It was a nearly perfect day.....

 

The support shown to me on this page, and elsewhere, helped make it a wonderful experience for me.  Thank you!

 

My post-match report....

 

Such a privilege to ride those roads car free, I hope all the people inconvenienced by the closures didn't feel too put upon. The whole event was wonderfully well organised and everyone I spoke to was happy.

 

It was very cathartic as I told complete strangers why I was doing the ride, the tale of my father's inspiration and the deal I made with him when he broke his neck that I would lose weight if he would teach himself to walk again. They all seemed to get it, or were perhaps just making encouraging noises to the demented Scotsman telling them about how wonderful is his demented dad. Either way I was particularly proud to get the story out twice on my way up Box Hill. Leith Hill was a bit more of a push and my conversation a touch more succinct and graphic!

Not sure I was very fast up the hills but I was descending like a god - very fast, shouting folk out my way and loving my new carbon wheels sticking me to the road like they were on rails. They were an early birthday present from my mum, wife, brother and kids and so they added a bit of zip (nearly hit 50 mph!).

I started near back of field at 7:22am but crossed start line on the wheel of my new best friend; the perfectly paced "Ozzie Phil".  He's 27yrs old, 6'6", properly fit and was happy for me to sit behind him. Think we'd have set an amazing time, but I'd maybe not have felt that I had achieved as much, if he hadn't punctured at about 30 miles. We hadn't been passed once since the start and were flying up the field!!  At about the same time I lost my mate Bill - over from Bermuda for his first big ride.

 

Never really found anyone to settle in and draft behind after that and spent next 50 miles bridging gaps, telling Dad's story and ploughing on. For a while I was even pulling a train of gratifyingly grateful followers.

 

Hit a wall at about 80 miles just after my only water stop. I struggled up a hill believing that at summit it was my last till the end but when I realised I had one more to go it was such a shock that it hurt like hell all the way up Wimbledon Hill.

 

I thought I was going to crack but I stopped on Putney Bridge to get some loving from the family. That worked, and it felt like I shot in the last 8 miles like a man possessed. Dreadful cramp in right thigh going along Embankment past Westminster. Tried for a sprint finish up The Mall but not sure I managed to accelerate. Both legs gone on the line and was helped from my bike. Didn't feel I had anyting left to give. Job done!

 

Thence to the pub in Putney with 24 friends and family for a cracking BBQ in the beer garden. Nipped out to see the pros on the High St, briefly!

 

Bed, a happy man, by 9pm.

 

Stats....

 

Time: 4:53:46.  They haven't announced places but best I can guage that puts me just inside the top 10%.  As I approached the line they announced that one of us was the 4,000th to finish.  As I calculate it I started about 12,000th was overtaken by a few and so I overtook just over 8,000 riders. 

 

Bottom Line...

Smug? You bet!  It's not bad for an old fat lad out for a social ride ;)

 

 

##################################################################

Please do not feel under any pressure to sponsor me but....

If you know my dad, or if you know anyone else who has suffered from a stroke, then please dig deep...click here to read of the horrendous impact stroke has had on my father...?

Please do not sponsor me to help me go faster...

When the attached "before" picture was taken I was struggling to complete an 18 mile cycle just last August and I weighed 18 1/2 stone.  I was a physical embarrassment (click on the photos below to see the full horror of it). Since then, motivated and inspired by my dad, I have trained hard and lost over 4 stone.  My competitive spirit has come to the fore and, 12 months on, I will ride the 104 miles of this course absolutely as fast as I can.  I will be riding with (against?) my brother as we use the day to honour our father and his perseverance.  So, frankly, nothing you can do will make me ride any faster.  I will be posting an "after" photo... it will be less embarassing.

Please do not sponsor me to defray my costs... 

I tried to win a place in this ride via the lottery but when I had to "buy" a slot I felt I should give to the Stroke Association.  So I have covered the required minimum amount of fund raising.