This was my longest mileage day - 94 miles up the Wye valley and the profile looked - shall we say challenging.
So up early - ready for 8 and I'm off - to be met - yup you've guessed it a total swine of a hill to get out of Bristol!! Good choice again.
So 93 miles to go and I am panting, sweating and wondering if I am going to make it!!
Eventually the top is reached - there's always a top you know!
Scoosh down and eventually in the distance the Severn Bridges appeared in the sunlight - What a view.
Not a nice approach on busy roads with trucks etc and then a persistent caller who wouldn't take my DECLINE as an answer - who was it - Greater Mcr Police Road Safety about my cycling course - oh the irony
Severn Bridge was spectacular - took my time as I knew what was coming.
Then the Rollercoaster - beautiful but hard work and pretty windy on the tops.
Lots of questioning whether I would make the day so just started picking off the next stop: Monmouth, Hereford, Ludlow - stopped at everyone to refuel
Leaving Ludlow at 16:50 with 20miles to go then knew I would make it - so off I went knowing I had 2 hills to climb.
Eventually descended into Church Stretton thinking big climbs done - well I remembered 2 - into All Stretton all looked okay and then THE HILL!!
Charmingly called Plush Hill its a 10% (child without a farther) that goes on and on - about half way up I felt I had left my lungs behind BUT I made it!! CHUFFED (as in the pleased version - believe it means something a bit ruder in some places)
The Shropshire hills were beautiful in the evening light so just took my time to Pulverbatch arriving about 19:30. All down hill tomorrow so felt good
Reflections: When going gets tough just focus on the next step no matter how small - On Plush hill my focus was about 2 meters in front of my wheel!!
Thanks Jim for my sponsorship money and thanks Juliet and family for putting me up and feeding me.
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