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Celtman – The Race
After months of training and anticipation the Celtman finally landed on Saturday. Although it actually felt like it started on Wednesday, when two of my supporters (mum and Andy) arrived and I had the stress of kit checking and packing. Kate turned up on Thursday looking remarkably bright, given she had left home at about 5am!
It was a long drive north, but we took the scenic route and got to Torridon just in time to register. There were lots of people I knew milling around, which was comforting.
We headed back to the B&B which had awesome views of Loch Shieldaig and was very comfortably appointed. Andy decided to test the water temperature in his underpants and stayed in all of about 10 seconds. Not very encouraging!
At breakfast on Friday we bumped into Izzy, who was staying the night before moving to a cottage with some other people form the club. Upstairs from us there was a French family – the dad Eric was also racing. We had booked a dinner from our obliging hosts and when we wandered in we found yet more people we knew doing the race already happily munching! I wonder whether there was anyone staying in the villages who wasn’t a Celtman racer or supporter that weekend?!
A ‘quick trip’ round to Applecross for lunch on Friday was probably a mistake as it tired the drivers out, though I was happily admiring the views :-). We ended up racing to the briefing, arriving 1 minute before it started! The only thing my mum noted down was the name of the nearest hospital …
More kit checking and logistics back at the B&B and by then it was all getting a bit much. I was glad to get into bed, but I felt bloated and like I had eaten too much. During the night I imagined my feet were hurting, my head was thumping and I was coming down with a dreadful lurgy. At 3am the alarm went off and I leapt up. Somehow I got my contact lenses in and ate some muesli before venturing out to sign on, rack the bike and get on the coaches to the start.
I sat next to a friendly Norwegian who mused about how bad the ‘midgets’ were and how cold the water might be. There was a long wait at the beach but it passed quickly, chatting to people I knew and being interviewed by the Adventure Show crew. By the time I got to the water it was minutes from the start time and I hardly made the line before the klaxon went off! The swim was shortened to about 3.2km due to the cold, so we struck straight out for the other side.
First shock of the day – the sea was full of jellyfish! I have a bit of a thing about jellyfish, and squealed a few times when I hit one with my feet or they floated up near my face. As usual I started at the back, and spent the whole time moving up the field. Every time I tried to draft someone I would overtake, be drafted for a bit, then move on to the next person. That is, when I wasn’t veering wide to get a nice clear view of where I was going!
My day-long tummy problems started halfway over when that muesli nearly came back up – and every time I swallowed a mouthful of salty water I nearly gagged. Still, it was a race so I kept going. I was 22nd out of the swim, which was pretty good.
After the transition my supporters went to relax over some brekkie for a bit, whilst I set about cycling 202km. I felt really nauseous for at least 20 minutes and was convinced this had never happened to me before. Then I remembered it has happened at least twice before on a swim to bike transition! After a while I settled down, probably too much, as I covered the first 60km at 30km/h.
By this point I was running low on fluids and desperate for my support crew to arrive. When they did I was so relieved! This gave me a temporary boost, until I started getting terrible stomach cramps. I also really needed to pee, and had to stop. This pattern continued for the next 5 hours! The cramps were like nothing I’ve experienced before – I was doubled over whilst still trying to pedal and I still have sore tummy muscles 3 days later! Still, I got into a more sustainable pace and really enjoyed the longer climbs and descents in the second half of the course. I was also lucky to be playing leapfrog with Izzy as it kept me motivated and meant I had her supporters cheering as well as mine :-).
At T2 it was chaos. People were shouting, a car reversed into our boot lid which was up in the air, I chucked a sock onto a burning midge candle in the back of the car and midges landed in their hordes! I was glad to get away, and even more glad of the portaloo. That job done and standing upright again at last and my stomach felt a hundred times better. I set off running up the hill, swigging a Frijj and with Andy on his mountain bike. It was great to have company and someone to natter to again 😀 .
The scenery was lovely, and I cheered Izzy on as she passed on the downhill, thinking that was the last I would see her. The last 5km along a tarmac section was tough going, and when I arrived at T2A I was very glad to switch to walking. The first section had been 18km, which is about the furthest I’ve run in one go in recent times – and that’s only been in adventure races!
