My albatross. Every year I enter, every year I fail to train properly, every year I drag myself along it by willpower & stupidity. Thus it is written A 4am start brought about by forecasts of 38°C, the "heat protocol" was invoked and so the 250km & 320km routes cancelled, all the 200km routes forced to start early. I dreaded it, but I think that with the 6:20 start often meaning I wake around 4.30 and worry about sleeping it, perhaps I got almost the same amount of sleep. I found the start and Bright to Mt Buffalo demoralizing, early, sleepy, and the view of pretty much every other ride on the road vanishing off ahead of me. I kept my fingers crossed that it was enthusiasm and not ability and chugged along. The pair of Wedge-tail eagle that I'd seen yesterday perched on a tree branch above the road were still there this morning -- I suspect nobody else looked up to see them. Pretty much 4.30 on the dot at the bottom of Buffalo, then two hours to climb to Dingo Dell, I think I was 3/4 of the way up as the first riders started descending past. It felt startlingly warm on the way up, almost 20°C towards the top and added to the doubts that I shouldn't be doing this ride on this day. Glorious views across the tops of Mt Buffalo as the sun came up -- and stunningly cold around Lake Catani, down to 9°C -- I did my best to enjoy it, knowing that all the rest of the day I would give anything to be cold! Excellent snacks and drink at Dingo Dell -- a delectable cup or two of plunger coffee, then smear cold sunscreen on for the first time and start off back down the mountain. Lovely flowing descent of Buffalo, too busy to worry about anything except the corners, other riders, the odd idiot in cars overtaking head on at me, then back to Bright, through Bright, on and up Tawonga gap. About half way in distance by the time we got to Mount Beauty and stopped for the lunch break, or just another refuelling. 102km in, well ahead of the 11.30 cutoff time to head up to Falls Creek, but the ominous 30km climb ahead. I always seem to forget how much down there is in the ride up to Falls Creek, after climbing out of Mount Beauty there's an annoying series of rolling ups and downs to Lake Bogong and it isn't until about half way that we're finally just climbing again, and hopefully keeping out of the heat. Mostly by myself, I never really thought that I was the lantern rouge... but I suspect I kept him company for a while. Criss-crossing paths with small groups of others at the tail end of the field, one pair must have made the very hard decision because at 8km from the summit they stopped at the side of the road for a drink, rested a minute or two, then turned and headed back down, pulling out. Falls Creek came eventually, shortly after a large march fly tried to drive me crazy and nearly had me crashing in the gravel trying to swat it as I crawled up hill at 8km/hr. More food, more drink, another ten minute rest and back on for the descent. Immediately noticed I was too tired and couldn't really get into the descent, I know I've felt much better on this stretch in other years, perhaps I can blame it on my aching bum & the "that'll do" saddle that the AWOL has, perhaps it was just my general level of fitness. The climbs once I'd got down to the lake were all very slow and laborious. Eventually rolled through Mount Beauty and on towards Tawonga South, suspecting that there were fewer and fewer other riders around me. Marshalls on motorbikes and cars would ask how I was, never being pushy, but clearly others were dropping out. Then turn left for Tawonga gap and start the grind on up for the last 8km of climbing, mentally fixed on the water stop and the man with the water mister that's about 1/3 of the way up. Stop, drink, refuel, slurp on some ice and then call myself lots of silly names as I plod on up that remaining 5km as the Garmin says 42°C, and then finally over the top, not stopping for any tourist shots or to check on the source of the beep-beeps from my phone as I climbed. Must be around 10km down Tawonga and then another 5km in to Bright, another good descent, but careful not to muck things up when I'm that hot and tired and sore. Swerve around the stinky dead wombat, past the chestnut farm, back onto the flat valley lands and right turn onto the road back in to Bright. Not quite a time trial but I did my best to make a decent pace that last 5km, crossing the line at 12hrs 41minutes, my longest time to date, but for the first time ever wife & son were there to meet me -- the intermediate text messages now include a very helpful one from the Germantown bridge at 5km, great for meeting arrivals. Stop, dismount, stretch, sit down, drink Clear, 18°C, Feels like 18°C, Humidity 43%, Wind 2m/s from SE - by Klimat.app