Day 25 (Wed 16th December)
Walberswick (SUFFOLK) to Colchester (ESSEX)
Distance: 100.5km (Total distance 1870.5km)
Time in the saddle: 5:37
Climbing: 736m
As I rolled out from Walberswick on Day 25 at 9am with a hangover, the temperature barely if at all above freezing, patches of ice on the road, and the thought of at least 5 hours in the saddle ahead of me, I felt grim, and was already wishing that I was in Colchester.
It had become increasingly clear that the end of the week was going to be very cold, and I’d had an urgent text from my sis just before I left saying that there was snow predicted for my route sometime after lunch. She urged me to get on the bike and get going, and not to worry about sending her a text message back, for fear that those few seconds may be the ones I’d need later in the day to claw my way to Tammy and Jon’s front door before the snow drifts overcame me!
And so started one of those days that was miserable at the time, but which assume a special place in your memory soon afterwards. It was just bloody grim.
My toes and fingers were numb with cold, my nose was also freezing, and to make the 100 km that extra bit fun I had a gentle headwind that slowed me down just that little bit and made sure the snow, when it did start to fall, went straight in my face.
And it started to snow a lot sooner than I’d hoped. By 11 I was cycling through a steady shower of flakes, although thankfully they were turning wet on the roads, if not on the fields.
I can’t remember many rides where I’ve been so obsessed with how far I had left to go. I’d turn my bike computer to a screen where I couldn’t see the distance covered, and then challenge myself to not look at it for as long as possible, deliberately under-estimating how far I’d covered in the intervening period.
I’d then give in and take a look at how far was left, and on two occasions was so genuinely surprised that I’d underestimated by more than 5km that it gave me a real boost for the next 20 minutes or so.
It was psychologically important when I got past half distance. But I still had a feeling of doom about the rest of the trip. My fear that the snow was only going to get worse lead to negative thoughts not only about finishing the day, but also about getting back to Oxford, and I was in a pretty bad mood all day.
The snow at one point got really thick, and there was the chance that it would lay on the road and cause problems, but although the countryside turned white, the roads were just OK. And as I approached Colchester, I was thankful that at least I’d made it to my next rest day, and could take a look at the weather reports.
Arriving at Tammy and Jon’s I wasn’t given too much opportunity to dwell on my own selfish concerns for long, as little Lyla, their daughter, was having a birthday tea for her 2nd birthday.
Tam is a friend from uni days, and has been with Jon for 17 years (!) and they now have 3 kids – Solomon (3), Lyla (2) and Seth, who must be weighing in at about 6 months now.
Tam is an ace analyst for a bank in the City, and Jon is a brilliant teacher who now works in a special unit teaching autistic kids.
When they got married 5 years ago in Florence we all headed out there for a memorable few days, and that remains the one and only wedding that I’ve officially photographed. I still maintain I enjoyed it!
As soon as I’d showered and got warm, it was all hands on deck as a flurry of kids and friends and family arrived, and I felt a bit shell-shocked after the hard day in the saddle I’d just endured.
A few hours later, when the crowd had left, and the kids were in bed, we crashed on the sofa and I looked forward to a good sleep and then a day of rest and getting to know the three kids better the next day.
Day 26 (Thurs 17th December)
Rest day in Colchester
The word ‘rest’ shouldn’t be taken too literally when there are three children under the age of 4 to look after.
I say ‘look after’. Tam and Jon would be amused if I suggested that I in any way contributed seriously to looking after the kids that day. I did however have a good stab at pretending to be Luke Skywalker for 20 minutes, built several animals out of K’Nex, and generally tried to be amusing and likeable in the face of occasional interest, and more than occasional disinterest from the three of them.
What was nice though was feeling by the end of the day that the kids were used to having me around, and to have gotten a much better sense of their personalities and where they were at. In short, they’re all adorable, but in very different ways.
Sol is a real boy, tearing around, into everything, but then he has some very cute moments when he wants to sit down and do a puzzle, or when he was building a snowman with me.
Lyla is adorably sweet, still getting to grips with speaking properly, and she insists on dressing herself, which at just turned two is remarkable and, with arms and legs in the wrong holes, also at times hilarious.
She also likes wearing Sol’s Darth Vader outfit (picture above) and with the outfit on, light sabre in one hand, teddy and comfort blanket in the other and the Imperial March music on the iPod I was in stitches.
With all the energy and movement of Sol and Lyla, young Seth at times seems placid and easy in comparison. Probably not quite how Tam and Jon perceive it, having to feed and change his nappies all the time though! He’s doing some proper smiling, and I got to do lots of baby-holding and was generally feeling quite paternal.
We went for an icy walk at Flatford Mill, which is where John Constable painted The Hay Wain, and then had a nice lunch at a restaurant just outside Dedham. A very nice day out, and it was amusing trying to keep three kids entertained in a restaurant.
In the evening Jon, who’s an amazing and enthusiastic cook, rustled up a bruschetta starter, risotto main and then a zabaglione for dessert. All washed down with plenty of wine, as it started to snow heavily outside.
I’d been checking the forecast regularly, and it had been very cold all day, and thinks started to look grim as evening came round. It was really snowing thickly, and the outlook wasn’t looking good as we headed off to bed.
Day 27 (Friday 18th December)
The end of the road!
One look out of the curtains confirmed that my trip was over. The snow was 6 inches deep, the roads were barely OK for the cars to tackle, let alone a racing bike on skinny tyres, and the forecast gave little hope that the snow would clear for at least 4 days, with more snow forecast.
I was very disappointed, and will probably become more disappointed as time goes by, I’m sure. But I have to admit that I did also have a sense of relief that, now the decision had been made for me by circumstance, I didn’t have to get on the bike again and do any more riding.
After almost a month of riding almost every day, when the end came I was always going to feel a huge sense of relief. That it was tempered by an added feeling of regret and disappointment didn’t mean that I didn’t still have that thought of ‘thank God its all over’, which I’d just expected to be getting 2 days later in Oxford.
So making the best of a bad job we headed into the driveway to build a snowman, and then after a visit from Tam’s Mum and Dad (thanks for the donation!) it was off to Colchester Station and a 4 hour journey into London, taxi across London, then train out to Oxford.
Not the arrival I’d been hoping for, and I do so wish I’d rolled down the same street that I’d set off from what seemed like an age ago, but then I was still so happy to get home, and proud of myself.
That evening was really great, as my sis, Gregoire and Monty-the-dog came over bearing champagne, a banner (which they’d intended me to ride under the next day had I made it) and a balloon, then we were joined by Leigh and Mara for a curry before we all headed off to the Old Bookbinders, my local in Jericho.
Nick and Harriet joined us soon after, and we all cracked on with the wine, and I was indluged by being allowed to tell lots of tales from my trip. We ended up at Nick and Harriet’s at 2 in the morning, and feeling like we’d properly marked the end of the trip in style. It was a really great way to mark my arrival home.