Now Kate joined me and we set up off the hill, me with my walking poles and a new companion to chat to. It was fun hearing tales of the supporters’ day in the car and some of their crazy overtaking and reversing antics! Kate asked me if I was eating and my answer must have sounded highly unconvincing as from then on she kept taking food off me and giving it back to me in bite size morsels at regular intervals – often directly into my mouth, so I had no excuse!
We passed the people from the Adventure Show again and I did another interview, this time on the move. I tried to think of something intelligent to say, other than ‘it’s amazing, fantastic’! Kate said I was too articulate to be working hard enough and kept the pace up afterwards! It was just after this we passed Izzy again. I was surprised, but I think ups are my forte, and maybe my adventure racing experience was good for me here.
The tops and the ridge were covered in dense fog. As I kept telling anyone who would listen, Kate is a top mountain marathoner, and knows what she’s doing when it comes to mountains and route finding! We negotiated the elusive sheeptrack to cut a little uphill corner, got straight to the peak, down the scree and across the boulder fields. At this point we had a little trail of people following us; I think we all knew we were onto a good thing! It was also fun to have new company and it spurred me on to keep the pace up a little bit. When I checked the gps it was 17km to go. My heart fell that it was so far – but then I thought about the fact that was still less than the first leg, and I felt better.
As the road neared we could hear cheering and it was very exciting. Andy was there with a group of others, who had apparently been hanging around for hours! I threw my bag to him as I didn’t need to carry it any more, but ignored him yelling at me to give up my poles as well. I can be Nordic and ‘European’ as Kate put it … we set off plodding and the endless view down the road depressed me. Then Andy reappeared and said Izzy was just 4 minutes behind. This had a magic effect on me as I’ll always put up a fight at the end of a race :-).
Kate ran in front of me so I could draft in the headwind, whilst I shouted things like “Faster! No, not that fast! You’re dropping me! Now, faster again!” I also whacked her with my poles as I drifted off my line (I was tired) and kicked her heels with my toes when the pace wasn’t quite right. She endured all this without a word of complaint as we blasted back into Torridon. Eric at breakfast the next day was very proud of his 40 minute final run, until I told him I had done it in 36! Mind you, he did finish 1h40m ahead of me :D.
Amazingly, I think I finished 52nd on the run, compared to 60th on the bike, which just goes to show maybe I’m not so bad at running any more, at least, when it involves mountains and comes at the end of a very long day ;-).
Overall, I was 2nd female (54th overall out of 128 starters) and finished in 16 hours and 23 seconds. I was over the moon, as this was way beyond my expectations going into the race. Izzy was 3rd female, and it was great to have another clubmate in the top 3. I think we probably spurred each other on. Elizabeth was the last person to make the high mountain cut off (with a minute to spare), but stormed over the hill overtaking more than 20 people! All nine girls finished and it was great to all get a mention and applause at the ceremony on Sunday. Full results.
The overall winners were Alex Glasgow (12:09:48) and Susanne Buckenlei (13:55:33 – what a machine!).
I can’t thank my supporters enough. For what they put up with on a very long day, with all their driving, pandering to my every need (I don’t get this sort of pampering on an adventure race), accompanying me on various legs and cheering loudly! My mum presented me with a gold chocolate medal and a signed certificate, which was a lovely touch. Also to my coach for getting me through the training and everyone who was there from ERC, racing and supporting, plus various other people I have only met in the last few weeks who were so friendly and welcoming.
Lastly to the organisers, including Stuart McInnes and Paul McGreal, for putting on a great race!
Epilogue: After driving hundreds of kilometres over the weekend, the car broke down 3km from home. My mum was driving, we called out the AA on Kate’s policy, it was my mate’s car … but he was in Croatia. Andy said it was nothing to do with him. The AA man took all this in his stride and told us we needed to find the towing eye somewhere under the mountain of luggage in the boot. Amazingly, we succeeded. But as I sat up front in the big yellow van, and Kate steered the Doblo behind, she realised that yet again she was finishing a race being towed around like a medium dog …..
Celtman – the final countdown
I’ve been very quiet since the Slateman triathlon as I’ve had my head down doing final training for the Celtman. It’s now only one week to go!
This race won’t be the longest I’ve ever done. I expect it to take about 18 hours, though I’m still finding it hard to judge my bike pace. This compares to four 24 hour races I’ve done in the past. The difference with this one is the fixed distances and strict time cutoffs! I won’t be able to rest between laps or miss a few checkpoints and still be able to finish.
