From Workington to Tynemouth C2C - in a day

Coast to Coast in a day 13 May 2017

 

I've been trying to get some company for this ride for around two years. It's a trans pennine dash which some people make into a mini break, others into a holiday. I wanted to do it in a day and couldn't find any takers. I decided that the Maratona group may have some takers in it. Because they have already agreed to do something a little bit...erm...mad.

 

I managed to get one of the women interested. And she asked a friend of hers. So there we were. A tight pack of 3. 

 

We had a support car driven by my partner. The car was to join us at Penrith on Saturday morning. We needed an early start to ride from Workington so we travelled by train from Manchester Piccadilly on Friday after work. There was an incredibly drunk man on the Carlisle to Workington leg of the journey who, after urinating against the wall on the platform 3 metres away from the entrance to the gents, kept us entertained (from a distance) on the train with his relentless attempt to say the word 'palaver' 

 

On arrival into Workington, Karen ( who had made a (not drunk) friend on the train) lead us ( with her new friend who was also on his bike) to our B&B. Shout out to the Waverley Hotel who agreed to get our breakfast for 5.30am. Very accommodating. Two porridges for me, coffee, juice, toast and then at just after 6, in the drizzle we set off in the wrong direction for the obligatory photos by the C2C post before heading out East at around 6.30am.

 

The three of us stayed tight. Which meant getting very wet behind the wheel of whoever was in front. And dirty. And then quite cold. But good progress up Whinlatter pass and into Penrith Morrisons for a meet with the car. Hot flask. Cuddle. Encouragement. Change of gloves and waterproof. And off. 40 miles of the 130 were done but the main climbing was to come.

 

The day got better. The rain stopped after about 4 hours. Katy's pad in her tights had been foaming suds due to the combination of soap (??) and rain. Most amusing. She smelt fresh all the way! We climbed and descended. Then climbed and descended. Then we climbed. And descended. We talked about Rubis quite a bit in a comedy ' if only they really knew, really realised what this is actually like'. There was plenty of singing, mainly out of tune. Which got me thinking. We need a Rubis tune.

We climbed. And descended.

 

We stopped next at the top of a hill and I ate, ate, ate and our final stop was at Consett for water at the car. Then the monotonous cycle into Tynemouth along the cycle path. The first section is lovely by the river in Newcastle and it feels like the work is almost done. But there is still quite a chunk to do. Next it's through housing estates, glass smashed on the road and chicanes to slow us down. Frustrating. I practised my very best local accent saying 'Than kew' to pedestrians who allowed us to pass by on the path.

 

At 6.32pm we arrived at the signpost at Tynemouth. 2 minutes behind my target time. 10 hours and 11 mins moving time for 127.9 miles and 11,509 feet of climbing. 

 

Job done.

 

Niki had brought us Prosecco. I'm on a drink ban but I had some. We did the formula one thing and sprayed it. And I took a medicinal Guinness later too. I slept well. And spent the next day on the beach. A good weekend's work.

 

 

The event in July is 86 miles and 14,000 feet of climbing. The ratio of distance to climbing is significant in the Maratona. It felt hard on the Coast to Coast. But that was just a starter by comparison.