Day 5

Monday 22nd May 2006

Today I made Bristol & the Clifton suspension bridge. Went on from there to follow the river Avon to it's mouth, a lovely ride with the sun out but a strong wind in my face...

I tried to follow a "cycle path which threads it's way through the Mendips like the eye of a needle" but got terribly lost & found myself dragging the bike through muddy fields... luckily I didn't get shot by some irate farmer & was able to crack on, but having covered about 3miles in the first hour, I decided once again to shgort-circuit my route a little & headed straight for Bristol on main roads. Of course, this meant I didn't get to "thread" my way through the Mendips but had to climb them, & that was tough. Even pushing the bike the tendon was crying foul & with the extra load I was putting through the left one it too was now complaining. I'm only 29 & falling apart already! lol..

There is a cycle way across the second severn bridge which is basically the service road; they will have been considering closing it due to the high winds & I can tell you, I was barely able to manage 7mph cycling into the wind... I was feeling the strain of five hard days' cycling by this stage & following a mis-shift the other side of the bridge going up a steep hill, I pulled a small muscle in my right thigh. I was able to carry on but at much reduced pace, trying not to put any load through on the right hand side.

Up until now I have only had to face myself, given the wind, the rain, the hills & the weight on the bike. My greatest fear now is not that I will give up (was never going to do that) but that my body will give up. I can understand now why people don't carry their gear & have someone follow them in a van, and I think I also appreciate the importance of not pushing yourself too hard....

55miles today, made Wales & Monmouth.