Day 7 – to Kendal (70 miles)

After a hot night in a hotel with an out-of-control heating system, we woke up to torrential rain – having been heading further northward each day, the rain clouds had finally caught up with us. As the stingy hotel didn't include breakfast, we hit the road fairly early kitted in full wet weather gear. The first ten miles was hard going, with morning rush hour traffic hampering our progress. Things started getting easier once we passed the Reebok stadium (home of the Bolton Wanders football club for those who didn't know) although we were disturbed by the fact that we couldn't find anywhere for breakfast.

Finally, at Chorley, we found an open bakery. Unusually Brittany enjoyed an egg and brown sauce bap and simon was forced to have an egg, bacon and sausage baton as there was no available fruit and muesli. Although we enjoyed the breakfast, neither of us were looking forward to our scenic (hilly) route in the pouring rain.

As we were finishing up, a man in lycra wandered out from the back of the shop and started talking to us. He was the owner of the bakery, and had done the lejog last year! (he was on his way out for one last training run before a triathlon tomorrow). He told Brittany that she looked cold and insisted that the women behind the counter give us a bag of free flapjacks (thick square oatmeal cakes/ cookies) and a cup of soup. He proceeded to discuss our route with us and suggested a much more direct route, that he had taken on his 120-130 mile a day lejog (i.e. clearly part of the carbon- fibre water-bottle holder brigade). The route took us on the A6 straight to Lancaster via Preston. The road was not too busy as two M roads (motorways) pretty much paralleled it.

We were in Lancaster by lunch, having averaged over 18 miles per hour most of the way! We found a cheap Chinese and then headed to the bike store. With a new back tyre fitted we were soon back out in the rain and on our way to Kendal. (We thought of David and Miriam as we passed the sign to Halton - but decided to push on rather than camp on their doorstep until they returned from London)

The scenery should have been beautiful, but with the rain stinging our eyes and the trucks racing past on the A roads, it has been hard to appreciate the views. However, despite the awful weather, we have managed to travel further north than we had originally planned and will be having a shorter ride tomorrow as a result.

We are writing this instalment from a restaurant in the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, just behind the YHA where we are staying for the night. We are warm, clean and dry, and have just eaten some fairly decent pizzas. Simon has enjoyed a prize -winning local stout (“Station Porter”) and is likely to enjoy another one before we head out to watch the new Star Trek movie.

Live long and prosper...