Velo Birmingham

My preparation for the 100 mile sponsored ride from Birmingham yesterday was mixed. The good side was that many kind friends and family helped me exceed my sponsorship target for Alzheimer's UK in memory of my mother.
On the down side:  a) my bruised ribs from falling down the stairs has only just got better, b) I got diagnosed with a patch of skin cancer on my temple last week, so have been applying topical cream all week, and feeling a bit worried about it. c) I had a virus that has had me coughing for the past two weeks.
So I started the ride with some trepidation. But it was great. 15,000 cyclists, closed roads, really supportive local people cheering us on [whizzing through Bewdley the whole town was packed with people cheering us on, high speed high fiving, and calling our names - printed on our numbers]. There were plenty of people in villages who had set up free drinks and cakes for us on impromptu stalls - "It's like the Tour de France isn't it". An uplifting event. My time was 6hrs 16minutes which was not too bad. I came in the top 23% of the field, which I am pleased with: there were not a lot of old folk there!