Thank you Rich and all your helpers, it was a cracking day out.
Really nice route, excellent route sheet, great breakfast and super supper.
Warning, contains details:
I caught a tow from various groups all the way to Fox Corner then again from Ash to Farnham, all too fast for me to be any help apart from West Byfleet to Mayford. After being dropped on the heave out of Farnham I crawled arriving at Lasham 45 minutes before my planned schedule and thinking I'd done well. The sea of bikes already there reset my pride, inside the young 'un had already finished eating. On to Amesbury sharing the effort with one or two others at times, it was work into the wind. The hills were a trial but I kept telling myself to rule #5. Disappointment in the cafe, I was thinking about their excellent cheese omelettes all the way from Lasham but no, fried breakfasts only. Double beans on toast seemed the best soft option.
After all those beans (there was a portion with breakfast at Lasham) my guts were complaining in no uncertain terms. On the plain I nipped into a stand of trees to deal what I thought was a serious concern. It turned out to be just trapped wind. A
lot of trapped wind. As the trees around me stopped shaking a fox came bounding through the undergrowth to see what the noise was and got to within 5 yards before turning & legging it. I hardly saw a sole on this stretch, I was caught I passed by one rider (Phil? My memory is lousy. Groupetto top & bottle) not long after the info.
I missed the Silk Mill by a fraction of the margin I expected to miss it by. After Whitchurch the hills were purgatory, I could not keep pedalling seated so had to stand until the heart rate got too high, stop, wait & repeat. No walking though. It gave me plenty of time to think about fast twitch legs on a slow twitch bike. Bracknell was it's concrete encrusted usual joy, being so well up on time I rested here much longer than planned. After Bracknell I was with the rattly guard chapter of Dulwich paragon CC most of the way back. Apologies for cocking it right up when I went to take my turn on the front towards Chertsey. I really don't understand it because you were dropping me time & again through Ascot & Virginia Water. Dropping anyone is always most unexpected. And very very rare.
My target was midnight, I finished at ten to ten. I had planned to go back out to complete a double century or a Godwin but I was exceptionally sore. Seeing the state of certain areas in the shower this morning that was the right decision.
So that was my first 300 in which I almost went to Stonehenge, my first 200
almost went to Stonehenge too. If anyone knows of a 400 that almost goes to Stonehenge whisper it in my ear so the rest of my body cannot hear. Postscript on the gears, my halfbreed I usually audax on goes down to 28.85". The road bike I used yesterday has nothing below 41.27".
Thanks again Richard, top venue you've found there. Good luck with the SR next year.
ETA:
Good to meet you Cudzoziemiec, chat some more next time our paths cross.
Good news: No trapped nerves, first time over ~170km I can say that. Often I've suffered after only ~100.
