Out on the bike, originally uploaded by It's life Jim.....
Did my first century cycle ride at the weekend in the 101 mile Wiggle New Forest cycle sportive. Here’s what went through my mind:
@0 miles... Wonder if I am wearing too much - do I really need 2 layers. Lots of people....
@2 miles... Group passing me, wonder if I can latch on... OK, on, but having to work hard...
@8 miles... Lucked out with this mob, Big peleton of about 20, going much faster than my normal pace, but they are doing all the work.... No sign of Steve or William, but Steen just ahead in the same group
@12 miles.... Cattle grid - Ouch!
@14miles... Damn, another hill, really struggling to hang on to peleton.... Push to catch them up again... Phew - made it.... Getting really tired, no way I will last 100 miles like this....
@15 miles... Cattle grid - Ouch!
@17miles.... Junction - chance to catch my breath while we wait for a gap in traffic
@19miles... Cattle grid coming up, OMG bike in mid air at front of peleton! slam on brakes.... at least no-one else has piled into him.... swerve around chap & see that his mates have stopped to help him. His face covered in blood.... Should I be stopping - feeling guilty about going on - nothing I can do anyway - keep going.... wow - flying bikes - just like the Tour on the telly
@20miles... Half the peleton gone & the rest breaking up - can’t keep up with the leaders - Steen seems to be still hanging on
@22miles.... Ooops half the people turning off - which way am I going??? - There’s Steen ahead & going left - Think that's the sign for the Epic saying turn right - Just do it.... Did I mess up or did Steen.... Phew a sign saying I am on the Epic route.. Wonder if Steen will realise & turn back
@23miles... Pace more manageable now on my own, but not getting any free ride
@2 miles... Group passing me, wonder if I can latch on... OK, on, but having to work hard...
@8 miles... Lucked out with this mob, Big peleton of about 20, going much faster than my normal pace, but they are doing all the work.... No sign of Steve or William, but Steen just ahead in the same group
@12 miles.... Cattle grid - Ouch!
@14miles... Damn, another hill, really struggling to hang on to peleton.... Push to catch them up again... Phew - made it.... Getting really tired, no way I will last 100 miles like this....
@15 miles... Cattle grid - Ouch!
@17miles.... Junction - chance to catch my breath while we wait for a gap in traffic
@19miles... Cattle grid coming up, OMG bike in mid air at front of peleton! slam on brakes.... at least no-one else has piled into him.... swerve around chap & see that his mates have stopped to help him. His face covered in blood.... Should I be stopping - feeling guilty about going on - nothing I can do anyway - keep going.... wow - flying bikes - just like the Tour on the telly
@20miles... Half the peleton gone & the rest breaking up - can’t keep up with the leaders - Steen seems to be still hanging on
@22miles.... Ooops half the people turning off - which way am I going??? - There’s Steen ahead & going left - Think that's the sign for the Epic saying turn right - Just do it.... Did I mess up or did Steen.... Phew a sign saying I am on the Epic route.. Wonder if Steen will realise & turn back
@23miles... Pace more manageable now on my own, but not getting any free ride
@24miles... Previous peleton leaders coming past.... should I try & jump on... no the pace was killing me - I’d never finish... Just keep going at my pace
@25miles.... First food stop... draw in.... but I have enough water & have brought my own food... what did you stop for you idiot.... turn around & get going..
@30 miles... More f*** cattle grids - Ouch!
@35miles.... Great scenery
@40 miles... Horse on the road - slow down & avoid... dumb animal seem totally oblivious of all the even dumber animals on bikes flashing by
@42 miles... Moving bacon.... big pig chomping on acorns at side of road
@53miles.... OMG a cliff approaching.... this must be “the steepest hill in England” that William was waffling about.... thought he was talking bollocks... OMG it’s hard... OMG I can’t keep going.... How can I stop... If I even attempt to unclip I will lose all momentum & simply fall over... never live it down.... pain.... pain.... maybe falling over would be easier anyway.... pain... almost there.... phew... Wow - hardest 200 yards ever!
@60miles.... Ooops - Getting passed all the time now
@65 miles... Young lady going past but not too fast... latched on.... nice errr “bike”... keep going
@67miles... Another hill... Damn - she is dropping me
@75 miles...Food station... completely knackered - draw in and stand for a rest
@80 miles... Cattle grid - Ouch
@81miles... Mental arithmetic - just 20 miles to go... really struggling... pain
@82miles.... Wonder how accurate the GPS is, maybe I still have 20 miles to go... pain
@83 miles... Just under 20 miles to go... pain
@84 miles... Not sure I will get to 101 miles... pain
@85 miles... How on earth do triathletes do this & then run a full marathon straight after for an Ironman... nutters!
@86 miles... Pain
@87miles ... Pain... OK never again - the bike is going on eBay when I get home
@90 miles... Pain... Seems less painful at 95+ cadence
@91 miles... Pain... Even easier at zero cadence, shame I am slowing down
@92 miles... Pain... Keep at 95 cadence you idiot
@93 miles... Pain... Big hill (at least 1%) - Keep going you idiot
@94 miles... Pain... Keep going you idiot...
@95 miles... Sign saying 10k to go - Relief that it is only about 6 miles to go... Look at watch & try & work out my approx time, then give up as too difficult
@96 miles... Passing lots of people now... Some of these folk are on mountain bikes - how on earth did they do 70 or 100 miles on that ?
@97 miles... Big bloke on mountain bike wearing t shirt & football shorts exposing the most gruesome builders bottom ever... Avoid & power to get past the frightening spectacle... Pain
@100 miles... Pain... should be almost there
@101 miles.... Pain.... Can see people turning off the road - Yippee must be almost there.... dirt track (Ouch)... finish line
Collect medal & goodie bag... see Steen grinning over the barrier with a beer in hand, smugly stating he did the Epic in 5:51.... He informs me I have completed it in 6:15 (turns out when I check the official times that it was actually 6:12... ) If I wasn’t in so much pain I would be elated. Takes me a couple of minutes to swing my leg off the bike & then I stumble off for beers. After beer I go for a 15 min massage to get some life back into my legs.
Sitting in the car half dozing I realise that I have done 100+ miles and that a few years before I had done several marathons.... Maybe the bike should not go on eBay & I should start thinking about an Ironman some day....
