Sunday: Just when you thought LeJoG couldn't get any better.... it does. Last night the ride into and beyond Carlisle was stunning and I eventually ended up in a wedding reception in Gretna (difficult not to really, as the place is awash with brides, grooms, pipers, kilts etc.). At the hotel I watch a bit of the Uncle Knobhead wedding dancing (you see it's not just me Hanch) and then off to bed to get up early to finish the ride in time for the England-Germany kick-off. It's a push, but I'm sure I can do it.
The ride from Moffat onwards is the best I have ever done. Whilst at Moffat Neil warns me, by text, that there is some "up and down ahead" and, as usual, he is right. Double espresso in my coffee at Moffat and then 13km of climb followed by well over 20km of descent. I'm just touching the pedals and cruising at 35 kph through the Borders, pretty much alone, in the most beautiful landscape. If you're a cyclist then do this run. Just do it. It is beautiful.
Every now and then I see a roadsign for Edinburgh and I reminisce a little about the time I spent there training to be a Clinical Psychologist and, more importantly for me, playing rugby for Edinburgh Northern. We won the local league that year and were promoted to the National League. Our captain was Dave Hadden, who played inside centre. His brother, Pete, played at fly half. They were both very skilled and accomplished players. Their elder brother, Frank, was also an exceptionally good player who became coach to the Scottish national rugby team. They were always great company after training or on a Saturday night after the game. Really lovely guys.
So.... I'm watching a Scottish rugby international game on the TV and the camera zooms in on Frank as coach. I'm thinking: "Hey Frank! Good to see you doing so well mate! Do you remember when.... " and then the commentator says something about the sad loss of his brother and my heart just stops and I can't think straight for quite a while. Eventually I get on the internet and there it is. It's Dave. Ten years previously he was hit by a Range Rover whilst cycling and suffered substantial brain damage. The reason it's all over the web is that record damages were awarded even though he wasn't wearing a cycling helmet. The reason? He was hit so hard it wouldn't have made any difference whether he was wearing a helmet or not. In a very selfish way I don't regret not knowing what had happened ten years previously. I want to remember Dave dancing through the Murrayfield defence on the day we won the league and then celebrating in the Grassmarket pubs until the early hours and not in any other way.
The point of telling you this? Well, these things, born of loose associations (Edinburgh, cycling), just creep into your mind when you are cycling alone and there they stay for quite a while. If you do LeJoG alone, remember that. Also, if you're thinking of doing something like this, then seize the moment and do it now. You never know what's just around the corner.
Those numbers (sorry, no jokes today):
Distance: 112.6 km
Cumulative distance: 1110.35 km
Ride time: 4h 46m 40s
Max speed: 60.3 kph
The ride from Moffat onwards is the best I have ever done. Whilst at Moffat Neil warns me, by text, that there is some "up and down ahead" and, as usual, he is right. Double espresso in my coffee at Moffat and then 13km of climb followed by well over 20km of descent. I'm just touching the pedals and cruising at 35 kph through the Borders, pretty much alone, in the most beautiful landscape. If you're a cyclist then do this run. Just do it. It is beautiful.
Every now and then I see a roadsign for Edinburgh and I reminisce a little about the time I spent there training to be a Clinical Psychologist and, more importantly for me, playing rugby for Edinburgh Northern. We won the local league that year and were promoted to the National League. Our captain was Dave Hadden, who played inside centre. His brother, Pete, played at fly half. They were both very skilled and accomplished players. Their elder brother, Frank, was also an exceptionally good player who became coach to the Scottish national rugby team. They were always great company after training or on a Saturday night after the game. Really lovely guys.
So.... I'm watching a Scottish rugby international game on the TV and the camera zooms in on Frank as coach. I'm thinking: "Hey Frank! Good to see you doing so well mate! Do you remember when.... " and then the commentator says something about the sad loss of his brother and my heart just stops and I can't think straight for quite a while. Eventually I get on the internet and there it is. It's Dave. Ten years previously he was hit by a Range Rover whilst cycling and suffered substantial brain damage. The reason it's all over the web is that record damages were awarded even though he wasn't wearing a cycling helmet. The reason? He was hit so hard it wouldn't have made any difference whether he was wearing a helmet or not. In a very selfish way I don't regret not knowing what had happened ten years previously. I want to remember Dave dancing through the Murrayfield defence on the day we won the league and then celebrating in the Grassmarket pubs until the early hours and not in any other way.
The point of telling you this? Well, these things, born of loose associations (Edinburgh, cycling), just creep into your mind when you are cycling alone and there they stay for quite a while. If you do LeJoG alone, remember that. Also, if you're thinking of doing something like this, then seize the moment and do it now. You never know what's just around the corner.
Those numbers (sorry, no jokes today):
Distance: 112.6 km
Cumulative distance: 1110.35 km
Ride time: 4h 46m 40s
Max speed: 60.3 kph
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