With Loch Lomond in the background, we set off getting blasted by spray from the passing cars and lorries along the A82. These Loch don't half go on!!
We did our usual roadside `wee-stop` at railway bridge 85 before the climb to Crianlarich. It was lovely and quiet. Just a bird tweeting and a Woodpecker knocking on a tree trunk. I said "Oh listen, a woodpecker", Ric replied " Oh look, my pecker!" It amused us but I suppose you had to be there!
The climb to Crianlarich was never ending. Not steep, just on and up, up and on. Ric went further and further into the distance. There was nothing I could do to keep up with him.
All I kept thinking was I hope he stops soon. At Crianlarich he had. It was cold so a brew stop that turned into a beans on toast and coffee stop was thought to be a good idea as the girls where still having breakfast back in Helensburgh. We stopped at the Crianlarich cafe which is on the train platform. Basic but sufficient for our needs. Don't suppose you can complain at £4 for a cup of (strong) coffee and 2 slices of toast with beans, can you?
Now I knew the next section was going to be fairly difficult as from our route we had no choice but to stick to the A82 and go over the Glencoe mountains. One road in, one road out.
40 miles of hills with still 100 to do once over them!
Climbing over another hill and I was really struggling. Luckily Ric had slowed at the top and we raided our onboard food rations - me murdering the Jelly Baby population! The climbs where twisty as well. A bit European.
You know you're high and in remote places when the main road has barriers on it that they close when it snows. No getting out or in, it seems if it snows!!
This single carriageway is reasonably fast for cars. And we found out that some give us plenty of room whilst others don't give a hoot. In fact Ric was very close to be knocked off at one point. A van coming the other way decided to pass 3 or 4 cars in one go and ignored the fact there was a cyclist coming the other way even though there were sufficient gaps between the cars they where passing. Poor Ric had to scramble for the grass verge as the van hurtled passed. I made my feelings clear to the driver who just laughed at me. I just wish I had got his number.....
The hills continued and I found it increasingly difficult to keep Ric in my sights. Now, as much as this pains me to say so and I don't care if you laugh, but the mental anguish of this ride now began to hit home. Not being able to keep up with Ric was hurting. I was getting more and more depressed at the thought of what was still to come and I found myself fighting away tears. Its really difficult to explain these feelings, you seem to have no control over them. And then it happened...
Climbing from Loch Tulla to Locahan na h-Achlaise ( how on earth do you say that? ) there was a steep hairpin section that we could see approaching. Ric just did his thing and powered up the hill. I just about made it to the corner where the views would have been fantastic and Ric was waiting. At least he's waiting I said to myself. Not quite. I got within 100 yards of him and he set off again. He was unaware of my `condition` and I don't blame him at all, but the floodgates opened. I couldn't help it. Still climbing gently I was sobbing hard. I even had to keep my head down as I passed some walkers coming the other way. I felt stupid and embarassed as I couldn't control it. Then, finally, at the top, the support crew where there.
I rode into the layby with my hand covering my face and collapsed in a heap. Jus covered me up with my coat and I tried to control myself. For me, I was getting in the car and going home. I couldn't carry on. It was too much. I still had around 100miles to do today. No chance. I'm glad there weren't any pictures taken, it wouldn't have been pretty.
I don't know what I would have done without Jus's support - gone home and failed. Simple.
It took me an age to come round to continuing. Poor Ric was still unaware as he was keeping warm in his car. With Jus's encouragement and a sausage butty and my daughters left over square sausages we agreed to meet up at Fort William for the next feed point and take it from there.
With still some hills to climb, that I wished we'd already ridden, Ric became my Chris Froome. Encouragement and pacing is what Ric is good at. He slowed down and tried to pull me up most of the hills as best as he could, or my legs would allow me to. It must have been hard for him, but that is what mates do. Thanks, Ric.
And then, finally, we had gotten through those blasted killer mountains and were dropping down into Glencoe and onto Fort William. The descent was awesome.
Finally Fort William arrived and with that a Big Mac!! Now I must have been feeling bad as I'm not a McDonalds fan!!! After this I seemed to be feeling a bit better, not stronger, just better. Maybe it was the thought that the major hills where out of the way.
We agreed with our Support Crews, to meet up at Fort Augustus as these smaller targets of 25 to 30 miles seemed to keep my spirits up rather than looking at the full distance still to be ridden. The girls went for a wander around the town and we set off. They didn't catch us until maybe 40 miles.
Mind you Ric had us pushing a fair pace at times as we pedalled alongside the banks of Loch Ness. The road is undulating but does have some shorter steeper sections that Ric thought would be good to do Hill Intervals on just to keep me motivated. I managed 3!!! Through gritted teeth I pushed hard to not lose his wheel and at the top told him, thats enough especially as we have 30 miles still to do. I suppose it took my mind of `other` things for a while!!!
Then at Drumnadrochit ( where the Loch Ness visitor Centre is ) we took a phone call. Now the plan was that we were spending 2 nights in the Inverness Travelodge near the Fairways golf course. Oh so I thought. I had given them the Post Code and our route on my GPS was taking to the same hotel. It turned out to be the wrong hotel!! Sorry. A frantic half hour as we continued to pedal towards Inverness had the girls finding the other Travelodge. And, also very luckily for us, Ric had stayed in the same hotel previously so we just about knew which way to go through the town centre.
The downhill section on the A9 to the hotel was slow. I could hardly turn the pedals round and we struggled to break 13mph. Shattered.
142.4miles, thats what we have just done and boy do I know it. How I got here at all, I just don't know. I certainly wouldn't have if it wasn't for Ric and Jus and Di and our girls. Not a chance.
Today has been one of the toughest days of my life. Period.
Slightly changing the subject, I'm also noting that my food intake has shot up during the day. So, this is what I ate today for the ride:
Breakfast - Porridge Pot
During the morning - Protein bar, couple of Soreen Slices
Mid-Morning Breakfast - 2 Slices of Toast and Beans
Early Lunch - Jelly Beans, Soreen, Jelly Babies
Lunch - Sausage Butty, sqaure sausages, hash brown, cake
Late Lunch - Big Mac, Chips and Cake
Afternoon - 2 Chicken Tikka Kebabs, cake
We have one final day to go. A short little ride of 120miles to John O Groats and then we have done it............I'm just hoping someone find my legs and brings them back to me during the night or else I might be in trouble again.....
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