My first sportive, (Fred Whitton Challenge).

[whuppingboy]

I have just took part and completed the Fred Whitton Challenge (112 mile sportive).
It was my first sportive and what an experience! I had completed a century before last year and enjoyed it.
This however was HARD.
I hit the wall about half way and told my colleagues to carry on and not wait, I dropped back about an hour behind, I was in a state but after a short while my legs came alive again and I got my second wind and completed the ride just 13 minutes behind them.!
The climbs were nothing like i had ever encountered before, i live in a flat area, (Nottingham) and found them a challenge, especially Hard Knott and Wyrnose.
Pleased with myself for completing it but annoyed i couldn't keep up with my mates i have yet to decide about another go.
If anyone wants a challenge and they think they can climb, do the Fred..! Amazing experience..

Whupp

 

[swampy1970]

Well done. That's one is a tough ride with an ending that's a real kick in the 'nads.

... I don't think there's anyone on the planet that wouldn't find Hardknott and Wrynose a challenge - even without doing over 90 miles first and a bunch of other hills around the Lakes.

I remember my first time up Hardknott. A sh1ttalking junior, weighed about 9 stone soaking wet and figured 42x23 would be all I needed because that's all I needed for stuff like Honister or Rosedale Chimney over in Yorkshire. Fark...It was like a nightmare where you have to do a 1,000reps of a 1,000Kgs and everything hurt. Evil hill...evil, evil, evil. I don't think there's words to describe it. I told one of the lads that I thought that the Romans built this road to make people run up it because it'd be a more painful form of death than anything previously imagined. On the map it looks like it goes straight up the hill and all of a sudden when you actually ride it there's a million really steep hairpins and bends everywhere. I had to stop at the top to stop shaking and try and regain reasonable use of my hands for the similarly evil descent. I think only the descent to Masca in Tenerife makes your arms burn in pain on the way down the same as those two particular Lake District hills.

Chuck Norris would stand at the bottom of Hardknott, look up and then cry.

Thankfully I now live 6,000 miles away from it so there's no way that I can be a part of a clubrun or ride that the lads at the front make a *cough* "wrong turn" and "accidentally" end up going over both during a jaunt in the Lakes.

 

[64Paramount]

Good for you, Whupp! Way to hang in there! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif

 

[whuppingboy]

Thanks for the comments guys.
After the ride i didn't really want to do it or another similar, but a few weeks later i have blanked the pain out and forgot how bad it really was. I am gonna do another when i get the chance. We'll see what comes my way..
Later...Whupp