It's just a jump to the left!...

...And then a step to the right!

I'll tell you about that later though.

Today was the first in a series of dry runs: Straight line runs from one end of the WC2C running linearly for 5 or 6 hrs at a time. Each week I'll pick up where I finished, and carry on.

We got up at daft o'clock again and drove from the Cardiff area to Caernarfon. Jo acted as my taxi and then went and did her thing at Coed-y-Brenin.

I started at, well, the start by Caernarfon Castle and headed south. It's a lovely place to start, poised betwixt castle walls and the sea, with it's swing bridge and noisy seagulls.



This was only a practice, but I was nervous!

That's my nervous face

I'm tucking myself in in this photo, it's not some strange soldiers' pose, promise.

It was also going to be an opportunity to remap the the early stages and their ascent. I'd had problems with my Memory Map software not picking the satmap ascent, or being able to calculate it's own. I'd guessed at 300m.

Jo took a few photos, while I stood and froze. I was itching to get going.

She's always looking down on me

And they're off!

Off I went, and made good ground following the Sustrans Route 8 to Porthmadoc, where I came across a farmer with his two boys walking down a lane and going in the same direction as me.

I so dislike bells on bikes. They are supremely impersonal things that "announce" your presence to all, with out so much as a "by your leave?" I'd rather coast slowly up to somebody, at about walking pace and say, "hello" and ask if they could let me through.

This family guy was so engrossed with his kids that he didn't hear me saying "hello" as I came up behind him (slowly), repeating myself a few times.

He did hear me the last time as I sidled up to him.

He jumped out of his skin, and did "The Time-Warp" dance! He jumped up and to the left, arms waving all over the place, as he looked to see his kids were safe. He landed square on both feet with his hands dropping onto his hips for some reason. Then he thrust his right foot to the right, and in front of his closest child in a protective manoeuver (hands on hips).

It was the best Time Warp I had ever seen. All that was missing were the stockings, suspenders and camp make-up.

That reminds me, I need to call Rich.

I laughed myself silly, whilst apologising profusely and promising to get a bell. As a parting gesture I commented on his superb disco moves, to which he laughed again.

It's a good job he saw the funny side, he was twice my size.

Anyway. I finished the part of the route that I didn't have ascent data for. Remember that I thought it would be about 300m?

1750m!

I thought I was getting sweaty.

There is something nice about pulling off of Route 8 to do the single track finishes for "The Beast", including the skull and crossbones section, pop pickers. It's a mountain bike challenge,and it needs it's fun bits, after all!

Carrying on by following "The Dragons Back" until you cross the river back onto Route 8, just fills the time and makes sure that you can actually ride a bike on the rough stuff.

The day ended between Dolgellau and Machynlleth with 3600m of ascent, in under 100km!

We've only just started the hills at this point.

I suppose we are a designing a "Lasting Challenge".

I think we've done it, too.