The Devil ride....

Well that was a bloody killer ride, 2nd hardest event for me this year, Etape de Tour being my worst experience on a bike ever at number 1, maybe one day I will write about that.
As it goes having 10000ft of climbing over 100 miles is always going to be challenging, but how hard can it be. The first 25 miles nearly took 2 hours, well I did it in 1.40, but I saw plenty of times slower than this. First checkpoint at the top of Devils staircase which happens to be 25% for quite a long way.
At this point I had already lost contact with Steve, he was supposed to be the main man for the climbs, but turned out he had a very rare off day, I wasn't feeling that much better but experience kept me on track, nice steady pace, deal with the odd rain storm and the narrow single track roads, even stopping to put rain cape on and off, wind and roads to twisty, steep etc.
I managed to get in a little group of 5 riders and we rolled along until another long but not so steep climb got us down to two, at this point we picked up the tailwind so the valley after we blasted it and that was my undoing. Mentally I was not racing but could not stop the urge to monster a big gear, didn't take to long to realise my error as on the next climb found me lacking, started drifting back one bike length then two and before I knew it I was a couple of hundred meters adrift, managed to catch my man on the descent but from then on I was flagging, eventually I was done in on a 25% climb, could see it coming up but once I saw the sign I cracked, so that left me with 25 miles to go alone.
I just rolled along feeling every single pedal stroke, wondering if I could finish at all, made it to the last checkpoint to be told there was a group of 4 just in front and 1 solo rider 10 minutes further up the road. sort of made me go a little quicker but really was suffering so had to back off, was trying to remember the route discription in my head as I was praying for no more climbs in the the last 10 miles, how very wrong was I. Hence the name of the ride I guess. Even when I could see the finish town of Bulith Wells below it was still plenty of short steep climbs to contend with which hurt like a bastard.
Eventually rolled in for 3rd fastest time in 5.33.32hr, loosing 11 minutes to my man I was with who got fastest time of the day.
Easily inside the gold standard time which was 6.14hr.
Will I do it again, maybe as I know the route now and 2nd time is always easier in the mind.
Since getting back Steve and I have found an event this coming sunday in the Chilterns called Ride to the Horn, have entered as it is the only way for me to get out on my bike and get the miles in at the moment, although did manage a 2.30hr ride after work tonight so that was good.