I'll huff and I'll puff

My first 200km ride of the season. In fact my first 200km since last June and the toughest ride since the Etape last July. As one finds out to ones cost hitting the spin sessions in the gym for 45 minutes may maintain some base level of fitness but doesn't really prepare you for 9 hours on a bike...

The ride was a nice route through rolling Essex countryside, the first 50km being spent in small packs of 3 or 4, going along at a good pace. The directions however were a little hit and miss and alas the groups kept splintering at each dubious routesheet entry and I found myself on my own just about at the time that the route took a sharp right turn and went headlong into what was an increasingly growing wind. This I have to admit got rather depressing, battling away on my own into a stiff wind with average speed dropping all the time for 2.5 hours / 50km tested my soul somewhat.

The route was a lazy figure of 8 and the mid point at 100km was back at the clubhut where we had started. Over a quick bite of lunch my head was down and my legs were tired and knowing that my car was a 1 minute walk away round the corner was not helping. Watching the veterans saddle up and roll out for the second half spurred me on so off I went. I hoped to catch them up and join their group but alas it never happened so guess what - yes, another 2.5hrs / 50km battling into a still increasing headwind. By this time I was mainlining full fat Coke and energy bars and the spirits were badly sagging knowing that there was still another 50km to go. The 150km reststop was at a fish and chip shop and oh boy I have never tasted such a good bowl of chips, laden with loads of salt and vinegar, demolished in double quick time.

The last 50km were once again totally on my own but thankfully with a generally following wind. The mind and the legs were both struggling by the end and I was having the odd spasm through my left arm which was probably my body trying to tell me something...

The ride set off at 8am and just before I set off I threw my set of lights into the pack "just in case I was longer than my planned 7.5 to 8.5 hours". 10 hours later with lights ablazing I finally reached the clubhut again, very tired in my head and weary in my legs. None of the course was brutal, it was just a long continual slog and somewhat of a shock to the system.

My admiration lies with the two veterans who did the course on a "fixed" - with a fixed you only have one gear, and no freewheel - so the art is in choosing before the ride which gear to put on the bike for the entire course. These two guys were double my age, had one gear versus my 30, had a steel bike versus my carbon fiber and rolled in just a couple of minutes behind me - really quite inspiring.

The food consumption for the ride will be amusing:
Night before - massive plate of pasta
Breakfast - porridge, can of coke
During the ride - 5 further cans of coke, 3 litres energy / anti-lactic drink, 3 litres water, 3 energy bars (1,000 calories a piece), 2 packets energy sweets, 1 gel tube of caffeine (thanks Megan for introducing me to this...), 2 ham baguettes, a slice of bread and butter putting and a lovely steaming bowl of chips.