March the 5th 2022.
Myself and 6 friends from my cycling club - Paramount CRT headed south to Tewkesbury for Mr Pickwick's March Madness 200km Audax. This was a first Audax of the year for myself and I had been itching to get started for the last month, after the awful wet weather of February it was a relief to see the promising weather forecast on TV in the days leading up to the event. The only problem now was the fact I am still recovering from Covid and feel like 💩. We stayed in Tewkesbury the night before and did some carb loading in the local Italian restaurant and managed to avoid too much beer.
On the morning of the event we arrived at the starting point which happened to be The Royal Hop Pole public house, after a nutritional breakfast 😉 we were off ! First stop Bromyard after a quick pavement picnic at the petrol station (yes Audaxing is very glamourous) the bulk of the riders who started in large groups were now splitting up into small groups or solo riders. We generally were left as a group of 7 after the first 50km. I noticed on the day that as a group of 7 we were some of the fastest riders but we took longer faffing and eating periodically during the day and as a result slower solo riders kept overtaking us. A cycling version of the tortoise and hare 😐.
Next stop was an old mine in the forest of dean, this site is now used as a café 100km in the bag and wow did we wolf down some food to compensate. 🍗🍖🍕🍔
Out of the forest and on towards the Severn bridge, I had been looking forward to the river crossing. Its a big bridge on a bike what's not to like 😂. After a few team photo's and a pummelling from the northerly wind we turned back into the that very same northerly ! We had been spoilt for a large part of the first 130km we now had 70km left into the the teeth of the wind (oh joy). The 7 of us worked together all taking a turn in the wind at the front and soon enough we were at the last checkpoint after 160km. Another café another table full of cakes 😋. After refuelling we headed out again and on to the gravel sector ( yes Audax is hip and cool). I love a bit of gravel but on 25mm tyres and with the sun rapidly setting I was a bit nervous of a potential puncture. 6 of us got through the 5k section unscathed unfortunately Eddie " tarmac only " Emblen had a tumble. He missed the canal and just got a bit muddy, Ed dusted himself down and we pressed on through Gloucester and back to the Arrivee in Tewkesbury.
A great day out in chilly spring sunshine with good friends. I feel good after 200km but the thought of 300 400 600 1200 is a little daunting to say the least. Oh well in the words of Captain Webb "nothing great is easy". In April I have a mega hilly 200k and my first 300k to look forward to. Onwards and upwards.
"If you know you will succeed it's too easy"
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