Monday 9 August 2010

20th July 2010 - Longtown to Crombie

Surprise surprise, it's not raining, in fact it is almost sunny. We check out of the hotel and I head off on the A7 up to Edinburgh and then home. Today, I am taking the A7 through Hawick, Selkirk, Galashiels and on to Edinburgh. The road is surprisingly quiet and this is the first day I have really enjoyed the cycling.  I have a saddlebag full of food, including an entire date and walnut loaf (my favourite), thanks to my lovely wife and things are good. This is what I had hoped my LEJOG would be.

The miles pass by pretty quickly. I spot a deli in Selkirk so decide to stop for some coffee and a slice of apple pie. Back on the bike, the next town is Galashiels.  After Galashiels, the next milestone is Edinburgh.  The road is still quiet and my only trouble is my right calf is very tight. I need to stop and stretch a couple of times. Carol has arranged with Drew Bell, a friend and fellow Dunfermline Cycling Club member, to give me a tow back from Edinburgh with a few other club members.  Once I know how long I am going to be, I give Drew a call.  

In Edinburgh, I picked up the B701 round to Wester Hailes (it's great when you know where your going), then on to the canal path to Ratho, up the hill to Ratho Station and then on to Kirkliston.

I met Drew and Jim Jackson in Kirkliston.  Two minutes later, Jim Reid and Gavin Cooper arrive.  We also meet up with some of the other DCC guys.  It was great to catch up with everyone and it was a big morale boost to cycle back with everyone over the Forth Road Bridge. In no time at all we are back in Crombie.

That's the first stretch over, nearly 700 miles, of those, 106 miles were cycled today.  My third century ride in a week and I feel amazingly fine.

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