The race is also unusual for me because I’ve invested more time and effort into it than anything else I’ve done before. I’m not sure why – except that my Ironman-finisher friends got me scared way back in November and made me feel like I had better put in some really hard work!
It’s been fun though. I‘ve got used to swimming (rather than just squawking and playing!) in waves and finding out what it’s like to swim to a distant point that never appears to get any closer.
Redstone Rigg: on the way to Duns
On my final big training weekend I celebrated the Queen’s jubilee by making the most of the amazing place I live.
I did a delightful 165km loop over the Lammermuirs. This is the view up Redstone Rigg, which I have only discovered this summer.
And later I persuaded Chris (a car-owner!) to take me further north to some inviting Munros. I did 5 of the summits on the Ben Lawers ridge. I set off a bit scared about tackling such big looking mountains by myself in insubstantial running gear and carrying my small pack containing the mandatory race kit list.
Here’s the ridge:
The Ben Lawers ridge – 5 Munros!
It was much colder up at the top than down at the bottom and I was glad of my woolly hat and gloves, even in June ;-). The route I took was from MunroMagic and was a good one – not too many crowds except for the stretch between Ben Lawers itself and Beinn Ghlas. One of the best feelings about this day was being fit enough to enjoy such an adventure so easily.
Cold water therapy, Loch Tay
After helping some girls with a photo, I took off down a tussocky grassy spur with no path. Even with my poles I managed to nearly twist my ankles several times before making it to the bottom in time for a quick dip in Loch Tay to cool off!
Several stiff days followed, so I am under no illusions as to how long my legs might hurt post-race!
And now I am into ‘tapering’. I was warned I might feel rubbish in these two weeks and it’s true. I get paranoid when I meet an ill person, I freak out every time a car drives too close to me, I imagine I am coming down with ‘something’ every other day and my body is throwing in aches and pains pretty much everywhere!
I am trying to stay calm and get plenty of sleep. This weekend I had fun swimming up at Thriepmuir Reservoir in the rain with some fellow racers and then getting totally lost running on Arthur’s Seat. People who know Arthur’s Seat will realise this was a bit ridiculous – but the fog was right down, I couldn’t see any of the usual landmarks and I lost all sense of direction! Luckily in the race, Kate will look after me on the mountain should a similar situation arise :D.
And so with 5 days to go I am into final preparations: buying my favourite foods, making lists and waiting expectantly for my supporters to arrive. Hurrah!
Slateman
I surpassed my own expectations in this race!
In preparation for the Celtman in June I thought it would be a good idea to practice at least one triathlon. I have done a couple of off-road events recently – by which I mean one last year and one the year before :D. But I haven’t done one with a road ride since about 1999! The setting for the Slateman (Llanberis, Snowdonia) is the place of my childhood holidays and where my dad now lives. It also coincided perfectly with his 70th birthday, which turned into a bit of bash!
The disciplines were:
Open water swim – 750m
Road bike – 51km ca. 590m ascent
Trail run – 11km ca. 330m ascent
The night before I was a bag of nerves. Andy says this is always a good sign, but it didn’t feel like it. My first on-road triathlon in years, no maps, and it was going to be a bit of a sprint!
Swim
We found out at the race briefing that the swim had been shortened from 1000m to 750m because the water was too cold (11.3oC). I thought this was a bit unnecessary, but then I read the British Triathlon rulebook and realised they had to if they were going to comply with the rules!
I practiced windmills and looking foolish on land before hopping into the water about 7 minutes before the start. I wasn’t keen on getting my face wet but it had to be done! The water was lovely and clear but my goggles were totally fogged up, or maybe greasy. I was also trying out open water swimming without contact lenses. I could see the big orange thing we were aiming for – just about.
I got into a good position then swam hard at the start to get clear of slower people. It worked and I soon settled down into a better pace and spent time practicing drafting on someone’s toes and side-side. They both had their difficulties when the person in front would randomly swerve off course!
On the final leg back to shore I couldn’t see a thing because the sun was directly in my eyes, so I didn’t bother sighting and just followed someone else. It seemed to work out OK, as we soon arrived at the beach for a long run across a field to transition.
