Sorry, not read anything here, but I have a lot of numbness since the grand so I may not be going. Will let you know in the next couple of days.
OK, just to update - due to the numbness (which seems to be improving already, so might not be an issue in a few days) I have decided to cancel to be on the safe side. Also there are some issues at home that it would be good for me to be around to help with, so this has cemented the decision for me, really.
Its a shame. I never get away cycling so I was really looking forward to this for the new terrain, cultural experience and being amongst the many of you that I regard as friends now. There would also have been the chance to make new friends, so I'm a bit gutted that I have to cancel.
The Grand was a grand event and a massive milestone for me, even though I DNF'd. I wasn't bothered by that (apart from missing some points for the club), as I managed to cover 1000 km, even having to go around the block 4 times when I got home to make up a missing 10 km after I diverted from the route for a quicker journey home.
I basically messed up with sleeping and also got my timings wrong, so missed the Pocklington control on the return. I ended up riding on very little sleep - I fell asleep on the bike at one point but thankfully didn't crash, also fell asleep trying to book a train home on the grass next to the River Trent.
Well, some more demons faced and difficult times worked through - that's Audax, I suppose - its character building stuff. I'll write a full account on the blog at some point and post a reminder if anybody wants to read it. It was a great experience and i have learned more about myself and how to manage ever longer distances, validated or not (in this case).
Big thanks to Tom for organising the event and being as considerate as ever with my DNF'ing as well as any other queries or concerns I might have.
I do have my hotel reservations up for grabs if anyone is interested but I do already have one interested party already, so they'll have 1st refusal. If you're interested then PM or email me through here, or WhastApp me if you can.
I'm hoping I'll recover soon and get to see you guys one Wednesday where we can catch up - do all have a wonderful time there and enjoy the cycling!
All the best,
Nick.
