The Festive 500 thread.
Discussion
Well...
Properly in the doghouse right now. 210km yesterday into today. Silly really, as it started out as a "minimum 50 miles, preferably 75 miles" type of ride. The 66.5 mile point saw a welcome stop for food (all hail Marmaris Kebabs!) which turned out to be a medium Doner and a can of Pepsi.
After that, it just grew and grew. 100km already done and dusted, I passed the 75 mile point, whereupon I decided to push it to 100 miles. That came and went, marked by a phonecall from the wife. I agreed to come in when 100 miles was up (97.6 at the time) but then I was close to my all-time record - 113 miles. So I pushed on, with the warning light blinking on my front light, and down to a single rear light. Next up 120 miles, which seemed brilliant. Uncharted territory. But I was feeling great, with a real doozy of a second wind kicking in. So some quick mental maths to work out where the 200km point was (Garmin reads in miles) and 128 miles was the next target. Well, with that cracked I was so close to 130 miles that it'd have been rude not too... https://www.strava.com/activities/458364910
Very close to completion now, with roughly 20 miles needed and two days to do it. Lots of "filler" at the end of this ride, with many laps near home to bump up the distance. This was mostly due to worries over battery life in my lights. If everything had exhausted itself, I was close enough to walk (or, whisper it, pavement ride) home.
Very much in the doghouse now, though. Mrs YJ was not impressed in the slightest with me staying out beyond midnight.
Properly in the doghouse right now. 210km yesterday into today. Silly really, as it started out as a "minimum 50 miles, preferably 75 miles" type of ride. The 66.5 mile point saw a welcome stop for food (all hail Marmaris Kebabs!) which turned out to be a medium Doner and a can of Pepsi.
After that, it just grew and grew. 100km already done and dusted, I passed the 75 mile point, whereupon I decided to push it to 100 miles. That came and went, marked by a phonecall from the wife. I agreed to come in when 100 miles was up (97.6 at the time) but then I was close to my all-time record - 113 miles. So I pushed on, with the warning light blinking on my front light, and down to a single rear light. Next up 120 miles, which seemed brilliant. Uncharted territory. But I was feeling great, with a real doozy of a second wind kicking in. So some quick mental maths to work out where the 200km point was (Garmin reads in miles) and 128 miles was the next target. Well, with that cracked I was so close to 130 miles that it'd have been rude not too... https://www.strava.com/activities/458364910
Very close to completion now, with roughly 20 miles needed and two days to do it. Lots of "filler" at the end of this ride, with many laps near home to bump up the distance. This was mostly due to worries over battery life in my lights. If everything had exhausted itself, I was close enough to walk (or, whisper it, pavement ride) home.
Very much in the doghouse now, though. Mrs YJ was not impressed in the slightest with me staying out beyond midnight.
ALawson said:
Bet Farnbrough was great viewing at that time of day!
Early on I had severe issues with drivers going head-to-head with me on Beta Road. In the end I got to protecting my right hand on the 'tops' and holding my line. Later I even started 'jinking' toward their door mirrors. I truly sick and tired of idiots who can't read a "Priority To Oncoming Vehicles" sign too. Usually fat, unshaven, aggressive looking knuckle draggers. Careful, scumbags - you might just get what you are looking for.Then it was a "left hook" on Sandy Lane into Pinewood Park. That one got a visit though. I pointed out why it's a stupid idea to "s
t on your own doorstep", left him in no doubt that "I know where you live" and bade him to be more careful in future. So close that his swing out to overtake me was one fluid motion with his left turn across my front. Can't decide whether to report to local plod, or just stick a few "I'm watching you" type notes through the house door/under the windscreen wipers.Then I broke the ride to nip into Farnborough to pick my youngest up from town, and bought some new gloves at Silvester Brothers. The rest of the ride was completely uneventful up until about 2200hrs. Barely a soul out and about in Odiham/Well/Crondall. But at about 2200hrs the drunks started stumbling home from the pubs. Three drunks stepping off the pavement ahead of me, one girl so engrossed in her phone that she bumped into a garden wall, one bloke walking diagonally across the road with his face buried in a smartphone. Then the dog walker who was on a pedestrian refuge halfway across a road with his dog still on the pavement behind him, with one of those long leads across the traffic lane between them. Half a dozen or so 'Ninjas' on BSOs, the usual teenagers on BMXs tearing up the pavements, and a couple of what looked like shift workers cycling home in industrial style hi-vis jackets. It was raining too by then. Fairly light rain, but constant, and tiring on the eyes with all the lights reflecting back off the road surface.