15m32s (including the field run), 5th female, 52nd overall
T1
This says it all!
2m24s, 16th female, 161st overall
But lots of people were in trisuits, whilst I was messing around putting on a jersey, socks, buff and gloves. I didn’t want to get cold on the descents, but was maybe a little over-cautious.
Bike
The bike started with a lovely long, steady climb up Pen-Y-Pass. I had no idea how many women were in front, but I kept working and caught up with a few, as well as plenty of men! The descent was fast and fun, then we turned at Capel Curig for another long, gentle drag. I rode the route on Friday so knew this wouldn’t be too bad, and we had a slight tailwind.
As I rounded the corner I saw a fast-looking girl up ahead. It took me the next 15km to catch up with her and it was a great incentive to keep working hard! At this point there were at least 3 of us near each other. We then caught another girl on a slight hill. I wasn’t letting up the pressure as I knew the bike would be my strong leg and I think it was about here I finally pulled away as I didn’t see the others again. ‘Hello’ to the friendly guy from Hereford Tri who also kept trying to beat me on this stretch!
The local support was amazing, with people in the little villages coming out to cheer and ring their cowbells. I smiled and waved to them as I went past and realised I was actually having a pretty good time! 🙂
The final descent back into Llanberis was marred slightly by a long queue of cars stuck behind slower riders. I had to ease off a bit but kept calm, realising it would make no more than a few seconds difference. Coming back to transition I saw my dad sitting on a wall. I yelled at him and waved – which made the other spectators laugh! I didn’t realise until I was hooking my bike up that the row of empty racks might mean I was in the lead …
1h35m56s, 1st female, 86th overall
T2
1m5s, 9th female, 115th overall
OK, a little bit better!
Run
As I started the run course a few of the marshals were telling me they thought I was in the lead. I couldn’t believe it! But I wasn’t convinced it could last. Almost none of my run training has been focussed on short or fast. After an easy kilometre, the track rose steeply in a series of zigzags, gaining 200m in height over 2km. At least I am used to hills!
This was really hurting!
Lots of people were stopped at the side with cramps in their legs and I could feel my calves screaming. I kept plodding away. Looking back round the corners I could see the next girl, but she wasn’t right on my heels yet. After a little drop, the track went up again. I was in a world of pain. But then the film crew came up and starting driving just in front of me. I now knew for sure I must be the leading lady! I don’t often do head-head races and it was quite a buzz!
I still pushed on as hard as I could, glad of the downhill respites. Through a tricky, rocky, rooty trail in the woods and onto a steep, short uphill. I was fazed by all the others walking and did the same. I found out later the girl behind me had seen this and it had spurred her on! Oops – I’d have felt the same if our positions had been reversed – I think I’m a better chaser than I am leader.
A kilometre later and she overtook me at speed on a downhill. I tried to stay with her but there was nothing in my legs. Another killer uphill and some uneven steps – it was her turn to walk and I wanted to capitalise but just couldn’t! It was only 8 minutes more running until the finish. All the way I had her pegged at nothing more than 25m but couldn’t do anything about it.
56m45s, 5th female, 133rd overall
Finish
I crossed the line 14seconds behind, but ecstatic to have done so well! I had hoped to finish in the top 10, in under 3.5 hours. In the end, I was 2nd in a time of 2:51:40!! Overall 86th out of 454 finishers.
In 5 weeks time I will have to do four times the distances, but this was a great practice run and made me feel like a real triathlete who can even compete with girls on TT bikes with pointy helmets and skinsuits ;-).
The event was televised and will be shown on Channel 4, S4C and Eurosport. The top 3 were all interviewed at the finish line, so hopefully I’ll make the cut for a few seconds of sweaty TV fame!
I really recommend this event as it was well run, with fantastic scenery, very clearly marked courses and all the marshals and supporters were so enthusiastic! I even got my split times texted to me before I had left the event field. Thanks to the organisers, Always Aim High Events. Full results here.
Top 3 women:
Bethan Hughes – City of Chester Triathlon Club – 2:51:26
Rosemary Byde – Edinburgh RC – 2:51:40
Sarah Rose – Manchester Triathlon Club – 2:54:15
Top 3 men:
Peter Brook – Sixty Nine Cycles – 2:20:23
Paul Mountford – Tri 1st – 2:24:11
Chris Standidge – City of Chester Triathlon Club – 2:24:57
Commuter Bike Crisis!
