Fred Whitton Challenge, 13 May 2018

This was a very significant 'bucket list' event for me, as I have always loved the Lake District but until recently could not have imagined being able to cycle up all of the passes in the area in one day. I did one of them two summers ago and certainly didn't want to do any more!

As I became a stronger cyclist, the idea of doing the Fred Whitton became more realistic, and last autumn I decided to sign up for it as one of my significant goals for 2018. I must admit to being apprehensive about it all the way up to the day itself, even though I knew objectively that I was ready for it.

On the day I followed my plan to pace the day conservatively, with a steady power limit that I would not exceed except on steep climb sections where I would have no choice. This meant I finished the day feeling tired but also feeling that I had something left in the tank, and that I could have gone faster if I wanted to.

Tim Phillips