June 18, 2014
North
The few weeks since the end of my last cycle-tour has been a time of sorting out paperwork and writing up and finishing off the journal for that tour. In other words a lot of time sitting sedentary. So it is good at last to be almost ready to go again, and, a weekend away doesn't go a miss as preparation.
The plan at the outset was to cycle north, hoping by the end of day one to get as near the north Antrim coast from where I live as possible. I had a tidy up on Friday afternoon, but still it was a shuffle on Saturday morning before setting off, getting what I would need together and making sure not to miss anything. The gear from the last tour was in a disorganized mess on the garage floor. Such a fall from my organised efficient ways when I'm on the road.
The day began overcast though by afternoon the cloud cover had broken up with warm sunshine and the outlook for the following few days was for the warm weather to continue. I remained on busy A roads for most of Saturday, passing over the hills to the west of Belfast, to Antrim town then to Ballymena. The aches and pains of a few weeks with little cycling, were having their effect. Could I really be cycling to Morocco soon, I though. I feel exhausted already; though by midday, the aches had gone.
Roads don't get any steeper than the minor roads along the North Antrim coast I rode on Sunday. The gradient is one-in-four in places near Tors Head, the closest point on the island of Ireland to Scotland. By three in the afternoon when I'd reached the Giants Causeway, I sat a long time feeling exhausted after all the climbing. Waking up rested on Monday morning, a long distance test of ninety-two miles lay ahead, riding back from the North Coast. The day after, I felt fatigue, even though I had only ridden three consecutive days and usually I ride five or six before a rest day. But I think because Is on familiar roads, I just rode at too quick a pace. Once I get away from the familiar, the pace will be slower. I'll see. The excitement of the adventure ahead is the unpredictable.
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