For many years I have commuted on my beloved Dawes Galaxy. When I first moved to Edinburgh I rode to work on a road bike, the first one I ever bought. After sitting unused for many years, that bike was finally donated to the BikeStation for recycling. There was one winter when I defected to a mountain bike, and one year when I rode ‘The Tank’. More on that later.
I had bought the Dawes in 2000 for doing a tour in Wales – the Sustrans national route 8 from Cardiff to Holyhead. Here you can see me modelling it! Since then it had done one other small scale tour in Fife. But it proved the most versatile I bike I owned for carrying all my luggage round town, being relatively fast, and withstanding everything me and the weather threw at it on a daily basis.
Me and the Dawes, leaving a campsite in Merthyr Tydfil
The highest point on the Taff Trail
Sometime last year, it started making funny noises. I sort of ignored it. Then I turned it upside down to fix a puncture and noticed the paint was peeling. Eek! A couple of months later I decided it really was time for a trip to the bike shop for some TLC. But first it needed a really good clean. That’s when I noticed this:
Frame damage 😦
Very bad news! The frame has cracked and has more than one hole in it. It does not seem safe to ride any more. A new downtube might cost £100. Not so bad, until you add in the cost of labour to strip the frame and then put all the parts back on again, the new bits it needed anyway, possible frame re-spray and getting the frame to someone to do the job. A new bike might cost about the same. But I didn’t intend to buy a new bike this year and I am sentimentally attached, however much Andy might say ‘the geometry isn’t right’!
In the meantime, I had to get a bike sorted to ride to work on. I need to be able to carry Italian books and recorders and work clothes and running kit and my lunch. I briefly glanced at my winter road bike, but with all that stuff on my back and on dropped handlebars, it didn’t seem too sensible. Then my eyes alighted on a (literally) very dusty bike in the corner. The Tank.
Gazelle Impala aka The Tank
Equipped with a rack for panniers, dynamo front light, mudguards, chainguard, hub gears and integrated lock. The ultimate in Dutch practicality. You’ll note I rode this for a year before. Why did I stop? Well, it needed a bit of work doing on it and it has one massive downside. It is really, really heavy! I can hardly get it up and down the stairs.
Anyway, needs must, so the Bicycleworks got the basics sorted out, fitted some tubes with normal valves and I was on my way. Something’s still up with the dynamo as it won’t work in the rain, and there is a new funny rattle coming from the front. But it is getting me to work and the shops and carrying my gear. I cruise around like I own the street. And I expect to have legs of steel by the time I decide what to do in the long-term!
* Incidentally – the rear panniers in the first two photos also got heavy use and were only just outlasted by the bike. This is why the new ones being modelled by The Tank are the same make – Carradice.
Last minute training
I’m facing my last big test of the summer! Next weekend I’ll be heading north to Fort William for the Big Ben Nevis Tri. This is billed as ‘gruelling’ and ‘the UK’s toughest triathlon’. Nothing to worry about then …
With only a week to go I realised there was some essential pre-race training to be done!
SWIM (1.9km). I had only swum in my wetsuit outdoors once this year, and that was in May. So I took my last opportunity to go out with a group on Wednesday night. This was at Threipmuir Reservoir in the Pentlands. Just an 11km uphill pedal away from work, I left a meeting at 6pm and rode up as fast as I could to get there on time. About then, the thought crossed my mind that I really should have brought some water.
The scene of my test swim
3 laps and 2.1km later, I stumbled out, found I couldn’t really speak any more and spent so long getting changed that my feet froze and everyone else had gone home. I was still thirsty – when I had accidentally swallowed some of the murky, peaty water it seemed to taste good! Halfway through the long ride home I hit the metaphorical wall and began staring longingly into takeaways when I was stopped at red lights. I stumbled in at 9.15pm and began emergency re-fuelling!
Oh, I have also been having problems with old leaky goggles which will be no good with contact lenses in. So I ordered a new pair, which arrived on Friday and got a test in the pool today. They leaked a bit but I was checking what 1.9km non-stop would feel like and how long it might take, so I didn’t want to pause and adjust them. I also got an unrelated cracking headache – hmm.
