual carriage-way down to somewhere near Alton. There's lots of spray from the other bikes as I sit at the back!
After about 20 miles I feel a bit of a twinge in my right knee (the "good" knee of recent times), but nothing much. After about 25 miles we stop so Henry can stretch, he's knees are sore too. After another 5 miles or so we get to the bottom of a 5 mile climb, time for a toilet stop and another stretch!
We all go at our own pace on the hill - I head off with Iain and Tim, up the steep first bit, and then on to the long gentle climb. We go at a decent pace, about 17 mph up the hill, enjoying pushing it hard! We get to a village and Tim and I are in front wondering if this is the top, then we turn the corner and realise there is still more to got! Tim takes the lead and gradually pulls away...
We finally reach the top and get a good rest (and a Mars bar) as the others gradually congregate at the top of the hill.
Henry makes it to the top, but is struggling with his knee and has decided to call it a day - not wanting to risk it this close to the event. Ciaran has had problems with his rear hub and the bike is just free-wheeling - not much fun trying to get up a hill! So Henry and Ciaran wait for Glenda to pick them up as the remaining five of us get to enjoy the fast decent and rolling hills of the next 10 miles or so.
We head back by a route I fail to keep track of, just following the wheel in front, and after 57 miles we are back in Guidford at Iain's house for a snack.
After 40 mins or so, we are back out initially doing the reverse of the route we had just taken. The hill up to Haslemere just went of for ever, but a good challenge! My right knee started to head, so we headed back the quickest way to Guildford - back up the A31 and back the same route as yesterday. Still we completed another 48 mailes, totalling 105 miles for the day, and over 250 miles for the weekend!
A bit of time for a stretch, ice on the knee, and a shower - blasting my legs with cold water before Tim gives me a lift back home.
On the way back round the M25, my Aunty Judy and Uncle Brian see us on the motorway - recognising the poster in the car and seeing the bikes on top. I didn't find out about this till Monday!
