Harp Hilly Hundred

We rode the 2011 HHH this Sunday, we being Julian and myself.
The HHH is the first of the reliability trials in the Chiltern Classics series, and one that 'has to be done'. As usual the weather was grim with the dark skies always threatening a downpour, luckilly that didn't happen.
We set off in the 15.5MPH group thinking the 18MPH would be to big a shout for this ride and being so early in the year.
Strangely for such a well attended event we were on our own pretty soon after starting, though we could see a group in the distance and we used them as a route guide in the early miles. However it soon became clear that the route was well marked and that encouraged us to up the pace.
Julian was riding strong, a result of commuting fixed. I however was holding back ever cautious of knowing what was to come. Though I was finding it easier than previous years and we were passing riders in large numbers. So I followed Julians pace and went for it.
With all the big hills done we hunkered down for the return home, then we hunkered down some more, and some more, but the last twenty miles went on forever. Riding side by side we assured ourselves that we had done okay, we had certainly passed plenty of riders on our way round, but it felt like it was taking too long to get home, but then we were on the final section and a downhill one at that. Had we gone under the fours hours? the club hut was just yards away, but we were stuck on a red light across the road....green and off again, park bikes and run upstairs to get the card stamped. Did we get in under four hours? did we ****. Four hours eleven minutes.
Oh well.
Very roughly we covered 66 miles with just over 4,300' of climbing, so not too shabby.