Amazing trip (great photos). I had the same experience, getting used to riding for 8-12 hours/day. I did the NC500 (avoiding the East coast main road) in June 2019. I travelled light and decided to take a bivvy bag ,not a tent. HUGE mistake, got eaten alive by midges, had to suffocate, as zipped up bivvy, which caused condensation, then cold. But the rest of the time was amazing. Certainly good training for an endurance race, as I’ve entered 24/12 at Newnham Park. (sorry everyone not in UK ,theOP is from the UK, so he will know about this event)