FoD Results

Counting the late entries on the day, it seems that 695 individuals were daft enough to sign up for this one, of whom 202 either did not start, or cut short their days activities once the hills became too steep and too frequent.

I finished =369 of the 493 people to successfully haul their bikes over the finish line, some 2 hours and 13 minutes slower than the leader. and 2 hours 11 minutes ahead of the lantern rouge, who was in (and possibly out of) the saddle for a mighty 8 hours 53 minutes. Chapeau!

I cannot therefore claim to have been in the top half, even if I count the non-starters/non-finishers, but I'm getting closer. Half an hour would have gained me over 100 places, so I appear to be in the position I often found myself Orienteering, just about hanging onto the back of the bulk of the finishers, but not quite competing on their terms. Redouble the training efforts in the next 8 weeks, methinks.

I have been warned against overtraining (me, overtrain? The very thought!) which for a born-again ex couch potato will be a new phenomenon.

Next weekend sees the Etape du Dales, the benchmark against which I have been intending to measure my ability to finish in the Pyrenees. 170km and 3,500 metres of climbing, almost exactly the same as the Etape itself.

I know it's bike-to-work week, but the last time I did the commute (40 miles each way) in a day was 3 days prior to the Lakeland Loop, and I suffered towards the end of the day there. Commuting will be postponed to a more suitable time. Especially given how tired I am after yesterdays 132 mile ride.

Depending on how I feel by Friday, my late entry for the Gran Fondo Cymru may be submitted as the website closes......watch this space.