Finally, the first ride, well, ACP-ride.
We started at 7am from the hospital, NÄL. There was a bit of a mix-up for some, since they were given another starting place.
It was cold for the first couple of hours, below zero centigrade. The bunch started out full tilt, but I realized, as usual, that if I was going to get around, I’d need to back off the 90% pulse that I was up at. I had company with Ulrika up to the first control in Färgelanda. The bunch was still there and Ulrika continued with them. I did the rest solo.
The wind cannot be described. It was pretty close to being tangible enough to have a name. The upside was that it wasn’t gusty, just constant powerful wind straight in my face for 100km, down to Stenungsund at the 150km mark.
The wind sucks out energy and when I got to Varekil I decided to fill up a bit with a hotdog and some coffee. I had a feeling that even though there were only some 20 odd kilometers to Stenungsund, I would run into trouble. It would all be close to the coast where the wind was most powerful.
It was a good move and the rest went by fairly uneventful. Just slow. The temperature never got above 3 degrees. I have no idea what the wind chill factor was, but my feet never froze so bad that they hurt. Anything above zero is bearable.
No pictures. Pulled in to NÄL, got some poor patient on crutches to sign my card … 11 hours and 18 minutes.