Today is my second attempt at the whole distance.
Slightly concerned it will be too warm for me especially is it was overly warm yesterday when collecting my rider pack from the Excel. I was meant to have food at the restaurant inside the Excel but it was shut so had to make do with chicken burger fast food instead... it wasn't great but it was more edible than the burger I had last time around.
Forecast is predicted at around 25 degrees but reckon it will go higher, could be too much for me but we’ll see...
After a fairly successful nights sleep (about 5 hours drifting in and out) I got up at 5.30 and force fed myself a porridge pot, about half hour later I forced a jam sandwich down me - that'll do. Packed two round of jam sandwiches, 2 eccles cakes and some bars to take with me. (never rely on feed stations!)
Got ready and left Travelodge City Airport at approx 6.20 for the 6 mile ride to my starting pen (Black J)
So many people were riding to the start it was easy to just follow others, about 2 miles into my ride I joined the greenway towards the start and at about 4 miles I came across the main road that every cyclist around was riding down and from there on in I easily found my way to my designated pen via the easy to follow signs.
Once in the Black pen area it was quite a long walk/trundle down to pen J.
At approx 7.48 my pen started the shuffle down towards the starting line, just like last time the organisation was so slick we arrived at the starting line dead on time at 8.28
The DJ counted us down and everyone started riding while ‘I Will Survive’ blasted out of the speakers.
The course is fast and flat and the first hour through London is awesome, went through 4 or 5 underpasses of which one was particularly long.
Into the first main feed hub at mile 26 - stats revealed I had averaged over 16mph without trying too hard.
Disappointed to find no Clif bars at the hub, Hi5 appear to have replaced Clif as the main food provider, never mind I grabbed and ate a bag of ready salted crisps and a bag of some chinese snack things which was kinda tasteless. I also ate another jam sandwich.
Left the hub 15 minutes later and once more the course proved fast and flat.
At around mile 40 I hit congestion due to accident - so many people were standing still that at this point I had a feeling the hills will be shut off by the time I got to them.
After about 15 mins everyone mounted bikes again.. off we gooo…
...5 mins later everyone was off their bikes and walking again… the culprit this time was a narrow bridge - the congestion had back peddled so much that the road just couldn’t cope with the numbers.
Mile 48 I was half way up Newlands hill before I realised I was actually on it, only because I noticed people walking and huffing and puffing up it, I was just concerned about overheating on it! I found it much easier this time around compared to 2017
At the top of Newlands I decided I needed a loo break so went into the main hub, as I entered the hub I heard someone shout '5 minutes before the sweeper!’
I didn’t care at this point and carried on to the loo, refilled my water bottles, scoffed another jam sandwich and onwards!
From this point to the finish I was surrounded by fellow riders all the way back due to so much backlog due to accidents.
As suspected Leith Hill and Box Hill were closed off, turns out they had closed early - Leith had a tree fall down and Box had an accident, I saw later the riders had to queue to ride up the hills too.
I noticed riders rejoining from both hills so with us lot catapuled forward and them rejoining it just caused more congestion.
There were a lot of delays on the second half of the ride, lots of waiting around / walking - I was out on a jolly anyway and just went with the flow.
Had an awesome moment through Wimbledon, I pulled in to text my mate to say I was 10 miles from finishing... went to mount my bike, looked around and saw I was completely on my own! I looked behind me and riders had been stopped in the distance! Felt weird to carry on, I did wonder if there was an accident ahead. Off I trundle and on a corner were some charity ladies who cheered me on, I gave a thumbs up and said 'thanks!' as I passed. Turned the corner and it was full of supporters who all cheered me on, one guy had a megaphone and shouted 'your in the lead, your gonna win!', I gave a big cheesey grin and punched my fist in the air - felt like a right superstar! 😆
...and then I started up Wimbledon Hill and was overtaken lots by the chasing pack... 😊
A unique moment and grinned all the way to the end. :)
I once more ended on 86 miles feeling good and happy.
Awesome event but it really is pot luck as to your start time and if you will get to do the hills.
Today's Fuel:
1 x porridge pot (pre ride)
1 x raspberry jam sandwich (pre ride)
1 x lemon curd sandwich
1 x lemon curd & peanut butter sandwich
2 x eccles cakes (yum!)
1 x packet of ready salted crisps
1 x packet of chinese snacks
1 x sis blueberry go bar
1 x chocolate chip Clif Bar
Video of my day:
