I was hoping it was going to be easier than last year, but then we didn't have the arctic winds. I think we were actually quite lucky with the weather, as we didn't get rained on to any extent, while just inland they had some proper downpours. I also think that the marsh section could have been worse beacause at the time we were on it, it was more of a NW wind giving a bit of side-on, and mercifully it had swung around to NE by the time we were on the sea wall section.
My stomach did the usual trick on these long rides of refusing to digest anything, so the last thing I ate was a baked potato at Hythe. This made for a challenging last section in the dark, when added to the cold I felt awful. Riding wasn't too bad, just everything else - navigating, keeping warm etc.
Just as I swooped into that right hand turn at Cuxton in the dark I hit a peice of metal, thought it was a tin can but Andy later told me was a bit of exhaust tail pipe. I could so easily have gone down then and I wouldn't have got up. Felt guilty about leaving it in the road but at that stage I couldn't stop. I hope nobody else hit it.
Limped back to the hall by about 10.45, brevet deposited, then dash outside to heave - profuse apologies to anyone who stepped on my bile in the grass - I did try to wash it down!
I'm amazed the latecomers made it back without freezing solid, the temp was down to about 4 degrees when I was in the car driving home. It was a good call to wear normal winter gear, I wasn't too hot at any time, even the morning's lumpy bits.
Thanks to Tom and co for a challenging day out, great route.