361miles in one day

So in 24 hours I managed to cycle 361 miles, or 151 laps of Thruxton race circuit. I really wasn't sure what to expect, not having attempted a 24 hour event before and usually in everyday life my optimal bed time is before 10pm. The last time I stayed up for all-nighters was what seems a lifetime ago in Brighton...

So anyway, the sense of occasion got me as soon as we arrived at the track and unpacked, setting up in our pit garage. By the time we did our Le Mans style start I was laughing with excitement. My buoyant mood prevailed through the glorious warm afternoon and to the setting of the evening sun. Thank you weather gods.

With time to think through something of a race strategy, as I lapped round and round, a plan was formed. Two and a half hour stints, broken up by a mid stint snack on the bike. That was about the time my chamois cream managed to maintain it's good work and about the time my bladder took to fill itself up.

I tried to keep the breaks 5-10 minutes but it went to pot from the last stop before midnight. My hands had got so cold taking my short gloves off to put on an under layer took forever and then I thought oh sod it let's have a cup of tea en route to the loo. I had a brief chat with the paramedics who were chortling over a rider who was complaining of a sore cock (!)

I relished those walks to the loo, stuffing giant pretzels in (and leaving a trail with my haphazard aim) as a way to stretch my back and loosen the old hamstrings.

Keeping eating was paramount and I knew that to expect my body to cycle for this long and burn several thousand calories (more than 6000 in the end) I needed to keep feeding it. The hardest times were in the small hours. Hunched over in pedalling mode, our stomachs were sensitive to pretty much anything that was sent their way. In the end the only thing I could manage was malted milk biscuits, chewed for a good half a lap (1.2miles)! And so on and on I went, rustling and crunching through the night.

At 2.30am I had some caffeine and popped an earphone in. In a burst of euphoria with one tune I put both earphones in, but the sensory overload was too much amongst the mist and I thought it could result in a collision with the curb, so de-plugged and reminded myself to concentrate (mum's voice in my head!)

Somehow the night passed, accompanied by other dancing and flashing red rear lights and little else. At one end of the circuit it was more misty and cold and there were two floodlights. One packed up at about 3am so it was pretty pitch black. Every so often I'd think bloody hell who is that cyclist whizzing past on my left, then realise it was my shadow. 

It really was a mental test and it made me reflect on how it's not what you get at the end of an event, it's who you become during it (thank you Diana Nyad for those words).

As dawn crept upon us, the sense of achievement of having made it through the night was quite something. You knew the hardest part was behind you and several hundred miles banked too.

Seeing mon cheri on the way round (not that frequently as we worked out with the speed difference it would take about an hour to overtake!) and then cycling for some bursts together in the morning was a real boost, knowing we were doing it.

So, that's that ticked off the bucket list. 

Steve has pointed out with that kind of mileage we could cycle the Pacific Coast in 5 days. But then where's the fun in that. Bring on the more casual cycling adventure :-)