Day 10

A long day in prospect but I don't think any of us knew just how long!
We were to meet Nicola a colleague of Eddie's at our final destination. Lovely Nicola had offered to cook us dinner and wash our clothes but it wasn't to be. Our bedraggled contingent still hadn't arrived at 9.15.
Stopping off for medical treatment on my baboons backside we reached the outskirts of Glasgow when Eddie decided he preferred the floor to his sadle. A nasty fall and bruises to match but very lucky it was nothing more serious.
Our navigation of the Clyde was to be "interesting". The official route had us going through the Clyde tunnel. Surely not? But it was too late. We wizzed through the Clyde Tunnel to a deafening chorus of lorry horns. Strangely Chris appeared to have few problems negotiating the steep exit road. We both flew out and waited at the other side fully expecting to see Eddie emerge on the bonnet of a 30 tonner. He was chased out of the tunnel by a couple of artics as the tunnel police screamed at us through megaphones to "use the cycle path provided" oops! Next time eh?
I'd been looking forward to getting my new seat all day and had somehow managed to get through the 37 miles from Cumnock by taking copious quantities of pain killers and bum medicine. The seat was great and the relief emmense. For the first time in 3 days I didn't have shooting pains down my legs every time I turned the pedals. I was in heaven. You don't see it coming but you do feel the impact. A guy opened the door of his car, straight in to me and my beloved Fondreist. I was sent sprawling but bar the odd scratch I was fine. My bike wasn't so good. After over 700 miles and thousands in training she'd had enough. A broken gear shifter that couldn't be replaced for days and a twisted frame that meant the bike pulled violently to the right.
Bugger was one of the words that came to mind but there were plenty of others. The bike shop "Magic Cycles" in Bowling, Clydebank were brilliant. They couldn't do much but offered to loan me a bike for the rest of the trip. The bikes They had were designed for meandering along canal banks and not for the hills of The Cairngorms but at 5pm in the evening I had no choice and loaned a shopping bike from them. I chose not to take the accessories as the basket and handlebar ribbons would get wet. Top speed 10mph. Half that of the Fondy. But at least I got them to change the seat to my new padded racer seat...a stupid mistake. The bike wasn't a racer and the seating position was very different. My bum gave me hell for the next 30 miles. At one point I got off the bike, lay on the pavement with my head on my panniers not knowing what to do next. It was 16 very painful miles to Ardlui our next stop. I arrived at 9.15 and was in bed for ten after two mouthfuls of dinner.
At 2.30am and having had very little sleep I resolved to call it a day. My bum was only going to get worse and was already unbearable. The new bike would mean I'd have to stay in the seat and not be able to get relief by peddle standing. It would be brave to carry on but it would be stupid and could make me very ill. The pressure on my bladder meant that I had to go to the toliet very regularly. I made the tough decision to call it a day. I'm sure that in the future I'll look back and kick myself as I was so close. I was fit enough and managed my nutrition well but I failed to listen to my body. I'd known there was a problem since Kirkby Lonsdale and should have changed my seat then.
So this morning Chris and Eddie cycled off toward Glen Coe and their eventual stop of Spean Bridge. It's a very soggy day and set to get worse and there were a whole troup of midges waiting to pounce. But they're made of strong stuff. Chris and Eddie will reach JOG on Friday. My thoughts are with them every second of the way and I'll be looking out for their continued blog on this page...
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