Well, what a way to spend your birthday (and only 'coz I didn't get to do 3 coasts or Holl). Came downstairs around 4:30 am to find cards and presents at the front door, and decided to leave them until after the ride. Cycled the 12 miles to the start, intending on cycling home from there. Shocked to see only 12 or so starters (some arriving on later train?)
Set off in the fast paced Bikey Mikey group. Managed to avoid the two man crash in front of me (hope the bloke with the bloodied arm is ok, and thanks for leaving the gap by the kerb for me, although I did stand in nettles when I put my bike down). Good group, which I let go ahead when I stopped to change batteries, saying I'd catch them up. Got stuck with Dragon Ride jersey behind mega spooked horse (Bikey Mikey?). Saw group about to leave 1st control when I arrived.
The heat was getting worse by 2nd control, so out came the sun lotion. Took shelter in the air conditioned M&S cafe in Salisbury (3rd control, and 3 1/2 hours inside limit).
Sometime after that I met fixed gear David, who I did the rest of the ride with, including looping around Sherborne after having a pot of tea and flapjack (which I couldn't eat) there. Added over 10k doing that.
Stopped at Tesco in Chard to take on more liquids, making the Exeter control by 12:30 am (again about 3 1/2 hours inside limit). Cycled through the rest of the night, and was a little tempted to have a nap when David mentioned nice cushioned hay in fields. We stopped at McD in Street at 5-ish, where I found it difficult to eat again. Pancakes are usually no problem, but I was just chewing the first one for ages, and couldn't swallow well, so left the rest. Energy drinks were making me feel sick, so coffees and Mars milk drinks would have to get me through this.
By the Wells control we still had 3 1/2 hours to play with (on no sleep). Got really fed up with the steep minor roads ups and downs of the Old Foose Road, stopping in a hot b&b garden tearoom for a pot of tea and teacake near Nettlebridge. Spent a while in Cirencester, with a tearoom visit, an autobank visit and little walkabout, working out how to get out, then stopping at the services on the way out for drinks and a siesta on the grass with lorries going by. we were joined by i-cycle and Richard? (Willesden tri jersey). I kept re-applying chammy cream, but by that stage it was of little use. I think we eventually left Cirencester with two hours to spare.
The hills, heat and derriere were getting really unbearable, and more stops before the Brackley control were needed (a lovely pot of tea at a pub. At Brackley I tried a pasta pot, which was quite liquidy as I put too much hot water in. We left there (just myself and David, as we'd lost i-cycle and Richard by then) with about 1 1/2 hours grace.
As it was cool, we had an enjoyable (undulating) ride to LB, passing through places within 10 miles of home. I'd decided earlier to catch a train home and have a nice coffee as a treat, but I'd written the wrong train times (or the services had changed) and the station had shut, so no coffee (if they were even on sale there). I was about to head into town when David kindly pointed out the station autobank! I waited for about an hour for my wife, who arrived after the next train I could have caught. It was good to get home, and drink a bottle of cold beer whilst opening my cards and presents.
Well done to all those fellow sufferers, and Thanks to David for the company. I won't be spending my next birthday doing a 600 (391 route miles), that's for sure!
