Story for My Second Gran Fondo Badge

Generally I am not a long distance cyclist.  I prefer two to three hour rides on a regular basis which keeps me fit without placing a strain on my limited capacity to recover quickly.  Since I joined Strava the monthly Gran Fondo Challenge has given me the incentive to push my limits and ride further.  I completed my first challenge in September, riding 120km in glorious warm weather on my Merida Scultura but I skipped October's threw illness.
The slightly more friendly 100km distance for November's challenge was very much in my sights and I woke up this morning thinking today would be as good a day as any to try and go for it.  The Scultura has gone into hibernation for a few months so I decided to give my latest bike, a Boardman Road Comp, a decent multi hour outing.  
With no wind worth the name, temperatures in the 5C region and a decent forecast at least the elements where on my side as I set off on my own into the Sussex/Surrey countryside.Every opportunity to add an extra kilometre or two by taking the longer route to various locations led me down some lanes I haven't used for months, a few so badly neglected that navigating them was an exercise in extreme caution and concentration.  
Just over half way and the sun was shining, creating some glorious vistas with the autumn colours glowing brightly.  Usually I'd be taking dozens of photos but on this day the cycling was my priority and the camera stayed mostly in my back pocket.  A couple of times I stopped to eat the cream cheese sandwiches my wife had made for my trip and I made sure the location was worth a snap or two.
With 80km done in a fraction under four hours the weather began to change, dark clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped noticeably.  I was also only a few km from home but I'd come this far so despite the dull ache that pervaded my entire body I turned in the opposite direction and set off in search of a virtual finisher's badge :-)
Rolling into town I had 5km to go to get to the 100km.  It was now raining, cold rain at that but an extra loop round roads close to home got the job done!  
This ride had been a far bigger personal challenge than September's outing despite being 20km shorter.  The extra 2kg the Boardman carries made the bike physically harder to ride, especially on the roller coaster roads round here and of course just being colder uses more energy.  That said, I found the bike a joy to ride even after five hours and it certainly was money very well spent.
Right now after one of my wife's excellent dinners (including home made apple pies) I certainly know I've ridden a bike today but I loved every second of it and am already looking forward to the next one!