Conquering things. Doesn’t that sound a bit lighter than the last two posts? There’s been a little lapse since the last one because conquering things is exhausting. From the last three days of cycling, I’m now close enough to Manchester to watch the planes taking off as little lights in the distance. Manchester. From Cornwall! That’s over 300 miles of cycling!
And my poor frail body is feeling every one of those miles… My thighs ache, I’ve scabs on my shin from when my pedal bit me, the other leg is sunburnt on one side only, my bum does NOT like the saddle AT ALL, I’m developing the most ridiculous tan lines that make it look like I’m wearing white gloves, and the palms on my hands look, and feel, like they’ve been whipped from gripping onto the handlebars for eight hours a day.
So on the theme of conquering things, I am still cycling despite these ailments (with the aid of many lotions and potions). It’s only physical pain after all. There are worse things. Five gruelling days in, and I’d still rather be doing this than be back on PhD work…
On day 3 we cycled up to Chepstow via Bristol. This day was significant to me for two very big conquering reasons. Firstly, doing a very similar route a few weeks ago is how I injured my knee last time. It was immensely satisfying cycling back over roads that I’d travelled before, but this time with a (mostly) functioning knee. Secondly, at 93 miles, this was my longest ever, ever bike ride in a day. It took AGES. Day 3 of 93 miles was swiftly followed by day 4 of 89 miles to Shrewsbury, which is my second longest ever, ever bike ride! Double conquering, to add on to the consecutive conquering of all the other days cycling.
The country is beginning to feel bigger and smaller at the same time. There’s all sorts of places and villages and farms and hills that I had no idea existed, but we’ve already travelled so far!
ArchaeoCyclist 