Audax rides

Rode Oh! To be in Kent 200 on Saturday. Past month has been a bit shit working long hours, eating shit and no time on the bike aside from 20k round trip commute a few times a week. Come to think of it I hadn't actually been on the bike proper for 5 weeks since Hereward The Wake 300. Turns out this is sub-optimal preparation. Bike fit last weekend tweaked position a bit and threw a new saddle into the mix as well... "make sure you do a couple of adaptation rides before that Audax next weekend..." Did I get a chance to do that? Did I fuck.

Started off in a shit mood, on the way to the start in Peckham Rye I was already beating myself up for not having ridden, shit night's sleep, this saddle is weird, etc. Roll out from Peckham, lovely day but still grumpy, up Sydenham Rise I notice rear disc rubbing, fan-fucking-tastic. I am mechanically inept, maybe if I drag my rear brake down Corkscrew Hill it'll help? It kinda did and brightened my mood a bit. This is a privilege, enjoy it you miserable cunt.
Through Layhams, no Qashqais, no close passes, recent news in mind I look over my shoulder and, to quote Ice Cube, not a jacker in sight... maybe it was going to be a good day. Maybe.

Feeling a bit better now, rolling through Kent past Hever Castle and on to first control at Hartfield. Getting quite warm now. Few kms out of Hartfield and felt pretty flat, started thinking of bail out options then remembered that wasn't actually an option at all because of train strikes. That really fucked with my head and made the next 55kms through Burwash and to lunch stop at Tenterden really suck. Had to have a proper sit down lunch, fancy ploughman's and a can of coke from a posh cafe, few mins rest and on I rolled. Felt awful. Half a pound of cheddar and two of the densest scones ever probably didn't help things much.

Next info control at Pluckley (124kms) and I was gassed, newsagents for another can of coke. Just after this I caught up with Richard, a Clapham Chasers member who informed me the next 30kms or so to East Peckham were fairly flat and the wind was picking up. Worked together for that stretch and made decent progress, thank you Richard. Co-op in East Peckham, met a few other riders and 5 of us rolled out headed for Herne Hill. All of a sudden, probably down to the double espresso can thing I had, I felt alright. Little incline so I thought I'd push on for a bit. I'll be honest, I thought I was fucking smashing it, then just after 180kms at a slight rise two women from Penge CC who were part of the group I'd left East Peckham with just roll past me, breezy as anything: "Hiiiya! Sorry, you'll probably come right past us at the next hill..." Would I fuck. I was blowing out my arse! I did catch up to them about 5kms later when they'd stopped, I waved and carried on. They came past again... Well fuck it, I'm sitting on their wheels, they can drag me back to the Velodrome. And drag me they did, until I couldn't hang with them on the climb up to Crystal Palace. Rolled into the Velodrome, thanked the Penge CC Express and trundled home.

Good day out, decent route. Must ride bike more often though and not do stupid shit like go into a long ride with a brand new saddle and untested bike fit.