Well, for a first Dun Run I reckon I was very lucky with the weather
Even in the car over to London Fields just getting to the Blackwall Tunnel it absolutely p******d it down, and my bro-in-law was mocking my desicion
But that was the last I saw of any rain, and it turned out to be a lovely moonlit evening.
Caught up with my mate at the Pub on the Park, he'd got the train down from Norwich which was very packed with bikes.
Even he said he could notice the increase in numbers since he did it last in 2007, I thought the crowd in Martello St outside the pub was huge but then realised there was the same amount in the park too! Anyone got a good guess as to how many people did it this year?
Saw a bloke with a cargo bike with 2 doggies in it, anyone know if they made it too?
Started off at 8:30, loved the ride out of London, a real feeling of a big happening going on, what with cyclists taking up all the road, people waving and chatting from cars.
We were going through Epping Forest when a rider went down, was he with the Dulwich Paragon lot? Whoever it was, I do hope they're ok now.
Hat's off to the Dulwich Paragon lot tho', loved the way most of them had decorated themselves with fairy lights, they really stood out even from a distance meandering through the countryside
I think my mate was on a bit of a mission and was pacing it a bit more than I was comfy with, managed to keep up though
Got to the village hall stop at 1, queue wasn't too bad and managed to sit our weary asses down. Soup was cold
but was just glad of the sit down in the warm and bottle refill.
Flickin' heck! How cold it was going back out into the night
From then on I never really warmed up properly again, better get some booties and full gloves for next time
Our next stop was at the lake in Needham Market at about 4, it was just trying to get light by this point, and it was a real lift as I knew what we had left to go was now "local"
I reckon that banana/sandwich/energy bar really kicked in 'cos I stepped up the pace (ever so slightly
) and what with the daylight coming back really perked up after the slog of the dark section.
Another stop at Framlingham for a gel and a stretch, and only 16.5 miles to go as it said on that sign advertising refreshments in 0.7 miles. Anyone stop at that one? We didn't, but even to this veggie the smell of whatever was frying away made me go mmmmmmm
My accomplice was starting to flag a bit now, so with one last sarnie for him and another gel for me at 8 miles to go, it was my turn to lead us home
Got there at 6:30, that was 7:33 riding time with 2 1/2 hrs stops, most of that in the village hall
Rustled up a cup of tea and a bowl of soup on the camp stove, took a look on the beach at the sea, and also the sea of knackered riders strewn across the pebbles.
With the bikes on the car, I tried to drive back to Narrrich but was so tired I had to have forty winks in a layby
Back home at 10, straight to bed and slept for 6 glorious hours, oh bliss!
Would I spend another 10 hours cycling all that way through the night in the flickin' cold? Yeah probably
