138th out of 860-something. So not too shabby I s’pose.

http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2008/FredWhitton2008_course_results_LONG.html

I have a new “Hardest Ride I’ve Ever Done”. 112 miles, 5000 ish metres of climbing, stupidly steep hills and a very hot day.

I finished in 7:16, 16 minutes beyond my target of an “elite” 7 hours or less. If I’d had anything left in the tank in the last 20 miles things might have been different. Anyhoo, I’m quite pleased with that. I’ll need to do it again if I can though…

This is what I’ve learned today.

1. I’m not great in hot weather. Maybe I should train all summer wearing a fleece-lined hoody.

2. I get all fuzzy at distances above 80 miles at the moment. I used to be good for more than that. This fuzzy thing happened at Huddersfield but rather fortunately that one was 84 miles long. I’ve got to get 2007-style long rides and centuries in.

3. 1.5 litres of water at the second feed station might seem like a good idea in 26 degrees of heat, but it isn’t. It makes you feel sick, especially when you wash it down with flapjack and caffeine-laced energy gel.

4. I might have been hurting, but I wasn’t hurting as much as the bloke that crashed riding down Hardknott or the guy who appeared to be riding the route on a Specialized Enduro complete with big Fox fork and wide knobbly tyres on.

Right. Solo racing at Mountain Mayhem in 6 weeks. I’d better get riding mountain bikes again.

I’ve been taking it relatively easy this week in prep for the Fred Whitton on Sunday. Apart from a fairly easy ride with Warren last night I’ve done nowt in fact. Warren’s not ridden for ages so he did well to complete the 25-ish mile loop last night with no bother at all. We went up to Ashworth Valley and back via some urban cheekies I had up my sleeve. It was great – just enjoying riding bikes for the hell of it for a change rather than trying to keep one’s heart rate in a particular zone or trying to improve one aspect or another. We were riding in a cloud of dust most of the time, kicking it up from our rear wheels. Everywhere is so dry at the moment I rode the Global, still with Small Block 8’s on it from Gran Canaria.

Some developments for Hit the North – more entries have arrived, a kind sponsor is going to print the number boards for us for nowt (see below for a preview of what they should look a bit like) and we’re going to have a proper, pumps-and-everything, licensed, BAR. If that doesn’t bring in the punters nothing will.

Another CX ride this afternoon, Cheshire – Manchester via the Peak District. Mainly on road with a bit of Hardcore Pennine Bridleway Lantern Pike Action in the middle. Not a particulary long ride, about 45 miles, but I must admit to feeling pretty weak. This was probably on account of my food intake before the ride consisting of cereal for breakfast, a toasted teacake for dinner then a crappy burger (I know, A BURGER) which was all that they had at the village fete we went to this afternoon. I had to eat something. it was the burger or the dog. At least they had that American plastic mustard stuff to take the taste of pigs’ bollocks away. 

Luckily I had a gel with me on the ride but it just goes to show what a difference the right (or wrong) food can make.

As for the fete, it was good watching the trained dogs, watching my nephew run in a potato and spoon race (well? Have you seen the price of eggs these days?) and then getting soaked in the rain at the raffle. Won nowt. I had my eye on the Zig and Zag cuddly toys that were sellotaped to a bottle of Rioja as well.