We arrived from London in mid-morning on a cloudy Sunday, to a quiet finishing line in the beautiful small town of Marlow, in between High Wycombe and Maidenhead. At this point the riders were all scattered to varying degrees around the Chiltern Hills and surrounding countryside, according to their chosen distance and ability.
It was probably a good thing that no-one was around to see us unpack our maiden stand; it’s safe to say a tent, flag, tablecloth and lots of leaflets do not combine well with blustery conditions. Add to that a pole-less flag (logistical error) and a rich neon orange tablecloth which was a wholly different shade of orange the lighter one that emblazoned our product, t-shirt, flag, etc. To their utmost credit, the lovely organisers found us a flag-pole and erected it for us. We vowed to exchange the tablecloth or at least wash it several times.
As we battled with our various bits and pieces, a couple of well kitted-out men crossed the finished line and rolled gently around the bend into the largely empty finishing area, to a smattering of applause from Marlow Red Kite’s dedicated organisers. One organiser referred to them as “fast-boys” with just the faintest whiff of contempt. Upon reflection, it’s probably not hugely in the spirit of the event for former professionals or exceptional amateurs to bomb round the shortest distance, then leave before any socialising has begun!
As we set out to show people Nutripouch’s endless awesome-ness, persuade the more cynical and make lots of friends, Marlow FM continuously churned out info, banter and pop music to add to the positive atmosphere. By the afternoon I was invited up to talk “Nutri” with their host. I gabbled through his carefully steered questions which ensured Marlow FM didn’t inadvertently make a free endorsement; managing to speak about “fat-burners” vs “sugar-burners” and slag off artificial ingredients found in commercial energy gels.
Eventually the sun came out, the last hordes (presumably the more relaxed 100-mile riders) got over the line and thirstily acquired a pint, and we began to really enjoy ourselves. I had a long chat with a crew from Cycling Project’s “wheels for all” for which the ride was in aid of, who allowed us to try out bicycles for those less able, before giving me the low-down on the events circuit.
All in all, it was a fun and productive first event for Nutripouch…
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