Confession Time

[Audax67]

Never had to paddle, our roads don't get that wet. Although there was that time south of Nancy...

My confession is that I'm only in it (cycling) for the cake. Well, not quite, but knowing that my favourite patisserie is closed is a strong incentive to stay at home.

[Tangled Metal]

That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!

[Tangled Metal]

Never had to paddle, our roads don't get that wet. Although there was that time south of Nancy...

My confession is that I'm only in it (cycling) for the cake. Well, not quite, but knowing that my favourite patisserie is closed is a strong incentive to stay at home.

After a beginner trip we ended up paddling out of lake windermere and over the road to the carpark at waterhead once. Well we might have needed to carry our boats over the road but I've never paddled the carpark before that or since. A mate paddled up to the transformer box there too so I guess power was out around there too. They later lifted it up onto a scaffolding mini tower as a temporary bridge to get power back.

PS we did it for after paddle beer and crisps. Plus the chat. You get hyper and relaxed after a good trip.

[Mick F]

Confessions about my ride yesterday.

The hills were horrendous. No wonder I've not done those roads before!
Should have done 44miles, but after having to WALK up a couple of longer ones, I cut my losses and headed back to where I'd parked the car. 33miles done.

It wasn't that the hills were very steep, it's just that they came thick and fast.

[philvantwo]

Oh dear Mick F.......have you got to go back?
Or not?

[Mick F]

Yes.

My next plan, is to ride over all the bridges over the River Tamar again.
Last done when I didn't have GPS so I have no record of them. Meanwhile, there are another three bridges to ride.
There were 23 when I did them in 2000-and-something, but now there are 26.

I'll drive up to a layby just south of Kilkhampton and do the ten miles I missed, then the first eleven bridges.
That'll be another 33miles.

The rest of the bridges, I can do from home-and-back.

[Mike_Ayling]

That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!

They have the DW records back to the start in 1948. In 1971 we paddled 26h 8m, winning time was 19h 22m. we were 23rd of 62 entries. I feel quite pleased with myself after reading all that!

[Tangled Metal]

62nd out if 62 finishers is pretty good in my book so 23rd is amazing. I've not done long paddling trips but I've done enough challenge walks to know that longer, harder endurance events take their toll in more than three physical way.

Although with land based distance walking/ running events did leave me walking like an old man for the first few steps after getting up out of the chair or car. You know what I mean, you need the arms of the chair to get up then you're walking a few steps slightly hunched and in a shuffle until your joints loosen. Then you walk fully upright and almost like normal.

Any likelihood you'll try it again?

[pwa]

That it is. Not something for me I think. I'm more of a float down rapids with a bit of exertion in the play waves then rest on the float down to the next play wave. Well apart from the white knuckle parts where your don't actually grip your paddle hard enough to get white knuckles because you're feeling so alive and conscious of everything that it's like everything's slow motion and you're in control. When you get that feeling on a big rapid you're living off it for quite some time. It becomes a long term memory.

Of course when that ceases to happen you're usually in trouble relying on your mates to get your stupid derriere out of the river. That's when you know you can really trust your chosen paddling companions. You end up with a very tight knit group you can bet your life on.

I still used to have a slight interest in doing the DW once in my life. That's gone now. I'm not a marathon peddler I know that well enough. Well done you for doing it. Big respect for that!

They have the DW records back to the start in 1948. In 1971 we paddled 26h 8m, winning time was 19h 22m. we were 23rd of 62 entries. I feel quite pleased with myself after reading all that!

Whoever came in 62nd will have been the real hero of the day, persevering in spite of finding it really hard.

[Mike_Ayling]

62nd out if 62 finishers is pretty good in my book so 23rd is amazing. I've not done long paddling trips but I've done enough challenge walks to know that longer, harder endurance events take their toll in more than three physical way.

Although with land based distance walking/ running events did leave me walking like an old man for the first few steps after getting up out of the chair or car. You know what I mean, you need the arms of the chair to get up then you're walking a few steps slightly hunched and in a shuffle until your joints loosen. Then you walk fully upright and almost like normal.

Any likelihood you'll try it again?

I am now 78, and not 28 and

I now live in Australia and the rules require one to be a resident of the United Kingdom for reasons of learning the course as you will be doing some of it at night and the Thames locks and weirs require a bit of caution!

So that would be a definite no!

BTW I have never done a 200km Audax either.

Mike

[philvantwo]

How did your ride go Mick F?