LEJOG day 7

Today wasn't just flat, it was proper flat. An early start, reluctantly foregoing the free breakfast and leaving the populace of Shrewsbury to sleep off their hangovers, we picked our way out of the town along the river.

Riding the NC45, we made good progress, only stopping at Whitchurch after 29 miles. At this point Tracy was suffering from cake withdrawal symptoms, so a cafe stop was essential for medicinal purposes. We got talking with a retired cyclist outside Costa, who regretted never doing LEJOG himself, although he had cycled from London to Monaco!

We continued on the NC75 towards Nantwich, where we encountered many Sunday morning road cyclists. A friendly bunch, despite not wearing our LEJOG jerseys, they sparked up conversation, with one sharing a story of his brother in law riding it in April. He said the weather was bad. I replied that April is still winter in Scotland! Another rider described my marmite jersey as the best jersey he has ever seen!

Weather today was much cooler, with spots of rain in the air. I liked it. 

After a week in the saddle, we have taken stock of the toll that it has taken on our bodies.

I have pulled a muscle in my back/left leg. Ok whilst cycling, but I am like an old man in the morning.

Two fingers on my left hand are numb.

Tracy's injuries include being ginger, having sore quads and legs that look like they have been in a warzone, covered in random cuts, bruises and insect bites. The biggest problem though, is saddle soreness, with her sit bones protesting at every road bump. In an effort to reduce the discomfort, she has invested in sanitary towels, as cushioning. Tracy is frustrated with the thinness of modern products, as they don't provide the comfort that she is looking for. She has considered Tena pants. I think that will also reduce the need for toilet stops. Win/win! She has rejected this idea as too embarrassing.

We stopped for a subway lunch in Nantwich, before heading towards Winsford. Unfortunately a road closure meant that we had to divert from our route. The wonders of modern technology made coping with this very easy. Our detour took us past Oulton race track and then onto a disused railway, bringing us back on route north of Winsford.

Rock salt mine at Winsford 

Our route continued on through Northwich, on the river,  then on to the old Warrington road to Marbury country park, via restricted by-ways. We stopped for ice-cream, before riding on to Warrington via the Trans Pennine Way, an old railway that takes a traffic free route into  the city centre.

A by-way under the railway.

True statement 

Trans Pennine Way

Our fastest day so far, 11mph average. A good day on the saddle, but have some trepidation about the climbs tomorrow.

Distance travelled: 83 miles

Elevation:  2773ft

Cake of the day: Blueberry muffin

Tracy whinge factor: 0/10

Total distance: 467 miles