22nd September 2017
Saturday was wet and windy, but, Sunday dawned very
chilly, the wind had dropped and was set to be a nice day.
It was early 6:0am when I finished packing the car for
the 47mile drive over to the start of the Great Dorset Bike Ride near Wool,
near Wareham in Dorset.I came through a lot of mist but the sun was rising giving
stunning temperature inversions in places, I got diverted near Dorchester as roads were
closed, partly road works but partly the Ironman in Weymouth.
There were few cars there already as the 100 milers had
to register by 7:30, I sat and had my coffee and second breakfast of muesli
before wandering over to the registration. I have to admit at this point I wasn’t
feeling too great, tired and a little ‘coldy’
It was an efficient system as I picked up my number in
good time for my start at 8:30. I prepared my bike and got ready with shoes
helmet etc before heading over to the start line in the sunshine . We were
released in small groups to avoid traffic congestion, there was a small group
of ten, I found my self leading as we headed towards Wareham, it was very
chilly, the roads were still damp and after a couple of miles my fingers were
decidedly cold! A couple took over the
lead , the rest sitting on our wheels. We climbed up towards Cloud s Hill, I
was in the lead again, the speed was 16.7 mph!!!
We were soon at the first food point after about 16
miles, I have never seen so much food, I wasn’t ready for this but stopped and
had a banana and drink of energy drink. As I left here I was on my own my
average speed so far 16mph+
After Bere Regis it was the pretty Dorset villages
Milbourne St Andrew etc before the climb up through the classic village of
Milton Abbas the village that was moved from its original place near the Abbey
so the Lord of the Manor couldn’t see it! It’s a steep climb up through the
village , before turning to continueing to climb round the back of Bulbarrow
hill.
It was a fast descent down to Winterbourne Strickland, I
was still on my own, only passed by a couple of riders and I had passed several
others. I was not feeling too good after the long climb and doubt set in! more
climbing before a very fast descent over
Oakford Hill [ironically I ran a trail race over this hill a couple of years ag
in the ‘Dorset 3 Peaks’) I reached the junction at Okeford Fitzpaine, this was
where the 72 mile route turned back to the finish.
Right to continue the 80 mile route round Shaftsbury,
left to the finish, I had completed 38 miles and it was 18 miles back to the
finish ! or another 42 miles. I made the decision that I wasn’t feeling too good,
I seem to have no energy, and I sat at the junction which as it happened was at
the bottom of the Bulbarrow hill climb, with several 15% sections over a couple
of miles.
Decision made, I turned left and started the climb of
Bulbarrow, I was on my own once again, I struggled up the hill, promising myself
I would walk at the next tree etc, I didn’t and made it to the summit, stunning
views across Blackmore Vale, the sun had gone now though and a chill northerly
wind was blowing ,I was very hot and my legs felt weak, it was a feeling of a cold coming on.
I descended down through more wonderful Dorset villages and countryside through
Melcombe Bingham to Cheselbourne and a
feed station, I was feeling very tired now and still had 10 miles to get back.
After a cup of tea and piece of flapjack a chat with a few others on the 72
mile and 38 mile routes I set off on my own once more. About a mile from the
feed station the road suddenly went up steeply, I really struggled up here, the
Garmin showing 12% I was pleased to get to Puddletown and knew it was only a
few miles to the finish. I passed a number of very young riders with their
mums, obviously doing the 10 mile ride etc. It was a fast finish downhill and I crossed the lines with 51 miles
completed, I was offered a medal for my efforts, but I turned it down as I felt
I had cheated by only doing 51 miles
instead of the 80 I had signed up for. The greetings at the finish were tremendous,
lots of people cheering and clapping us in.
I wandered back to the car and sat for a while feeling
drained, no energy, I was only glad I had turned back when I did, I would have
been in trouble had I turned right over Shaftesbury.
It was a lovely route in generally good weather, and very
well organised by the Rotary club in aid of Cancer Research.
When I got home, several mugs of tea and a lovely evening
meal of roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and nuttolene slices with
gravy I was starting to feel better. By Monday I was feeling a little better.
Wednesday wobble day, was set to be a good day, I had
recovered from my Sunday ride, I had plotted a route over to Tiverton across
the Blackdown Hills.
Only four of us set off across the hills, my garmin
refusing to give turn by turn!! We got to Kentisbeare after a beautiful ride
over the Hills through Smeatharpe and near Dunkeswell, the old WW2 D day aerodromes
, followed by the lovely woods at Blackborough. The descent down from
Kentisbeare towards Willand and hopefully Tiverton was fast and long.
This is where it went ‘haywire’!! we got lost and couldn’t
find any signs to Tiverton!! So after a riding round narrow lanes lost, we finally ended up in
Cullompton, we made the decision to forget Tiverton and instead find a café for
coffee as it was 11:30!! We found a great café and after beans on toast
followed by flapjack we were now back on track to head back through Uffculme
and Hemyock to ascend back up to the top of the Blackdowns up the Culm Valley.
It was a good ascent through narrow lanes climbing for several
miles; I have to say I felt much better than Sunday even though we had covered
40 miles so far. We finally covered the last few miles over Staple Hill to
home. 53miles covered, I felt fine,
I cant believe the difference In how I felt . It was a good ride but I was a
little embarrassed that my Garmin let me down and I got us lost!!! I still don’t
understand how we ended up where we did. Everyone enjoyed the ride anyway.
It was also good to get the new router so we now had our
internet back!!! Its surprising how much we now depend on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment