Saturday 16 June 2012

58.5 miles from Silloth to Haltwhistle.

Rain, rain, rain.

I am starting to get a bit of a complex about the weather. But I was dressed appropriately. In head to toe waterproofs.And I looked like a scuba diver apparently. I didn't care. And off we went.

On a B road, I was cycling with Kay at the side off me. I was on the near side. We were chatting. Paul and Niki were behind us. A good pack of 4 making progress along the road.

Niki shouted there was a car back = behind. So I communicated to Kay my intention to drop back allowing her to pull into the space created in front of me so that we were then single file and the car could pass. I am not sure quite what happened next....but I noticed Kay moving in to her left BEFORE I had got out of the way. The tarmac in front of me was in quite short supply.....and the supply was getting less and less.

I left the tarmac and was running in the narrow muddy channel at the side of the tarmac. The water was deep in there and muddy. I had nowhere else to go as Kay contnued to move in to her left. I had no option but to hit the ejector button, leave my pedals and dive on to the grass verge for a soft landing. Which I did. And it was a soft landing. Good. No idea where my bike went. BUT......

The grass verge merged into a rainwater ditch and then there I was ...in it. I was on my back. My legs and arms in the air. My body under filthy, muddy water. Oh, and how I laughed. I wasn't hurt at all It was another soft landing much as the day before, The differences today were that I wasn't in a nettle bush (so that was good) but I was wet through - from inside out (that wasn't just as good).

Kay was apologetic....I was laughing. She promised me some of her home made lemon drizzle cake - am still waiting for that:-(

We carried on to lunchtime at the Sands Centre in Carlisle. I once ran a half marathon from here and it brought back happy memories particularly of the text I received on my drive home to Manchester which said 'Congratulations, you finished that Carlisle marathon and came in 475th place' I think there were 500 runners that day but I don't proclaim to be a runner!! And anyway I was proud I completed the run.

A parking ticket was issued to the group at The Sands :-( for parking across 2 bays. That is the subject of a legal challenge - watch this space.

I took the opportunity to change completely at lunchtime - and remove all of my flithy, wet clothes. I was happy in dry gear.

After lunch the group separated and two went off to do a monster hill climb. I wasn't up for that.

I did the standard route and we took in a lovely length of Hadrian's wall. The sun came out. David had a puncture and the rest of us lazed around in the sun. I took lots of photos - it was beautiful. Unfortunately the lens was steamed up - after all my phone had been underwater (albeit in a dry bag) and then suddenly it was boiling hot.

And then on to Haltwhistle. Staying in a pub. Which served real ale. One consumed. Some dinner. Then sleep.

Tired and glowing