The weather prediction was for rain and strong winds, but when I made my way to the start line the sun was out and it was warm with a fresh wind coming from the south. I started way to quickly - jumping on a train that came past in the first 5km. Average speed for the first 30km was at 32kph (20 mph). I eventually decided that the speed was a bit mad and that I would feel it later on, so latched on with a more casual group. The next 20-30km were spent chatting to a few riders and taking in some scenery as the city was left behind.
The hills started in earnest and at 80km covered was the first major climb - about 3km at 10% on which I suddenly had to stop because of cramp in my hamstring muscle. After a bit of stretching I got back on the bike and felt fine again. A few hills later and I started seeing other riders in trouble - bikes being pushed and people sitting on the ground, recovering. I pressed on.
The next 30 odd kilometers were flattish and I hooked up with a few guys that were more or less on the same level as me - we agreed to start a pace line to conserve energy. It was working very nicely until I dropped a bottle and had to turn around to collect. My water was low and I'd passed the last 2 feedstations by...
The next 30 minutes were spent in no-mans land - strong headwinds and no one to lend a tow and I was absolutely dying of thirst. At 130km covered the 3rd feedstation came into site - I dived straight in for energy drink, water, cake and gels. I was starting to feel the pain by now - this was the point that I was used to finishing my longest training rides, but I still had 60km to go.
After getting going again I started feeling OK and jumped on the first train that was passing. The wind had picked up considerably by now and crosswinds were playing havoc with handling. The last climb of the day was the hardest - the summit of which was about 10 miles from the finish. It turned out to be a wall - it seemed every second I'd climb another meter according to my GPS. My gearing of 39x23 was definitely not the right choice and my speed dropped to around 7-8kph. I was suffering big time - legs screaming to stop. I was so desperate that I started looking for a place to put a foot down but my mind would not let my body do that!. Eventually the hill evened out and the summit was packed with spectators cheering support.
Then I felt the tailwind I'd predicted - nice. The next 10 miles were all downhill with a 15mph wind blowing straight down it! Although tired beyond comprehension, I kicked it into the 50x12 and literally flew down into Canterbury. The finish area felt surreal - all I wanted now was a hot shower and to stuff my face until the end of time.
My time for the 188km was 6h42, though I'll be getting my official time tomorrow. In total I rode 227km today - this included the ride to the start and the ride back home - ouch!
EDIT: My official time was 7h03'59"
Here are some photos I managed to snap, though most of them are pretty non-descript - I was either suffering or enjoying the scenery too much to remember to take photos.
View this ride data at Motionbased
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