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@Charlotte
It's Wednesday and my poor arse hasn't recovered from what I did to it at the weekend. I have learned that sitting bolt upright for fifteen hours, whilst pedaling 30Kgs of recalcitrant steel up and down hills isn't particularly good for you.
But what a ride it was! I think I must have been passed by pretty much every Dunrunner, which was brilliant because everyone was giving me so much encouragement. Not only that, but I had a load of friends who stuck with me, looking after me in the badlands of Essex and then keeping me awake and motivated in the wee small hours. By the time the sun came up, I still had half the ride to go and despite having had a lot of experience with long-distance riding, I'd not quite imagined how tough the DD was going to be on my penny.
I had to have a snooze at about 8am in Needham Market because I was a bit shot away. Twenty minutes power nap, followed by a strong cup of Joe sorted me out and I was good for the last stretch. I strongly recommend taking a little camping stove and the makings of your own coffee and hot food, by the way. Even if it's only instant coffee and dehydrated camp grub, everything you need to conjure up a meal can be packed into a little saddle bag and it's such a boost to the morale to know that you're not dependent on the official feed stop.
We did a little better than this as we were carrying fresh coffee, pasta and a load of really nice food. My friends Andy, Phil, Duncan and David were absolute stars for sticking with me throughout the ride. Andy and David deserve special mention for their daft bikes - a three speed Brompton and a similarly geared 1950's Triumph gents' roadster!
Arriving at Dunwich was really special for me. We got in at almost exactly noon, to find my partner Liz was waiting with a stove and sausage sandwiches, which we had after a fabulous swim. If you've not experienced the sheer bliss of jumping into the cool sea after a Dun run and feeling your muscles relax and start to heal, you really must try it next year.
Anyway; Phil was wearing a head-cam as we rolled into Dunwich. Here's the footage:
YouTube - Arrival at Dunwich on my penny farthing