Has Phil Whitehurst packed? Showing as being at Hessle control since 11.20.
Yep.
I was suffering from heat stress and anymore time in the heat would have led me towards heat fatigue or worse. Drained of energy, shivering in the shade. I decided not to make any decisions till I’d drunk plenty, eaten, had a cold shower, and rested. I also decided to sit out the afternoon heat, with a plan to get going again in evening. No headache or appetite or nausea issues.
By 5pm I realised I wasn’t recovered enough to head back out, and had a two hour sleep. At 7pm I ate again but another wave of fatigue hit about 8pm. Carrying on wasn’t an option. I went to bed with no wake-up time and slept solidly through till 7am the next morning.
I had breakfast cereal and toast with jam. Decided to make my way back south control by control. I didn’t really get going till after 9am, an earlier start without heat would have been better. At Barton over the bridge I popped into One Stop and bought three bags of salted peanuts. At Caistor I dropped down the hill to the village square and had mince and onion pie, chips, mushy peas, and gravy plus a coke from the chippy. There was a shaded alley with steps next to chippy. I sat there. Then back up hill to rejoin route. This was just as Mathew Page was passing. Didn’t look the sort to divert to the chippy.
At Binbrook I popped into pub hoping to get some iced lemonade and some cheese and onion crisps. But after a little while a woman said she was a cleaner and they weren’t open. Then went over to church to see if open as often cool inside, but no luck.
Carried on to Louth where they were expecting Anco imminently. I had the pasta bake. Anco arrived with Ian and they were there about 15-20 mins. Ian had Shermer’s neck and I was consulted as I had that in 2016 on WAWA. Ian was strapped up with inner tube through back of helmet and secured under arm pits. Two more riders turned up but they were abandons like me.
Anco was looking pretty burnt and red. Ian was happy with the strapping. Both were nice and polite and non demanding in their needs. The fourth rider on the road arrived just as they were leaving. He was much more with it than the others and his kit was immaculate. He took his time refuelling, maybe 35 mins?
I stayed night at Louth as even the short stage from Hessle had tired me in the heat. Not fully recovered. I was avoiding riding in the afternoon. I had another meal of Chicken Escalope with a nice sauce. Then another good nights sleep. Another abandon rider set off into the afternoon heat.
I left Louth for Boston, around 6:30am yesterday, and crossed the Wolds whilst the lanes were mostly shaded and cool. As to temps , there was mist condensing on my recumbent mirrors in places. Colder than is being made out, glad I had my usual jacket and not a lightweight windproof. Arrived Boston early to mid morning. Surprised to find the woman who had left Louth yesterday evening still there. She left about 11:30am straight into the cauldron.
Ate at Boston, sausage , chips, peas and gravy together with some chip butties, followed by a compot. Then slept in empty dorm from 12pm till 3pm. Woke and had the pasta bake. Was aiming to leave at 6pm once heat of sun gone. But by 5pm heat of sun seemed okay.
Set off for St Ives not too long after 5pm, and once out of Boston I was away from rush hour traffic. Once it had cooled further the evening light to St Ives was lovely. The sun set to my right and full moon rose to my left in my final approach. It was magical and you knew no camera could ever catch it. I just enjoyed that time as I closed on the control.
At St Ives I met Nigel whom I know locally. I had Lasagne and salad, crumble and custard , and some lemonade. Here the volunteers updated me on the incoming heatwave. I decided I would push on from St Ives in the early hours today, and try and make Loughton before the heat built.
At 10:20pm I booked a bed till 2:30am. I took my bottles to bed to sip on whenever I woke up. Another empty dorm and I picked the far right darkest corner. At 2:30am I was woken and stumbled off to the dining area. I asked for two rounds of toast and jam if that was possible, plus a green tea. Both were. Topped up water bottles and out to bike.
My hired tracker turned off the gps if I’d been stopped at least half an hour without moving. I turned it in and off and get it working again. The gps tracker slept more than me!
I was away shortly after 3am with my jacket on for the cold. A fast A rider passed me in St Ives Cambridge busway only to miss where it crossed over. After a few shouts he joined me back on cycleway part of the busway. The busway had a few young lads on hire scooters and bikes coming other way. Such fun. Cambridge itself was still asleep.
There was mist on the way to Audley end and once more it condensed onto my recumbent mirrors. I reached Audley End house just after sunrise. The lake wreathed with mist and swans gliding, and an orange glow directly behind the house. I stopped a while to take in the sunrise.
Jacket off as now warm. Lovely quiet lanes from there to Great Easton control. Not the B road route of 2017. Here I had two helpings of beans on toast with sugared black tea. Then on to the finish. I could remember some of route from 2013, but without looking not sure how much it has changed. Anyway it was lovely, and still cool and shaded for the most part. Toot Hill had no shade, nor the climb above Theydon Bois.
There was a photographer on the final approach. Then we came in the back entrance to the school. One of the volunteers manning it asked for a photo together with recumbent. Then onto bike parking, parking up around 9am ish.
After asking if photographs of riders with bikes was ok for those who didn’t finish. I grabbed my bike and Charlotte took my photo. Then caught up with a few including Danial, Tim, Mary and a few others. Wife arrived about 11am, then we headed home in the heat about 12pm today. I’ll be back at finish tomorrow morning to pick up drop bags and catch up with anyone around and clap those finishing.
