Day 3 - Heavy Legs, Old Tap, New Forest

Southampton, Hampshire to Dorchester, Dorset

71.33 miles, 206.63 miles (cumulatively)

I must begin with a typo from yesterday! I had completed 135 miles and not 169 as I think I wrote! Sorry! You know me, a bit special with numbers sometimes!

So, Day 3 began with the most generous of people (Matt) giving me a lift to my departure point just west of Southampton. I have to say I was slightly apprehensive about the day and couldn't put my finger on why. Perhaps it was the fact that matt had taken a look at my route and said,

"Hmm, that's tough", or maybe it was the ever darkening horizon, I simply don't know! Whatever it was, it didn't really occur - the day proved to be beautiful (well 80% of it, but I'll take 20% rain any day above the 95% of yesterday!) and the route, which did, I admit, have a few hills, was also beautiful, cutting right through the New Forest being shown at it's most attractive. The only thing holding me back was, or were I should say, my legs. They took a good 5 miles to get going, but when they did, they performed like troopers! I get the sense that this is going to be the norm now, heavy legs and having to coax them into action.

I even found a drinking tap on the plain which I took full advantage of, drinking, topping up and spilling my fill!

No stories to report today I'm afraid (or slightly thankful of!) so this is just a short one tonight. That coupled with the fact that I am utterly toasted and have to get some sleep! Tomorrow it's off to Dawlish and the Ferry I had been hoping to get as it is marked on the cycle route, doesn't actually start running until, yep, you guessed it, April 1st! Joy! What a difference a day, or 6, make!

JF 24-03-10