We left the site at 6:15 and headed south west to the A49, this picturesque ride took us close to trafford and through Lymm. The pace was extremely slow this morning and no matter how much we tried we struggled to make our usual grade, we were tired and seemingly unenthuised until late morning when we headed passed Weaverham, Cuddington and Nantwich and were in sight of Whitchurch and Wem.

We stopped in Whitchurch and I asked two local boys where the nearest cafe was, go round the back Mate and you’ll get a cuppa. We made our way as directed and were greeted by a bandaged lady who ushered us in. The chip shop although closed was made available to us for a rest and refuelling. This warmth was shared by the other staff who knocked up some brews and bacon rolls. Relaxed and enthuised by the respite we hit the road and headed off to Wem.

The pace picked up and we soon made positive progress through Shrewsbury to Church Stretton and Craven Arms. But here we hit a low moment, I had lost my rhythm and we had stopped for a coffee break, but after David and I sped off Mark had another crash and fell in the road. He finally caught up and we decided to locate the nearest campsite, today felt like a write off and we needed a breather. We stopped at Ashton on Clun and enjoyed a rest.

Distance cycled 82 miles.

Time 9 hours 58 minutes.

Heart rate average 110 beats per minute.

Calorie expenditure 4,366.

Fat percentage of energy during exercise 55%.