First 1000 for me, fast start hanging onto aidens cassette until I was dropped near Glasson Dock (I think), lonely for a bit then hung onto second group to Carnforth where they went to Tesco while I went to the truck stop shop.
Set off alone up to Shap where I found Iroromono looking unusually knackered, I then dropped him unintentionally and repeatedly to penrith where it was clear he was coming down with something.
Stopped at petrol station on way into Carlisle so bounced Gretna after seeing the cost of a sandwich, tea at Lockerbie truck stop was a steak pie, chips and token vegetable, more food was needed at Abington and the Noodle bar sorted that.
Rise over to Paisley was quite decent skirting EK though discovered I've a wiring fault in one of my Son connectors which is a bit of a pain when it shorts the light off while cornering... Finished descent with the battery back up glad its a too see one too.
Got in just before 1 which was an hour latter than I'd hoped, Didn't get a great sleep at Paisley and woke with the shakes at my first departure thought of 3ish eventually leaving after breakfast around 5.
Discovered Dumbarton McDonald's is drive thru only at 6am and I wasn't for waiting longer, up gareloch and past the hippies and nukes before the lump over to arrochar, started crossing paths with transalba riders (someone may want to point out to the organisers that it's around not across...)
Struggled up glen Croe on the Main road and was thankful for the burger van though I wasn't resting for 15 minutes for a Bambi burger so settled for the normal cow sourced meat.
Fast crossing of the Bealach and descent of Glen kinglass, quick stop at the petrol station in inverary to put a sandwich in the bag then hauled myself up the ramp to Loch awe, was really feeling the struggle and heat so ostopped at bonawe shop for ice cream and stuff out the bag on their bench.
Checked the TA tracker to see if any of the riders I know were near by and I appear to have missed Steve Scott by a matter of minutes at Taynuilt. Andy W packed at dunbeag as Rob was about ready to head on just after I arrived, so spoke to them for a bit there, caught the end of the rubbish traffic on the o ich to Fort Bill section as my return was much quieter than outbound, saw a good number of riders returning as I was on my way north.
Although I'd marked Cobbs on the rwgps I couldn't think of anywhere to eat other than McDonald's.
Caught Ballachulish coop so stocked up for the night, another rider who's only extra kit appeared to be a bag full of McChicken Sandwiches caught up with me at the parking area before the study where I'd taken a comfort break.
Rolled into Crianlarich at halfisnigbt and made a beeline for Scotland's Premier audax Hotel, joining another rider for 3 hours.
Loch lomond was a bit boring as was sunrise, rubbish roads in Dumbartonshire
Glad to be in Paisley for once in my life!
Got in at 7 and after breakfast, change and then a snooze set off around half 8, mostly quiet roads for my very slow start up and over the hills only really getting I to it as I set about the climbs to Abington
Thought about stopping at happendon but kept going, on arrival at a ington I wished I'd already eaten, the fast food concessions has queues that would have destroyed what little extra cushion I'd built up so wh smiths had to do.
Spoke to (?)Steve and Raymond about the descent and accidentally lost them early on as I went surface hunting on my way down to the truck stop where I grabbed an ice cream then stood in the queue behind a truck driver who was trying to explain what he wanted to buy and not doing too well, possibly an indication that the sirloin on the cafe menu would have been fine.
Stopped to lendy pump to a rider on the descent and we stopped at Gretna together, he stuck with me until the heslett climb where a mech failure meant he needed to batter on.
Stopped at the first petrol station in penrith
Then pressed on up Shap where the bus shelter provided a picnic and sleep stop.
Finally over the summit and I'd forgotten how broken up the south side is never Maintaining full on plummet speed though with an abandoned caravan on the road at one point that was maybe not a bad thing.
Was glad to reach lancaster when it was quiet as I was climbing slower than the glaciers. Got to Carnforth as Steve and Raymond were about to set off but passed them snoozing in a bus shelter some where in the western flat land, hated the final crawl into Lytham as my route was set up for traffic dodging!
Just retracing the route on the train now as we cross Shap and Beattock.
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