Last weekend I did the Fred Whitton Challenge. Definitely the best ride I've ever done. The scenery was stunning and, on the whole, this managed to take my mind off any tiredness.
The worst bits throughout the ride were after we'd stopped for a while and then started to ride again. My legs would feel like lead for the next half hour at least.
The ride went over all of the famous passes in the Lake district and to give you an idea of how steep some of them were, when I went over Whinlatter, I was convinced there was more to come as it felt so easy after the other climbs.
There was one climb that I was dreading on the basis of its name alone - Cold Fell. I had visions of a bleak and exposed climb and turned out to be absolutely right. Definitely the low point of the ride.
After 97 miles of riding we took the turning towards Hardknott Pass (followed very closely by Wrynose Pass) and passed a sign warning of the very steep gradient and informing us that the road is closed throughout the whole of winter as it's so steep. There was an eery suspense as we rode the next three miles on a very flat road. Just as the we ticked over 100 miles we started the steepest road I'd ever ridden up. I was pulling so hard on the bars that the I had to clamp my fingers with my thumb to make sure my hands didn't slip off. By the top I wasn't grunting with effort, I was whimpering with pain.
Incredibly. By the end of the ride I felt fresh again and able to attack climbs. I also only only had two sharp stabbing pains in my legs.
Writing this blog has certainly helped me to become the fittest I've been.
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