09\04\17 - Colchester Rovers CC Club 30. E7/30

Typically arrived later than planned, and pre-ride nerves insisted on finding a local garage.  So with minimal warm up and without driving the course I approached the start of my first 30 miler.
I had decided to ride without liquids after failing to master the use of a saddle mounted bottle cage.  Still, this didn't seem too much of a problem in the cool early morning but after going out too strong and after the sun had burned off the morning cool to make for the hottest day of the year so far, I did regret that decision.
Coming into the last few miles with empty legs cramping with every pedal stroke I was thinking "never another 30 again".
On a course described as " a mixture of lanes & A roads", and not a course one would describe as fast I was pleased to record 1hr 15mins 20secs and amazed to come second by only 3 seconds.  GW.