Hailsham 400k
May. 14th, 2007 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
julietSo this weekend I spent 26h20min cycling 400km in the Sussex area. Started from Hailsham at 13.30 on Saturday; finished also in Hailsham at 15.50 on Sunday. Within time (by 40 min) which is the important bit :-) Summary of ride: tough (for me); hillier than expected.
The first stage (to Dungeness) was v fast - tailwind. Although I got dropped by the bunch v early on, as ever :-) Last bit to Dungeness itself got steadily more windy & more into the wind, bah. But got to the cafe only 30min after the control opened! (Charlotte et al were there *before* it opened!). Snack & crack on... Second stage (to World of Water) rather pleasant - wind was cross mostly, & when it was headwindy didn't feel that bad. Also the weather was clearing, & the countryside was pretty. Beans & mushrooms on toast at WoW, hurrah. It's run by a family, & they're enormously helpful & friendly.
Next stage to Cross-in-Hand garage - also OK, although a bit draggy in places. At some point during the afternoon/evening I remember feeling really *pleased* & happy, because it was all going well & so on :-) Bit of a drag up towards Cross in Hand, but then 10k downhill to Uckfield which was FUN. Next stage out along A272 to Dave's layby control at Halfway Bridge. This just seemed to take a Very Very Long Time, especially the bit after the garage at Buckbarn (stopped here because I saw cyclists & was feeling a little tired & lonely & wanted reassurance that there were other nutters out there. Turned out that they were on their way back i.e. 60k ahead of me!). Was warned that the next 30k were tough, & they were correct - it was OK in places but a lot of it was quite draggy/uphill. Also I was just getting *tired* by this stage. Hauled myself into the control (after being accosted by Hummers about 2k beforehand, yelling "Arrrrrr!" at me, bless him. Apparently he'd been shouting it at all oncoming cyclists till he located me & Charlotte :-) ) & found I was 2h10 in hand. So used all but 40min of it in having a doze (ish - didn't really sleep per se but rested my eyes/head), & some food, & a sit down.
Notable point from the overnight bit: the Solidlights *kick arse*. Such a massive difference being able to see the road that well; makes the difference between belting it downhill confidently at daytime pace, & crawling down at 15mph with the brakes on & getting more & more stressed because you can't see what's about to happen. Don't think I'd have made it round in time with less good lights, tbh. (hurrah for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
uon who got them for me for my Xmas!)
Headed off again once dawn had fully broken, plugging in the iPod to get me going (route was A272 retrace. First song on Shuffle: "Hit Me Baby One More Time". Hmm. Also many many fluffy bunny rabbits in the hedges! Aww! Next 30k were OK - more downhill than up! (Which explains in part why it was tough on the way out...) Encountered Charlotte again at the garage & she recommended the baby change at the McDs for wash & brush up, so took her advice (& did feel better for it!). More coffee.
Next stage was 80k to the WoW, starting off with 35k back along the A272 (I am not that keen on retracing routes :-/ ). Rain started. Saw "Smaynes Hill" on the routesheet & thought "argggh" but it transpired that the tough side was the one I'd already done. Near-hysterical gratitude ensued.
Rain continued; bladder started playing up (too much caffeine, I think - had Coke in bottles as well = error). Fell into deep depression. Threw 2.5 hysterical tantrums (including one instance of Sitting Under Tree & Sulking (ate crisps & flapjack). Convinced that entire route was uphill & I was going massively slowly uphill & I was going to run out of time. Constructed List of Hate, featuring Everyone In The Entire World & moving on from there. (turned iPod off when the KLF came on & I added them to the List of Hate & then realised I was clearly going mad). Final & most impressive tantrum dealt with when I thought to check computer+watch & found that I had 45mi to go & 5h30 to do them in which was entirely doable even if I *was* imitating a snail uphill. Gloom continued, however, although was able to turn iPod back on after a bit. Attempted to cheer myself up by noting that I was getting lots of hill practice; this was however unsuccessful.
At least one Totally Gratuitous Hill (leave main road to climb ridiculously steep hill; rejoin main road. Swear mightily). Gloom lifted about 10k from the WoW on sighting Martin & Arabella on their way back from it, who waved at me & yelled cheering things. Dragged self into WoW with 25mi to go & 3h45 to do it in (3h15 by the time I'd scarfed down food). Encountered Charlotte who was about to leave but offered to wait if I wanted company on the last bit; accepted happily.
Final stage featured primarily Torrential Rain. Really, seriously, stair-rods. We were riding up & down rivers along the lanes (& both hit a whacking great pothole which serves us right for going through puddles - thankfully no spokes suffered), & both drenched to the skin. On the upside it meant I minded the (extensive) hills less due to being too busy DROWNING. Downhill was also a bit nerveracking due to rain meaning a) brakes less effective & b) couldn't bloody see a thing to avoid it anyway. Very grateful for company as otherwise I fear I would have had full-on nervous breakdown by side of road. C had a brief mechanical but it didn't delay us too long; rain stopped with about 10mi to go, & we finally got into the finish control with 40min in hand. Hurrah.
Charlotte & I spent 30min in the Ladies trying to dry out clothing (thankfully I had a dryish spare shirt & longs), set off for station with *plenty* of time, got briefly lost, & made train (only one an hour...) only by virtue of 18mph time-trial along 3 mi of Leisure Trail, oops. Didn't know I could sprint like that!
I am getting a bit faster uphill (still pretty slow though!). Quite a lot faster on the flat; and I've lost my fear of descending so am getting some pretty good speeds in there as well :) Psytrance is good music for getting the legs going; bouncy indie is better for cheering the head. 1 x flapjack every 50k is about right; and I really need to drink more water.
