Day 3 LeJog - Bridgwater - Bad Bottom Day 122.5miles 3500ft

Sunday night was a tough night for us all.  A walk into Weston Super Mare found us in a Two For One pub for tea as there wasn't much choice. Apparently they don't open everything up until summer!!  Tea, for me, wasn't great at all but more of that to come.
Back at the hotel

which was like stepping back in time and full of pensioners, we settled down with some drinks to try to overcome our failings on the previous 2 days.  Ric was particularly down and ready for calling it a day as we both knew it would be almost impossible to do 155 miles the following day, especially in light of what happened to Ric earlier.

The original route of Monmouth to Chirk was scrapped as it would be Bridgwater to Chirk as we would need to start off at our finishing point from the previous day ( again! ).  A new route of heading towards Gloucester and then via Leominster ( pronounced Lemster we have been reliably imformed by our old school friend Alan ) to hopefully arrive in Ludlow some 122miles later.

The big concern for both of us was the fact we would be on some major roads but we were hoping to be able to keep a good pace going and there wouldn't be too many big hills like we would have had going to Chirk.

This was with hindsight of the troubles we had had the previous 2 days.  Everyone says the first 2 days are the worse, lets hope so!

After a 20min journey back to our starting point eating sandwiches and wraps for breakfast, we were sort of ready for the next day.  I think Ric's trying to be a ninja and I look, well, I'm not sure.  It was cold though!

The girls left us here and went back to the hotel for their breakfasts with the oldies - Jus thought is was like being in a nursing home and was hoping they would get asked to help some old dear to the toilet!!  The hotel very kindly made us boys a couple of bacon butties and sausages as we didn't eat before leaving.  It was much appreciated.

On the A38 we were either battered by the wind or the fast moving traffic.  You just don't realise how scary it is.  The damn wind was horrendous too.

But we did make good progress only slightly slowed by going through the centre of Bristol and getting lost as we didn't want to go over a fly over and then lost the signs to the A38!!  It added 5 miles to our journey!!

Just outside Bristol the girls caught us up for our feed stop which was much appreciated.

We then plowed on but by this time I was feeling a little bit ropey.  First I thought it was my shorts being too tight but then it turned out to be a bit of the old trapped wind!!  The `trapped wind` was causing me a bit of discomfort and Ric was setting a pace a little too quick for.  With my emotions all over the place I have to admit to shedding a few tears as I struggled to keep up to Ric.  This cycling lark is a strange thing.  What a difference a day!!

And then we spotted a yellow motorbike come speeding passed with the rider taking a more than normal interest in us.  We both said "Doesn't Alan have a yellow bike?"

So, a little bit further down the road, this yellow bike is stopped by the roadside and the rider is taking pics of us!!

We pulled in and found it was Alan, an old school friend who we hadn't seen in 25 years!

Apparently he had been zooming up and down the A38 all morning hoping to catch us!  And so, after a quick catch up, we carried on with our own support motorbike with the hazards on!  We felt like real pro riders!!  Daft Alan kept riding alongside us trying to get photos, or zooming ahead and getting some. He certainly made my day and after helping us through Gloucester, he very kindly followed us to Ledbury - I bet his bike's never gone so slowly!!

Here are some pics he took.  We think they are great and have certainly helped our moral.  Cheers Alan, if you are reading this.

Awesome pics!!

After Alan left us - his fee a chicken drumstick!! we continued along towards Leominster but I was feeling very bloated and in need of a natural break ( we'd had the Tour De LeJog bike following us, so if the Pros need a natural break so do we!! ).  The problem was we didn't pass many places we could use.  Hanging on as best I could till the A49 junction, we found a petrol station which I duly deposited quite a smelly....... so much so that poor Ric, who also needed to go could only manage a wee, it was that bad.  I blame the previous nights tea - think I need to stay off the spicy food whilst cycling for now!!

Thanks to Google Lattitude, the girls managed to find us at this service station to give us a much need boost of encouragement.  We'd already ridden further than before but Jus shouting out of the window "you've only got 12miles to go" helped me a bit.  Shame the damn few climbs that followed didn't!!

Ric, after his blow up the previous day, was an animal helping me along.  Encouraging me to keep pushing the pedals round.  All I wanted to do was collapse in a heap.  The last few miles seemed to go one for ever and ever, and then, just to completely finish me off, there was a drag of a climb to the hotel.  I just about made it......to the loo again!

Thankfully that is over.......only the A49 to tackle tomorrow.....

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