Still. Nearly there with this silly challenge now. I knew there was a reason why I wasn't going to sign up, and it's that I become obsessional about these things. Like a dog with a bone. Hopefully I'll learn from my mistakes, and stay well away from this nonsense next year...
matt-ITR said:
Job done for me.
Me too!
514km in the end. 'Storm Frank' is putting me off riding tomorrow and New Year's Eve is a day out with the family, so it looks like that's it for the year now. I've claimed my 'roundel' online (sad, I know) and put the bike away.
Next ride will probably be a short blast on New Year's Day, weather permitting.
Happy, but stiff-legged...
yellowjack said:
Well...
Properly in the doghouse right now. 210km yesterday into today. Silly really, as it started out as a "minimum 50 miles, preferably 75 miles" type of ride. The 66.5 mile point saw a welcome stop for food (all hail Marmaris Kebabs!) which turned out to be a medium Doner and a can of Pepsi.
After that, it just grew and grew. 100km already done and dusted, I passed the 75 mile point, whereupon I decided to push it to 100 miles. That came and went, marked by a phonecall from the wife. I agreed to come in when 100 miles was up (97.6 at the time) but then I was close to my all-time record - 113 miles. So I pushed on, with the warning light blinking on my front light, and down to a single rear light. Next up 120 miles, which seemed brilliant. Uncharted territory. But I was feeling great, with a real doozy of a second wind kicking in. So some quick mental maths to work out where the 200km point was (Garmin reads in miles) and 128 miles was the next target. Well, with that cracked I was so close to 130 miles that it'd have been rude not too... https://www.strava.com/activities/458364910
Very close to completion now, with roughly 20 miles needed and two days to do it. Lots of "filler" at the end of this ride, with many laps near home to bump up the distance. This was mostly due to worries over battery life in my lights. If everything had exhausted itself, I was close enough to walk (or, whisper it, pavement ride) home.
Very much in the doghouse now, though. Mrs YJ was not impressed in the slightest with me staying out beyond midnight.
That route looks horrible! I can't stand doing multiple routes, bleugh.Properly in the doghouse right now. 210km yesterday into today. Silly really, as it started out as a "minimum 50 miles, preferably 75 miles" type of ride. The 66.5 mile point saw a welcome stop for food (all hail Marmaris Kebabs!) which turned out to be a medium Doner and a can of Pepsi.
After that, it just grew and grew. 100km already done and dusted, I passed the 75 mile point, whereupon I decided to push it to 100 miles. That came and went, marked by a phonecall from the wife. I agreed to come in when 100 miles was up (97.6 at the time) but then I was close to my all-time record - 113 miles. So I pushed on, with the warning light blinking on my front light, and down to a single rear light. Next up 120 miles, which seemed brilliant. Uncharted territory. But I was feeling great, with a real doozy of a second wind kicking in. So some quick mental maths to work out where the 200km point was (Garmin reads in miles) and 128 miles was the next target. Well, with that cracked I was so close to 130 miles that it'd have been rude not too... https://www.strava.com/activities/458364910
Very close to completion now, with roughly 20 miles needed and two days to do it. Lots of "filler" at the end of this ride, with many laps near home to bump up the distance. This was mostly due to worries over battery life in my lights. If everything had exhausted itself, I was close enough to walk (or, whisper it, pavement ride) home.
Very much in the doghouse now, though. Mrs YJ was not impressed in the slightest with me staying out beyond midnight.
My first century today, was looking at comfortably getting 20-21mph, however Garmin took me some horrible route into Burton, and added on loads of time :-(
https://www.strava.com/activities/458829980
28 miles to go, probably swim and run tomorrow, and come back to it NYE.
I thought I was mad with a 130 miler, but
Would the PHer known as Adam Watkins please make himself known...
https://www.strava.com/activities/459370871
Audax mentalist in 335 mile (539km) ride shocker...
Would the PHer known as Adam Watkins please make himself known...
https://www.strava.com/activities/459370871
Audax mentalist in 335 mile (539km) ride shocker...
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