Day 5

That was a long stage! Had I been fresh, it would probably have been OK as, apart from a diversion at one point which went up steeply to put me on a higher road for a couple of miles, before descending steeply again, the route was entirely on decent paths alongside the river.

However, while rising very gently, I was certainly aware that I was heading upstream. The regular locks made that even more obvious.

At one point I needed to apply Ibuprofen Gel in a place I never have before!!! Pleasantly, it seemed to do the job 😌.

Nevertheless, by the 60km mark I felt close to the limit, but tuned in to Smooth 70s on my phone (other radio stations are available) and the music took my mind off how I was feeling and gave me a rhythm to pedal too, meaning I managed to keep my average speed up to just over 16kmh (10mph) – despite what Strava thinks at it managed to add an extra hour and a bit to my ‘moving’ time.

There was plenty of nature to be enjoyed en route. Clouded Yellow butterflies were quite common. As were Cattle Egrets in amongst the Cattle! Add in the small lizards, the Red Squirrels, the Little Egrets and Grey Herons, the Green Woodpeckers and the Kingfisher, and it was a real blessing.

I am now enjoying the luxury of a small, but very pleasant apartment for two nights, giving me a day off tomorrow to recover some muscle strength and energy, ready for the three stages still to come. I think Sunday’s stage could be a big challenge as the general incline increases.

I will take a day off from Instagram and this blog too. Like Manna in the wilderness, they’ll be nothing to see on Saturday! So, back on Sunday.

Not many photos to share today, but here are a couple plus my route video.