The Big One

Schedule: Breckland 10k

Actual: Bike 112 miles

Well, I couldn't get in to Breckland as it was full :) Last weekend Trish suggested a long bike ride so I joined her and Marie for a 112-mile epic - Rosie joined us for the last 40.

The route was from Trish's out to Holt and Cromer, back via Aylsham and Reepham, then out on the Swaffham, Oxburgh, Watton route we've done before. At the end there was a bit of detouring around the lanes to make up the magic 112. The weather started off hazy, perfect temperature, even the odd spot of rain. By the time we returned to Shipdham after lap 1 it was getting clearer and warmer, and we completed the ride mostly in sunshine.

Energy-wise, I was fine - stocked up regularly on flapjack, banana, Go bars, and tried a gel that Marie had brought, from Kate's post-marathon spares. The gel wasn't too bad, but not something I'd eat from choice! Tasted fine but the texture was very weird and gloopy. Plenty to drink, too - water, and 50/50 fruit juice (V8) and water. However, I was feeling pretty saddle sore by about 50-60 miles. Trish said it looked like my riding position needed adjusting, and I moved the saddle forward when we stopped at 70. It helped a bit, but I'm not sure if by then I was just already sore and nothing apart from not riding would help. I was in two minds about whether to do the last 40 or not, but I carried on, and survived!

We averaged 15.8-16.1 mph pretty consistently (although of course the longer you ride, the more extreme your increase/decrease has to be to affect the average), coming in at just over 7h riding time for the whole thing, and 40 minutes' stoppage excluding the "home" pit stop at 70. About 20 of that was fixing (twice) a puncture Trish got at 78 miles. We took turns (although not rigidly) at the front, and kept each other going, which really worked well, although conversation certainly tailed off towards the end of the day as we got more tired.

When we finally landed, nobody wanted cake - all full of sweet stuff already. Marie felt sick, although I think she had been on energy gels and drinks, which are maybe sweeter? My flapjack was not overly sweet, but packed with fruit, and my drinks were more dilute and less sweet to start with too. Next time I would also take something savoury, maybe cheese or peanut butter sandwiches, just to mix in with the sweet. I guess we were losing salts by sweating too - the energy drinks might replace those but my juice and water wouldn't.

So, perhaps a slightly unconventional way to kick off a taper week, but fun and good to do! The Norfolk 100 is coming up, so as long as I can get my riding position sorted out, I'm up for that.