Feel broken today.
Got round in 11hrs 3 mins which is half an hour faster than last year and 118th overall. Solid mid-table mediocrity! Actually, it may be well into the upper half of the finishers but I'll have to wait until the results are published.
Felt really good in the first third, despite having had a bastarding head-cold last week; however it caught up with me on the section across the border and down into Newcastleton. Spent far too long stuffing my face with soup, tuna rolls and coke then felt a bit naseous on the relatively easy section back across the border.
The last twenty miles felt ok energy-wise but I was having trouble with my achilles tendon which was getting more and more painful with each pedal stroke. The last "6 1/2" miles are just utter torture but I got chatting to an Irish lad and the miles passed quickly enough.
No mechanicals all day – bike was absolutely perfect.
Very relieved to get to the finish – everything hurts today!