Sunday Cycle - 102 Miles before lunch!

Since all the other Carbonauts had 'stuff to do' today I decided to get out into the countryside with my trusty bicycle-friend and make up for last Sunday's lack of miles!

I decided to start early so that I could be back to do family stuff for most of the day. I got out of bed around 5am and was out the house shortly after 5:30am (once I had loaded up with some porridge)

I made my way towards Culloden and joined the A96 for a few moments before slipping left towards the airport and then Ardersier. From there I continued on to Nairn and Forres (I was soaked to the skin on this stretch of A96) then I turned south and made my way to Grantown-on-Spey via the A939. The miles between Forres and Grantown were very long and tough ones. I had a side/headwind for the duration and also it was mostly uphill!! See below, Grantown is between 30 and 50 miles on my journey:

From Grantown, I headed west to Carrbridge where I stopped and took half of a sandwich on board. The route I planned forced me to double back on myself about a mile and a half to catch the B9007 towards Nairn via Ferness. It was more uphill to begin with (see 62 to 67 miles above) but then it settled a bit before giving me a lovely section of downhill (except for a very nasty little climb at around 77 miles, after crossing a small bridge nr Ardclach). I was pretty knackered by the time I reached Nairn and I knew I had another 16 miles ahead of me with no alternative but to cycle them!

But I got my head down and cycled through, curiously, a headwind going back West. I find this particularly odd because I clocked an Easterly wind at the Norbord stack at Dalcross on the way out, and a Westerly coming back in. Proof, finally, that the wind does change to meet you head-first, when you're cycling!

Eventually I got home at around 12:55 lunchtime and I am not at all embarrassed to tell you that I was absolutely shattered from this cycle trip. Forres to Carrbridge was very tough. There were no extreme uphills but it was just so constant and unrelenting. I fell in the door, headed to the shower and lay in bed for an hour. What a relief!

Pleased to have cracked the 100 mile barrier finally, but the thought of this for 10 consecutive days, scares me!

Distance: 102.2 miles

Avg Speed: 15.4 mph

Duration: 7 Hours

:)

John