Silent Running
I know I have not finished writing up the Lon Lâs Challenge. After finishing the ride I've had a holiday in Malta with my wife, she's been ordained priest, I have taken part in three performance of a 30minute community opera at the Wales Millennium Centre and then it has rained an awful lot. I have either been too busy or too depressed by the weather to either finish off the blog or to actually ride my bike seriously.
Overall the bike ride was again a wonderful experience.Those who also did it last year were impressed by how much fitter I was. I only walked the longest hills and even then was still capable of pushing my bike. Last year at the worst times somebody else would push my bike, making it easier to trudge up the hill. The weather, except for the last day, was wonderful-not too hot, very little adverse wind and no rain. On the last day we wake to a howling gale and driving rain. Worse the wind was out of the south and that was the way we were heading for the first ten miles or so. The rain eventually stopped but then the wind swung round until it was against us going across Anglesey. I don't like Anglesey as cycling territory, It is unpleasantly undulating and the Trail meanders a lot. You can see the promontory of Holyhead away in the distance but it seems to get no closer. We arrived at the Ferry Terminal at almost 2000! I was ready to give up about 15 miles out but Seb,in particular, kept me going.
Technologically, things were a bit disappointing. 3G Mobile phone coverage through Central Wales is dreadful so live tracking just didn't happen. I've got the satellite data saved on my phone and I'll upload it later but even that coverage seemed patchy and there are big skips in the path.
Fund-raising was quite successful. I will be closing the account this week. The total is well in excess of £1000, not as much as last year ut still respectable. One or two people haven't coughed up yet so if any of you reading this haven't paid me yet I'd be grateful for a cheque.