BIKE (90km off-road). Well, I ride to work all the time, so not too many fitness worries with this one. But after the Trans Wales, I couldn’t backpedal in the small rings of the cassette without the chain catching. Cue an emergency trip up to the Bicycleworks for some investigations. The mech hanger was straightened, the (supposedly-long-lasting) cables were lubed a bit and the tension adjuster twiddled. But unfortunately no concrete diagnosis could be made. Ach well, it still seems to go forwards OK. I’ve also added a headset protector and mudsplash thing, as I think some gritty bits got into the bearings and I don’t want it getting any worse! Only one decision left – whether to ‘test out’ the new saddle in a race or stick with what I know?!
This week's running kit - I hope I wasn't spotted by too many people I know!
RUN (21km – up Ben Nevis and back). I’ve been nursing a twisted ankle, which doesn’t bode well for the ascent, or more likely, the descent (!) of Ben Nevis. However, I did want to test out what it would be like to carry all the required kit for the running stage in my hip bag. I set out from work to do a loop round the grounds one lunchtime last week, looking the picture of sartorial elegance. I’m glad I did, because it didn’t go well – the bag was too heavy and bounced up and down, I had to tighten it so much it dug into me and it was generally uncomfortable. Rucksack it is then. I’ve been assured it’s mostly a walk anyway 🙂
Given how all that has gone, I’m changing tack. Between now and the race I’ll be taking it easy and trying to get some decent long nights of sleep. My mum is doing the honours of taking me to the race, cheering me on and looking after me. I think I’ll need it!
There are not many women entered – 8 of us so far – which is more than usual. I have just noticed that the course record holder Hannah Barnes has also signed up, so there’ll certainly be competition! For this race though, I am concentrating on a) finishing and b) getting round in under 10 hours. Anything else will be a bonus.
Big wheel convert
I have spent the last 3 years thinking about getting a new mountain bike, but 3 weeks ago I finally collected my shiny new steed from Moonglu in Ripon.
Here’s a picture of it:
The new bike, all shiny and clean - only ever ridden round the block!
The two most important features of this bike are:
- It is a 29er (i.e. it has big wheels!)
- It is made of titanium
Why?
After spending a long time thinking about investing in a full suspension bike (everyone said it would be more comfortable and I would ride technical trails more easily), for some reason I made a sudden switch to insisting that my bike had to be a hardtail, with big wheels and made of titanium.
My logic was that it would be lighter, need less servicing (no rear shock) and that the big wheels would be faster over non-technical trails (like roads (!), fireroads in the forest and some bridleways). A skim through a few forum posts convinced me that those same big wheels combined with a titanium frame would give me a plush ride.
So without having ever ridden a 29er (it’s hard to find demo versions at all, let alone ones in a women’s size), the decision was made. Sometimes you just have to have faith!
Spec
I am not the sort of person who enjoys trawling through Bike Radar and assessing the pros and cons of ever new bit of bike kit that comes out. I really only want my bike to ride well, and not wear out at the merest hint of a bit of mud and water. So with some help from my friends a starting spec was assembled and sent over to Neil Dunkley at Moonglu for him to make sure everything would fit together, source the parts and turn it all into a bike.
If you really want to know what went on it, you can see the full specification here.
First Race
Crossing a deep river - I didn't want to fall off too early in the race!
It took a while for everything to arrive, but I collected it just in time to test it out at the Trans Wales, a week-long mountain bike event riding over just the sort of terrain and distances I often face when adventure racing. I’ve heard there’s some sort of rule that says you shouldn’t use untested kit for the first time in a race. 😉 I ignored that and arrived on the start line fresh and ready to go, having practiced on my new bike all the way home from the station and back again. That’s about 7km, but there were a few potholes to negotiate!
Verdict
First I should say that this bike replaced a much-loved 10-year old Cannondale F500, complete with V-brakes and a Thudbuster suspension seatpost, which saved my posterior on more than one occasion.
But this bike is AMAZING!
One-finger braking!
After a day or two, I found it inspired confidence on the steep downhills (maybe that was the new disc brakes), whizzed down the long straights, was more comfortable than anything I have ever ridden before and was especially good at rocky stuff. I noticed this most when we had to do a whole series of river crossings. On the occasions when I accidentally came to a near-standstill in the river, just a little push on the pedals and I would pop over the rocks and onwards. Much better than falling off and going for a swim!