Three down (1 x 200, 1 x 300, 1 x 400). One to go (1 x 600, the Brian Chapman, next weekend. Notoriously very hilly. Far from sure that I will make it within time, but We Shall See.) Pleased with myself today, anyway :-)
The first stage (to Dungeness) was v fast - tailwind. Although I got dropped by the bunch v early on, as ever :-) Last bit to Dungeness itself got steadily more windy & more into the wind, bah. But got to the cafe only 30min after the control opened! (Charlotte et al were there *before* it opened!). Snack & crack on... Second stage (to World of Water) rather pleasant - wind was cross mostly, & when it was headwindy didn't feel that bad. Also the weather was clearing, & the countryside was pretty. Beans & mushrooms on toast at WoW, hurrah. It's run by a family, & they're enormously helpful & friendly.
Next stage to Cross-in-Hand garage - also OK, although a bit draggy in places. At some point during the afternoon/evening I remember feeling really *pleased* & happy, because it was all going well & so on :-) Bit of a drag up towards Cross in Hand, but then 10k downhill to Uckfield which was FUN. Next stage out along A272 to Dave's layby control at Halfway Bridge. This just seemed to take a Very Very Long Time, especially the bit after the garage at Buckbarn (stopped here because I saw cyclists & was feeling a little tired & lonely & wanted reassurance that there were other nutters out there. Turned out that they were on their way back i.e. 60k ahead of me!). Was warned that the next 30k were tough, & they were correct - it was OK in places but a lot of it was quite draggy/uphill. Also I was just getting *tired* by this stage. Hauled myself into the control (after being accosted by Hummers about 2k beforehand, yelling "Arrrrrr!" at me, bless him. Apparently he'd been shouting it at all oncoming cyclists till he located me & Charlotte :-) ) & found I was 2h10 in hand. So used all but 40min of it in having a doze (ish - didn't really sleep per se but rested my eyes/head), & some food, & a sit down.
Notable point from the overnight bit: the Solidlights *kick arse*. Such a massive difference being able to see the road that well; makes the difference between belting it downhill confidently at daytime pace, & crawling down at 15mph with the brakes on & getting more & more stressed because you can't see what's about to happen. Don't think I'd have made it round in time with less good lights, tbh. (hurrah for
uon who got them for me for my Xmas!)Headed off again once dawn had fully broken, plugging in the iPod to get me going (route was A272 retrace. First song on Shuffle: "Hit Me Baby One More Time". Hmm. Also many many fluffy bunny rabbits in the hedges! Aww! Next 30k were OK - more downhill than up! (Which explains in part why it was tough on the way out...) Encountered Charlotte again at the garage & she recommended the baby change at the McDs for wash & brush up, so took her advice (& did feel better for it!). More coffee.
Next stage was 80k to the WoW, starting off with 35k back along the A272 (I am not that keen on retracing routes :-/ ). Rain started. Saw "Smaynes Hill" on the routesheet & thought "argggh" but it transpired that the tough side was the one I'd already done. Near-hysterical gratitude ensued.
Rain continued; bladder started playing up (too much caffeine, I think - had Coke in bottles as well = error). Fell into deep depression. Threw 2.5 hysterical tantrums (including one instance of Sitting Under Tree & Sulking (ate crisps & flapjack). Convinced that entire route was uphill & I was going massively slowly uphill & I was going to run out of time. Constructed List of Hate, featuring Everyone In The Entire World & moving on from there. (turned iPod off when the KLF came on & I added them to the List of Hate & then realised I was clearly going mad). Final & most impressive tantrum dealt with when I thought to check computer+watch & found that I had 45mi to go & 5h30 to do them in which was entirely doable even if I *was* imitating a snail uphill. Gloom continued, however, although was able to turn iPod back on after a bit. Attempted to cheer myself up by noting that I was getting lots of hill practice; this was however unsuccessful.
At least one Totally Gratuitous Hill (leave main road to climb ridiculously steep hill; rejoin main road. Swear mightily). Gloom lifted about 10k from the WoW on sighting Martin & Arabella on their way back from it, who waved at me & yelled cheering things. Dragged self into WoW with 25mi to go & 3h45 to do it in (3h15 by the time I'd scarfed down food). Encountered Charlotte who was about to leave but offered to wait if I wanted company on the last bit; accepted happily.
Final stage featured primarily Torrential Rain. Really, seriously, stair-rods. We were riding up & down rivers along the lanes (& both hit a whacking great pothole which serves us right for going through puddles - thankfully no spokes suffered), & both drenched to the skin. On the upside it meant I minded the (extensive) hills less due to being too busy DROWNING. Downhill was also a bit nerveracking due to rain meaning a) brakes less effective & b) couldn't bloody see a thing to avoid it anyway. Very grateful for company as otherwise I fear I would have had full-on nervous breakdown by side of road. C had a brief mechanical but it didn't delay us too long; rain stopped with about 10mi to go, & we finally got into the finish control with 40min in hand. Hurrah.
Charlotte & I spent 30min in the Ladies trying to dry out clothing (thankfully I had a dryish spare shirt & longs), set off for station with *plenty* of time, got briefly lost, & made train (only one an hour...) only by virtue of 18mph time-trial along 3 mi of Leisure Trail, oops. Didn't know I could sprint like that!
I am getting a bit faster uphill (still pretty slow though!). Quite a lot faster on the flat; and I've lost my fear of descending so am getting some pretty good speeds in there as well :) Psytrance is good music for getting the legs going; bouncy indie is better for cheering the head. 1 x flapjack every 50k is about right; and I really need to drink more water.
Three down (1 x 200, 1 x 300, 1 x 400). One to go (1 x 600, the Brian Chapman, next weekend. Notoriously very hilly. Far from sure that I will make it within time, but We Shall See.) Pleased with myself today, anyway :-)
