Newbury to London, Hammersmith. 20 miles

This was the hardest day for me, we woke up in the beautiful luxury of the golf course, and had a nice big breakfast before setting of across the sunlight frosty landscape. I had had aches and pains since day one. So I took a painkiller, determined to press through. About 4 miles in, the pain started to escalate. It was a beautiful day, wildlife was abundant, and the sun and ice made beautiful patterns. But unfortunately I was beyond appreciating any of this. The pain in my knee was excrutiating, everything else was trying to compensate, and so aches spread up and down. I pushed on and made it to Theale. Just outside Reading. Luckily we had decided to get a train through to Twickenhan, to avoid the busy roads and complicated roundabouts. At Reading station, remarkably, I bumped into my friend Ryan who I knew through a friend from Okehampton. Muddy and sweaty I gave him a big hug, what a little sliver of Devon! On the train I was heavily questioned by a man, before he asked for
my number, much to the amusement of Claire and my mum... I just shook my head and blushed heavily in to the polar bear mascot who had joined my journey.

We made it to Twickernham and out into London. Back on the bikes, my pain was only getting worse, and I retreated into a silent grumpy world. Head down and going as best as I could. The birdlife along the Thames was fantastic, greater creasted grebes, cormorants and parakeets!
Part of the route was closed, and we got a bit lost trying to find our way, there was also lots of flooding along our path and darkness was descending. I was pretty fed up. I didn't feel like celebrating. We got stopped by some Aussies from Perth, who wanted to know where the nightlife in London was, we said something along the lines of: do we look like we know about the nightlife in London? We're sweaty and mud splattered, and we've just cycled 100 miles to be here. I walked off at that point, but my mum reported that they were very nice, had said I was very beautiful and to keep up the good work, which I was pretty chuffed with, especially since I had a polar bear stuffed down my reflective jacket and thermals...

Eventually we made it. Food and comfy sofas! Nice hot bath revealed my horribly swollen knees! Ouch... :( but bed and sleep! Lovely.