Day 4: Flat Out, Burnt Out, and Lifted Up!

Today was a strange kind of brutal. The route from Peterborough to Folkingham looked innocent on paper, mostly flat with the occasional uphill. But let me tell you: pushing 50km across endless, flat terrain is almost worse than climbing hills. At least with an uphill you know there’s a downhill treat waiting at the top. On the flats, there’s no reprieve. It’s just relentless, like being stuck on a treadmill someone forgot to turn off. Add to that a cheeky 36°C, and you’ve got the recipe for one very cooked wheeler. I didn’t take many breaks, which turned out to be… optimistic. By the end I was wobbling, faint, and told Hallie, “If you want good content, keep the camera rolling, I’m about to collapse.” Sure enough, I stood up, then immediately lay down. Luckily, Hallie and Cat swooped in like an Olympic pit crew with ice packs and bottled water, and after ten minutes of being half-drowned and half-frozen, I was back to life. Rickety, but alive.

And then, like all great British endurance tales, I ended up in a Travelodge. Let’s just say: Travelodge and I are no longer friends. No air con, Wi-Fi that belongs in a museum, and three of my team having to scatter across town like pigeons to find cafés, food, and working internet. On the plus side, I did score a double bed. Small mercies.

But the morning? The morning was magic. We kicked off at Peterborough Rugby Club, where I met “Bob” their mascot, who looks like a giant sandbag that’s accidentally joined the team. Bob aside, the players were everything I love about rugby: camaraderie, grit, humour. It reminded me of the Army in the best way possible, people who would go to the ends of the earth for each other. They gave me not one, but two guards of honour, and I left grinning like an idiot.

The day kept giving little boosts: drivers honking, strangers waving, even a lady who pulled over just to hand me a donation for Childfund-rugby. Honestly, it was overwhelming in the loveliest way. I also had another call with coaches from the Philippines, which left me a bit teary (rugby people everywhere just radiate joy), and a surprise video message from Chiefs’ Emily Robinson that blew me away. It’s the off-season, I figured most people would forget all about things like this, so to be remembered… yeah, that one hit me.

Of course, not everything is rosy. We’re still nowhere near the fundraising target, and with only 6 days left, I feel the weight of that. Posts didn’t start going out until Day 3, which means we’re playing catch-up. I’ll shoulder the disappointment if we fall short, but I’d be totally devastated. Fingers crossed we can turn things around.

For now though, I’m cooled down, rehydrated, and cautiously optimistic. Folkingham is a step up from yesterday’s digs, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.