Day 7. Date  20-06-16. Time: 20:30. Rain Rain Rain and more Rain. So today started wet and we donned the wet gear yet again. Weather cleared up after approx 10 miles but by then pretty wet. We made it to Scotland today, and it was a great motivational boost, as I am still nursing as best I can the hamstring injury on my right leg which is also affecting the knee, which still pangs each time I rotate the pedals. However today that mainly cleared up after 10 miles but still chose to remind me at various points throughout the day. We did 94 miles today mostly into a strong headwind and reached Kilmarnoch. The hotel is right next to Kilmarnock Football Stadium, so I made sure I touched the walls – just something that gives me pleasure as I try to touch or see as many football stadiums in the country as I  can.

Anyway, today was a varied day and I learned how to ride a tad technically in a group using a technique called ‘through and off’ – this involves being at the front and peeling off to the right to rest as you drop back to rejoin the group at the back on the left.  The idea is to move up again on the left without expending any more energy and you only spend about 7 seconds at the front before peeling off again. It helps in talking headwinds, as you only have to deal with it for a few seconds before resting. Got that – hmmm I think I probably confused myself :)

I also ended up loosing this well organised group and spent about 40 miles battling a headwind on the relatively deserted Scottish roads on my own without a GPS. With a sore knee that was quite a lonely and moral zapping time. But I have made it. Now to sleep and hope my knee is a bit better in the morning. We are off to Inveraray at 82 miles. We even have to catch a ferry. Paul.