Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
As announced up thread the Mille Pennines (1000k) was my target, thus the 200s, 400 and 600 (the last a month ago). The audax timings allowed 75 hours and 90 of us started 1000 Friday. The event centre was Askrigg and the design was a (late start) day of 284k, starting in Blackpool, sleep a bit, 362k for Day 2, 262k for Sunday and a swift 101 back to Blackpool Monday am.
The weather was always going to be a significant challenge, with forecast and actual 'heavy shower' days (1,2 and 3) with fresh, gusting (30+mph) westerly winds. In the event I cracked the first day, finishing at the time I had expected/planned (0100) but on the Saturday morning though not cold, the first 70km/1666m climb (see map below) was the killer (65km in 4 hours 20 cf Day 1's 110km in that time) and by Bellingham (~123km) it was clear I wasn't making a good enough average speed. Half the field 'wrapped' on Day 2 so I was not alone, by any means. A pair who left Kielder (with 190km to go for "Day2") at 5:30pm same time as me, did get round, enjoying 3, 2 and 1 hours sleep on successive days. However I have to observe that my bed in the pub that Saturday evening was superb (straight through sleep of 10 hours). I did 132km back to Askrigg via friends on Day 3 and the final 101km thrash most in company on Monday morning (in 4 hours dead, including a 20 minute layby cafe stop).
Having done my 600 with similar percentage of climb with 375km on the first day and 233 on the second, I do not know why I could not achieve decent speed this time on Day 2 - perhaps quality of sleep that first night at Askrigg was a factor. Maybe my fitness has dropped off. Or maybe it's an MTFU issue. Having said that I got up Hardknott and Werynose Passes (Lake District) and all the successive climbs on Day 2 without putting a foot down (Hardknott from the west is 300m in 2.2km), so very pleased with that. And I've had some glorious riding in the Lakes and Dales with fabulous views, and while the rain came and went, and was sometimes heavy enough for a brief shelter stop (trees/shed), I didn't feel wet (thank you Gore Wear) and was never cold (gilet, knee warmers and overshoes). There you go. 38 finished by 1300 Monday btw. Good video (Part 1) here (I am with them/him at 150km - 6.37 in video, sheltering in a downpour). One sleepless one completed the 1010km in about 58 hours.
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