Well that was a tester, on several counts.
Good start with stiff tailwind out. I stopped for a Full English in Pateley Br and to recover from Greenhow. Watched rest of field drift by as I munched, then set off to catch up in Ripon. Stopped again in Bylands Abbey cafe for a mega raspberry flapjack which I regretted as I tackled the climb out of Wass. Then super descent into Helmsley - quite probably where I got my 71 kph max speed (the other descents were too tight, steep, hairy, etc, to let the brakes off and fly).
I'd never ridden east out of Coxwold before, so from there around to Stokesley was all new to me, and a bit of a shocker. My "leggings off and mid-layer off" state didn't last long, Wass to Rosedale, where drizzle/rain/low cloud had set in and conditions were grim to Egton. Glad I'm on disk brakes for those descents and the damp - I could let both brakes drag down them. Saw a few riders walking down The Chimney and I don't blame them either.
I struggled after Goathland - digestive upsets (High 5 not working well for me today) and repetitive short, sharp, shockers getting to my head. I was glad to get to Stokesley and familiar roads (well, Wiggy 300 in reverse) and flatlands again. And a chance to dry out in the setting evening sun ready for a cool night.
Treated myself to a restaurant curry in Richmond - The Amontola, by the 1st roundabout. Chicken tikka starter with naan and Bombay Potatoes - and a beer. £12 well spent, albeit relaxed (slow) service using up an hour of precious time. (Other restaurants are available along Queen Street). At least the westerly wind had swung round to the north, with the cold front passing over, and wind speed had dropped a bit too, so a steady plod to Hawes ensued. But it was cold and I succumbed to a coffee and a beer in the warmth of a pub (and yet another loo stop!), much to the interest to Hawes' clientel as I drifted in at 11.30pm.
I then chased Bob Bialek and another chap over Ribblehead and we grouped together into Lancaster. Succumbed to the warmth of a MacDonald's coffee (and loo stop, yet again) and the strange 3am nightlife of Lancaster's youth.
Nice cruise back to HQ down the A6, wind assisted, with a group of 5, to finish at 5:30, just ahead of my projected target, but it was damn cold - frost on cars and lawns. Andy C suggested it had been -4 degC at times.
So, I struggled with the High 5 again. My eating strategy was fine, getting the right balance of protein and carbs, and "wind assistance problems" aside, the legs kept good. But, I'll need to get my head around the N Yorks Moors quickly - Pendle 600 suddenly does seem so appealing! Ah, I've already entered - doh!