I think the bike has had an unexpected side benefit to my riding. I started to approach tricky looking sections thinking ‘well, my new bike will be able to ride that!’. I’d then cheerfully set off and clear the obstacle. I put this entirely down to the investment in a new bike 🙂 (though I’ll secretly admit that perhaps the little extra dose of confidence meant I rode things I always should have been able to).
The sealed gear cables did the business – perfect shifting for 7 days through muck and water. I just couldn’t get used to gears that worked! My only small niggle is that they don’t go low enough – I want to spin up those hills! With a 2×10 set-up I might be able to adjust this next time I get a new cassette, but I’ll see how it goes. Maybe I can just learn to ride faster?!
Only a whole load more riding will tell me how well the components stand up; how soon until I need to change the brake pads, replace the headset bearings or get a new chain?!
Testing it in the Trans Wales night stage
Trans Wales 2011
The Trans Wales became one of my ‘3 big events for the summer’ after I was persuaded to enter by fellow adventure racing friend, Elizabeth. We were riding as a female pair, with Rachel Henderson also putting in an appearance in the solo category. And so it was we lined up in Builth Wells last week to start what was to be the last edition of this classic race.
The format was 7 days of mountain biking place to place. Each day consisted of a long ‘linking stage’, which was not a race but had a cut-off time. If you got back on time you were given a ‘race time’ equivalent to the cut off. If you got back late you accrued penalty seconds at the rate of 1 per minute. There were also six short timed race sections which ran at some point out on the course during the day. These ranged from 2 to 8km long, were mostly at trail centres and included a hill climb, a descent, some up and down loops and a night stage. For team pairs, the result was averaged and added to the overall time.
The racing added a bit of spice to the event, but we had gone to enjoy ourselves, ride somewhere different and, in my case, give my shiny new bike (Lynskey titanium 29er hardtail) a proper testing out! I never anticipated how this event would feel – there was a great sense of camaraderie, the food that appeared in the inflatable marquee every night was plentiful and tasted good and everyone had tales to tell at the end of the day. The laidback feel extended to the publicised distances (I learnt that every day was pretty much the same; 60-70km, 5-6 hours in the saddle and the profile would go something like up, up, down, down, up, up ….) and the social events. On one night after we had finished riding it was announced that the band would start at 8pm. This was the first we had heard of a band and was when we were at the most remote camping spot in a field full of midges!
My favourite days riding included one wet drizzly moorland pedal where we got into a fantastic rhythm and it felt just like home, and a ‘big country’ ride, complete with awesome views and a long, speedy, hilly special stage in the middle of it. I had a couple of emotionally fraught moments, but as Rachel so cheerfully put it: “if you don’t have at least one ‘moment’ in the Trans Wales, then you haven’t tried hard enough!”
After a day or two of riding under my belt, I found that the new bike (and disc brakes!) inspired confidence and I was cheerfully cruising down and over stuff I wouldn’t have dreamt of riding before. I also discovered the terrain it was perfectly made for when we rode a rocky byway with many stream crossings. I had been told that big wheels ‘roll better’ – but would I really notice anything different? The answer was a definite ‘Yes’! I could come almost to a standstill on a rocky riverbed, then give a little push on the pedals and suddenly pop over an obstacle and onwards. My body can also vouch for the total comfort of this bike as nothing is now hurting!
As for the racing, we found ourselves in first place in the female pairs category following the initial stage. After dropping to second following the downhill third stage we regained the lead the next day and held it to the end. Longer stages, hilly stages and dark stages all worked to our advantage. We rode well as a team and managed to finish the week still on speaking terms – not bad considering we have only actually ever ridden together (socially or otherwise) once before and had quite different approaches to pitching a tent! Elizabeth did a great job of inspiring confidence and making me relax, enjoy the ride and save my energy on the linking stages or, as she put it, “getting ready to chop my legs off” if I didn’t slow down …
Rachel also made a reputation for herself and climbed onto the podium on the final day to collect a popular special award for being the ‘toughest and most cheerful ever tail-ender’!
All in all, a fantastic event and a great result. Next year they are changing the format, but if the atmosphere and organisation is anything like this one I would highly recommend it.
Me and Elizabeth showing off the leader's jerseys!
Planet Byde 