Motivation for the last couple of weeks have been at an all time low. Maybe it was the pressure that I only needed to do this 400km to qualify for Paris but I almost didn't start. I was due to cycle to my parents who live an hour away from Manngingtree on Friday night but chickened out of that and got the train instead. So good start there.
I always tell myself the hardest part is starting so I got myself to the start on Saturday morning, knowing that once I got going it would be ok, it is after all just a bike ride! Even so, I was trying my hardest to be excited about it.
Before the start I was joined by Jane who needed a riding partner so at least I would have some company and we could both help each other through the rough patches, although I think Jane was even more reluctant to start than I was.
We set off at 09:00 making our way at comfortable pace to Ixworth. It must have been six or seven miles in and we bumped into Steve. He then decided that he would take us around the audax and effectively show us how it was done.
It was a glorious sunny day and with the three of us riding together the pace increased a little bit but it was still manageable. We got to Ixworth and Grant and Tom stamped our cards. A quick visit to the toilet and the village store and we were on our way again.
I was still following my plan of eating a cereal bar / apple bake every hour and then later on in the ride a sweet on the half hour, this worked quite well on the 600km and was worked well on this one too and I didn't once start to run out of energy like I had done on the earlier rides this year.
Next stop was Haleworth, we decided to avoid a pub stop this time and looked for a cafe. In the end we found a bakery with a grumpy woman, the receipt didn't have the time and place on it, so a visit to the Spar opposite was needed. I asked the guy at the counter for a receipt and he kindly reminded me that I needed to pay for my item first. Not sure why I was so distracted at only 107km!
Short stage next to Acle and across the water on the luxury ferry. The weather was still being nice and it was making for pleasant riding especially into the evening. Acle was a quick visit to a CO-OP and then on the road again to the half way point at Wells.
We passed the take away where we stopped at last year and I reflected on how the pace was much better this year and we had some time in hand, instead of bumping up against the time limit. Approaching Wells we encountered a guy wearing trousers and his gore-tex overshoes. He kept up with us for a bit and then thanked us for the tow when we got to Wells as he was struggling at that point.
Dinner was in the Wells-Next-To-The-Sea CO-OP car park. I bought a baguette and some crisps to eat there and a sandwich to take with me and eat at Saffron Walden. Then it was back on the road again and into the night.
Although this stage to Barton Mills was long, it was also quite fast or at least it seamed to be, nice and straight in the dark all the way to McDonalds. Along the way we picked up Jerry and he stayed with us until the end. We stopped in Swaffham for some snacks and adjustments, leaving just before things started kicking off with the drunks.
The machine in McDonalds didn't give me a receipt! The horror, so I bought some extra chips from another machine and ended up with a tray full of them. Should have taken a photo. Some women at the table next to us had just come back from a wedding and were fascinated by our cycle and probably thought we were a bit bonkers.
After that there was only a couple of hours left of the dark and I managed to stay awake. We arrived at Wells around 06:00 and got a receipt from the cash machine. I ate my sandwich and then we were back on the road for the final hilly stage back to Manningtree.
I knew the hills were on the last stage but I always forget how it actually is, especially with tired legs. Still we stopped off at the petrol station in Sibble Hedingham and then finished the last 25 miles back to Manningtree it was "this is the last hill," before descending it and finding another hill that is definitely the last hill, repeating until we finally arrived back in Manningtree just after 09:00hrs.
Thanks to Steve, Jane and Jeremy for the company and to Grant for organising.
This concludes my PBP qualifying, so I guess I will actually have to do it now!