This was my answer: Firstly, he is incredibly fit. Even on a flat road, it would be a difficult to beat his running times, using only a human powered vehicle.
Secondly, a rather vicious looking girl, on what looked like a tricycle, forced me off my bike just after the start. As a result I skinned my knee. Obviously I couldn’t carry on till it stopped hurting, and I ended up towards the end of the pack. I tried to get her number, intending to report her to the marshals for riding an illegal vehicle, but she was just too fast, even with the tassels on her handlebars.
Thirdly, due to nerves and over-hydration, just before the first hill I was bursting to answer the call of nature. This was against the advice of other competitors, who told me to wait, and right they were. When I’d finished, I found I was amongst the last in line to get to the top. It’s single file and you pull yourself up by a wire fence for the final yards, whilst the rider in front hits you in the face with their back wheel, and you do the same to the rider behind. If there is one. Maybe I was hitting myself.
Finally, stopping at each peak and getting the dibbers to take a photo of me perhaps did not help improve my times.
Looking at other competitors' split times, if all this hadn't happened, I would have been at least five or six places up, with the associated possibility of running into other racers. This would have been a dangerous thing, especially after the tricyclista, so it's all for the best really.
Anyway, it was a great deal of hard work and a great deal of fun. Knowing that I'd have fundraisers on my back if I did not complete the race kept me going, as did my fantastic race support.
So where to start with the pictures? The morning I suppose. Here's me, wasting time checking my phone:
Fiona did a great job of getting me together, and the Craven Arms had left plenty of juice, bread, jam plus cereal. Peeking through the curtain, it looked as if it would be a lovely day, and indeed it was. Here's the view of Pen-Y-Ghent from Helwith bridge:
Pen-Y-Ghent from Helwith
Dialling that bike in
At the start
Ingleborough photo-op
Going up Whernside - that's what it's about! Thanks Tim Fisher.
Up Whernside! Wahey!
Ribblehead. Wa. Hey. Rider support made me eat a banana. This was a good thing.
Off to Pen-Y-Ghent
Top of Pen-Y-Ghent. Still not having any fun, honest...
Down Pen-Y-Ghent. No brakes.
Further down... Thanks Martin Henson for both of those.
Finished. Time for a pose.
Dirty bike.
Muddy posterior.
Muddy shoes.
Will post more when I get a moment. Note it would appear that someone called Dave Haygarth has linked to this post, even before it was properly cooked. Check out his blog for some more entertaining stuff on the Three Peaks, as well as actual useful advice.
For the scientifically minded, here is a link to my satnav track:
