2019 Coast to Coast Whitehaven to Tynemouth

I like the back up on having a postcard on the handlebars with all the villages/towns I need to look out for on the way.  Its incredibly useful when your map is in your rucksack and you just want a quick confirmation that you're heading in the right direction. So tonight was a chance for a quick refresher on the route, this website is great for that ....    http://www.c2c-guide.co.uk/the-route/ and a quick look at the road layout in certain busier stretches.  An hour later, hey presto, the entire route reduced to villages I must aim for with accumulated miles from the start in Whitehaven in brackets to check against the on board Garmin that all is in order. So for anyone else attempting this, here is my village checker.... Day 01 Whitehaven - Rugby Club – Corkickle – Mirehouse – Moor Row – Cleator Moor [5] – Frizington – Rowrah – Lamplugh – Loweswater [17] – Thackthwaite – High Lorton – Whinlatter – Braithwaite [27] – Portinscale – Keswick [31] – ...

On Friday, I take the short 12 mile cycle to Central Station and catch the 15:13 train to Carlisle then onto a connection to Whitehaven  to begin a tough weekend of training for the new cycle season.   Solo of course, I must like my own company after all these years. It will be C2C No. 5 for me I think, I remember the very first, which was the longest ride I'd done at that time about 11 years ago, when I was just getting back into cycling.  I still have a photo on the beach at Tynemouth (shown below) as I completed the 140 miles over three days with stops at Langwathby and Stanhope.  I looked a bit younger and a lot lighter then. The weather recently has been very severe with gale force winds and torrential rain, this after a beautiful sunny February so I'm hoping it stays dry and if there are winds that they blow from the west. This year's intention is to complete in two days as work always infringes on having fun :-) Day one on Saturday should star...