Personally I think I did the right thing - I'd only ever planned to do the short one anyway, this year as part of rebuilding my strength and stamina. I started off badly, up the Gospel Pass - it takes me ages to warm up (and I never felt like I got warmed up on the whole ride) - having to stop a couple of times to quell the feeling that the banana I'd eaten at breakfast was going come back the same way it went in. Before that while still on the lower part of the Gospel Valley, the Addiscombe express train steamed past with Keith Leigh leading the charge. I noted that very few non-ACC felt inclined to join on the back - probably thinking the same thing as me
Anyway reached the top of the Pass - even managed to keep riding for the photographers at the cattle grid and further up - and tried to stay on the road while enjoying the spectacular views of the hills beyond Hay-on-Wye as I freewheeled down to Hay itself. Several roadies flew past me - only for me to ride pass them a bit further down the hill, having punctured on the road surface or cattle grid or just probably just having to sort out brakes after braking too hard 
The next section was flattish but I was not riding easily and, adding to the fun, my gears were playing merry hell with my cadence by slipping all over the place - dang! I knew I should've taken it back to Pearsons to get my new bike checked but the gears had seemed all right the last time I rode it. Anyway, once I cleaned it, that's where it's going
Back to the ToBM - I restocked with energy drink at the first feed station outside Brecon and munched some dried mango slices but didn't stop long. Not long after I nearly missed the turn for the shorter ride - Huw had told me that the A470 that the route goes on is an absolute drag - he was not wrong. I felt like I couldn't go any slower as I ground my way along it, gears slipping just to add to the whole experience. I'd been pretty much on my own since dropping down Gospel - a few ACC'ers who'd punctured (Brian Nolan in the first 10 miles) or who had started later gave me a shout as they went by - but now I couldn't see anyone. I hadn't seen an arrow for some time and was starting to think about getting the map out and checking I hadn't gone astray but I kept on and eventually reached Merthyr Tydfyl where I recognised the route Huw and I had followed on our recce last year/year before?
Stopped at the next/last feed station between the Pentwyn and Talybont Reservoirs where Michelle finally caught me up (I'd been expecting her for ages) and we stayed there for awhile while Michelle managed to stuff a couple of bananas, two egg mayo rolls and some biscuits to my one tuna mayo
I know people are going to say I didn't eat enough but I tend not to eat much and prefer to keep the fluids going in - I did not get the bonk at the end, just bl**dy knackered. Nick, the organiser, was there and we heard that a couple of girls were due to come through past us 85 milers at the front of all the men doing the long route - well they were Olympic hopefuls...Michelle and I set off together and shortly afterwards, the Keith Express caught us up - only Hal was left of the original group - and the two girls (who were taking it easy because they didn't want any injuries especially on the downhill). Michelle and I then jumped on the back for awhile - I was shelled out at a steepish little climb somewhere along the canal and Michelle said goodbye to the group when it turned up the last big climb above Llangynidr as I found out later.
I was starting to really suffer in the heat up the final mountain and even got off and walked for a bit from the cattle grid to the sharp bend left where I felt that it looked a bit flatter and got back on my bike and stayed on for the rest of the climb with photographers shouting nice things to keep me going (though I knew one of them was lying as he told a guy behind me that it was the last climb of the day and it was all down hill after that). It was a good long downhill though from the top of Mynydd Llangynidr - I knew where the route went so could ignore the road that continued higher and turn down the road to Crickhowell.
Nearly missed the turn in Crickhowell though I knew we were turning off the main road to head back over to the start/finish by the little roads below the Sugar Loaf - one guy in front of me missed it completely even though I shouted. Another guy behind me groaned as he knew the main road way was flat. As Huw has described in his write-up of last year's event, the last five miles were hell
Nothing that anyone couldn't have coped with ordinarily but now that everyone was close to dropping, some were walking up even the smallest of climbs. I managed most of them except one but nobody saw that 
and even managed to increase speed as the finish came in sight and I was determined to get there before the 7 hours were up. Which I did, clocking in at 6hrs 57mins and 19 secs which got me a silver for my pains.Met up with those ACC'ers who'd finished before me and a few who came in after me (having down the long ride in much the same time as me on the short ride....) but I was somewhat out of it. Went to buy some desperately needed tea and not only forgot to pay but left my purse, mobile phone and mitts there - good job I realised my mitts were missing
I also forgot to give back my transponder and number so, missed out on my medal and didn't get my tenner back (not that I mind that seeing as Huw'd got me in on a press pass....) Huw, you'd better let me know where to send them back And do you know what really hurt when I got back on my bike to ride back to the B&B? My arms, from holding onto the brakes down the descents. As someone said later in the Skirrid Mountain Inn, you could be hanging onto the brakes for dear life and still be doing at least 20mph.
There's probably things I missed or have forgotten but I think I'll shut up now. Next year I hope to be doing the long ride: yeah
