Day 22: Raining in Gloucester

It is raining hard. I sit in a layby with Dan and Becs and Bev. We're working on the sole of my right shoe. Peter and Dim arrive from Cheltenham. It rains harder. Pete decided that we should waterproof one of the sombreros with gaffer tape and then stick it to my helmet. It'll keep the rain off, you see.

It kept the rain off my helmet.

Hard slog to Gloucester. The rain is heavy, my foot feels damp and it burns with every push. Each night I hobble around, hobble to the shoer, hobble to bed. Each morning it feels slightly better, more rested, and then the shoe comes on and it starts again. Sometimes I feel like the end of the day only comes because the pain is too great. Doing the same the next day seems impossible, I dread waking up these days.

At the top of a hill in Maisemore a view appears. Gloucester glistens in the rain, the cathedral towers above the city. It looks beautiful, just a couple of miles away, just a few more pushes. Come on, let's do it.

We pull into a layby towards southern Gloucester. The rain falls and we all squeeze into the van. It comes down thick and fast, almost horizontal sometimes. Becki and Bev play noughts and crosses in the sunroof condensation. Pete and Melissa laugh, Dim reads the paper out loud, Dan writes 'Poo' on the windshield. I can't bring myself to go out and skate. The pain. The rain.

I sleep, the others go to the other cars for half an hour. The rain falls. We sit in McDonalds. Dim and Pete fill in a paint by numbers children's drawing with lolly sticks and bbq sauce. It looks great!

The sun comes out, it's almost four. Back on the road. The prevailing winds are all against us. Brilliant! Dan drives ahead and I tailgate, working in the slipstream, anything to keep out of the wind. It rains. Pete and Melissa leave to go back to London, the first sign that the weekend of company is coming to an end. We're not making Bristol tonight so set a target on the map. Woodford, on the A38 right behind an M5 service station. It's 7 miles away.

Rain, wind, push push push. Woodford arrives. Thank god. Bev and Dan join me for the final 100 metres on their boards. I limp into the van.

Holls and Nat join us. It feels to me like Holls needed more of a break, it must be exhausting being on the road with two men. I feel for her. Nat heads back home. We eat at the services and check in to the Days Inn. The staff are rude, we stay in the room. I have a bath, soak in the nothingness of bubbles and throbbing feet. Becs and Bev leave at 11pm to drive back to Swansea. They have work tomorrow. Amazing to see them both. I'm so thankful to everyone who's supported BoardFree on the road and off it. It keeps me going. It keeps us all going.

My right foot has started to smell. An infection has begun. I fall asleep worried.