March 2015 - New friends.

One of my favourite things about cycling is just how social it is. Meet Michelle. 

We met in the middle of a rather hard (and only my second ever) Sportive in Salisbury. I had entered with Teresa, but she sadly couldn't make it on the day. 

I decided to give it a go anyway - how hard could it be? 

Well it was hard enough to make me want to turn back. I rode with an old chap for a while -he had cut back and only did 'these little ones these days' I let him go after a little while, I just couldn't keep up with his pace. I continued alone with nothing but the beep of my garmin to keep me company. I pulled over at one point with tears in my eyes - if I could have worked out how to get back to my car, I would have given up right there. But my only choice was to keep following the arrows and the bleeping device on my handlebars. 

About 5 mins later a couple caught up with me and we got chatting. Steve was the keen cyclist and Michelle had joined him to train for a London to Paris ride they were doing later in the year. 

The chat eased the miles and we soon rounded the corner for the big hill. 

I had no idea what was facing me, but this was their home ground,so they had joined their friends at the roadside taking in little silver packets of goo. If only I'd followed. 

The hill was big. The hill was steep. The hill carried on forever. I had to pull over as I just couldn't get my breath. I ate a chocolate bar (I've learned a lot since then) 

Michelle and Steve saw me as they rode past. They checked I was ok and rode on. I finished my bar, took a picture started out again and my chain came off. 

I rode on and it happened again. 

Eventually I got up the hill and got myself to the food station. As I rode in Steve came running towards me. Evidently they had been waiting for me to arrive, Steve was about to retrace his steps to find me and vowed that they wouldn't be leaving me for the rest of the ride. 

We did, in the end, convince Steve to go on ahead as he was so much faster than us. We rolled in and collected our medals at least half an hour after him. But during that time the friendship was forged. 

Michelle and I have riden numerous Sportive a together since then and still keep in contact to this day. 

Riding the longest distance I had ever riden was good, being awarded a medal was great, but the reward of a great friendship - priceless.