Ups and Downs

I don't think Dan made it clear enough, exactly how difficult it was at the end of yesterday. After being rather pleasantly surprised with my own ability for the first 40 miles, things were looking good. Then that sign, "Bodmin 20" was to be seen on a road sign. It was unnecessarily difficult to climb every hill we came across. I think it took us an hour to get the point where the sign said "Bodmin 16". But all the time I though to myself, tomorrow all I have to do is 40 miles, so I would be all done by now.



After a pasta dinner, and a good size breakfast, I imagined everything would be good for the next day. Little did I know, that those first 10 miles would be even worse than the suffering that went into the last 20 of the day before. At this point I had my first "I have to give-up" moment. I was expecting the first part of the day to be the easy bit, and it to more difficult from then on. Imagine what was yet to come! It took a few energy bars, energy gel, lucozade, water, and a nap at the side of the road before I was feeling any better. But during this time I decided to make a list of all those things that were not my friends:

Hills
Hills
Hills
Hills (even the down ones, because these are usually preceeded by an up, or you can see the next up looming in front of you - or worse, both)
Wind
Bumps
Lorries
Hills
Cats Eyes
My saddle
Cycling

We evenually made it to Lauceston, about half way for today. There we had a pasta salad, ice scream, a rest, a look around the local bike shop (Lauceston cycles), and a glace at the local castle (looked like too many steps to visit it propoerly.

With our tummies full of carbs, we set off for the second half, and were in Devon within moments. Now with my legs feeling strong again, and the very long flat or downhill sections, I was full of confidence and optimism - more than ever! I decided to make a list of things that were my friends:

The flat
The friendly cornish people (or non cornish people sat outside their broken down cars)
Pasta
Sleep
People that leave comments or send me texts!
Cycling
Other Le JoG ers (they feel or pain)

Before I set off to do this expedition, I found my emotions to be in one of two states. This was either extreme confidence, believing it would all be easy and good. Or ultimate terror, believing that I would probably die, or worse, be forced to give up. Nothing has changed since I started, except that the pain is now real. I would be true to say that Cornwall has not been without its ups and downs.