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Archive for March, 2011

Today I took part in the Iain Rennie Chiltren Cycle challenge , the goal of it is to raise money for a hospice and nurses.
There were 3 options 10 ,35 and 75 mile routes (16 ,51 and 125 km ), I signed up for the 75 mile ride .
When the envelope with all the details arrived , I had my first doubt about what I signed up for , the route like a serrated knife skyline , with climbs of 600 feet (200 m ) and more in many places, but I decided to go ahead with it .

The start of the ride was good and I had a good pace , I was hoping to have an average pace of 20 km/h (13 mp/h) and in the first 2 hours I did , then the hill climbs got harder and harder and the day got hotter and I found my pace falling and my energy failing .
At the 60 km mark , I refilled my water and tried to find out if there is a snack spot any time soon ,but the road marshals did not know, that spot also was the point where if one wanted he can change route and join the 35 mile course, beside myself and 2 others I saw , all went for the shorter course.
As I started the second part I felt my power leaving me and I had to walk up many of the hills along the way , my km/h dropped to about 10 , (6 mp/h) , and eventually I found myself unable to continue .
Encouraged by a road marshal remark I braved the next 10 K and reached the 80K mark ( 50 M), there , beside the marshals was a Pub !!!
I left my bike with the marshals and zombied ( to say I walked would be stretching it) as hardly had any energy left), I got in the pub and asked for the fastest food they had , it turned out to be a Toast , I asked it to come not toasted , I wolfed it down ,I think there was Egg in it , still I ate it. I also took 4 slices of bread with butter and after that went back to attempt to resume the ride . As I looked at the watch it was already 2PM , and the closing time for the event was 4:30 , quick math told me I would not make it .
I through in the towel and got a ride to the finish line with the Marshall’s.I was so out of energy that even with 4 layers I was shivering and barely standing .


So out of the 75 miles I set out to do I managed 50 , Challenge … Forfeited.