Not me but wifey averaged 274w for 6 mins to come 12th overall at a hill climb last night, not bad considering she is 5'2"! Well impressed with her progress this year, she cracked 26 mins on our club TT course on Monday for the first time too.
Race reports
- Thread starter One More Solo
- Start date
Soldato
No reprt yet but i have live tracking for my next race:
Http://trackleaders.com/highland17
Start time is 9am on Saturday.
Http://trackleaders.com/highland17
Start time is 9am on Saturday.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 10,648
Jesus christ, I thought ten under and Strathputher were endurance but that's next level jesus ****.
Tyndrum to Tyndrum then?
Good luck mate.
Tyndrum to Tyndrum then?
Good luck mate.
Good luck. Looking forward to reading the report!
Soldato
Well, I'm out! Pushed myself too hard and made myself sick. Chucked up my dinner and wasn't able to eat any of the food I was carrying. Tried to sleep it off but still felt ill in the morning so that was it - can't keep that up with no fuel in me.
Unlucky pal. You know what you are up against and have done it multiple times so you just know when the body is saying no.Rest up and don't let it get you down. Just get yourself better!
Second last night in local 15 mile sporting TT, been trying to get the mileage up for the Marmotte, so wasn't too fussed what I could do, but power wasn't awful. Trying to get TT's in whilst I can as I'm currently redoing my kitchen, so time is a bit precious unfortunately. Glorious evening for it though, although I'm still lacking all of my bottle on some of the descents. Need to sort out some minor brake rub on my rear wheel, only problem with a Super 9 is it's so god damn wide!
Soldato
Finally beat my 2 year old time in the Richmond Park TT this morning.
Marginal gainz yo of 8s but it's a big deal for me since last year I was focusing on Tri and noticed my bike had weakened (twice I was a minute slower).
Watts were down on the previous PB by 24W so my position is possibly more aero?
Congrats to Thom W on coming third and for Paceline RT sweeping the podium!
Marginal gainz yo of 8s but it's a big deal for me since last year I was focusing on Tri and noticed my bike had weakened (twice I was a minute slower).Watts were down on the previous PB by 24W so my position is possibly more aero?
Congrats to Thom W on coming third and for Paceline RT sweeping the podium!
Last edited:
Soldato
Cheers Liam, think yesterday may have been a touch faster than the past couple but can't be sure. Didn't feel incredible and watts only at 331w for 23:30. Should be doing more than that really but I've been doing a fair amount of volume the past few weeks. With Rob doing road bike next time I'm hopeful of a 2nd position spot next time out!
After a big weekend of riding (100 miles on Sat, 70 on Sunday) went and did my favourite course last night, finished up 2nd again. The course is a lumpy one over 22.4 miles. I really enjoy it. Finished up in a 58:36, which is 40 seconds off my PB from last year when I won the event. Been trying to work out how/why I was so much slower than last year, power was nigh on the same (3w less normalised) and had tripsuit and socks, Zipp 808/Super9 on compared to my kit from last year. Decided to check historical weather and pressure last year was 20mb less. Couldn't believe this would make this much difference!
Finished up 19s behind a good friend of mine, so quite happy overall as he usually puts a chunk of time into me. Hopefully some fresh legs for our local inter club league on Sunday on a similarly lumpy course.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1035090917
Finished up 19s behind a good friend of mine, so quite happy overall as he usually puts a chunk of time into me. Hopefully some fresh legs for our local inter club league on Sunday on a similarly lumpy course.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1035090917
Soldato
New pb of 19:18 for me this weekend on F11/10. Scorching conditions must have made it fairly quick, fastest was 18:56, with my time only good enough for 10th. Still, nice to set a new pb. Watts still down after the new position change. Not sure if some of that was the extreme temperature though.
Good time Tom, always good to get PBs. Position is obviously working if you're seeing less power! Saw that the A3 had a 17:55 posted on it last week or week before! Rapido!
I had a stinker Sunday, could barely push 240w, don't think it was the heat in isolation, but combo of factors, still feeling bit ropey today but couple of good nights sleep prior to Wednesdays 25 on the A3, which will be my first quick course of the year! Hope I can get under 54 as a minimum!
I had a stinker Sunday, could barely push 240w, don't think it was the heat in isolation, but combo of factors, still feeling bit ropey today but couple of good nights sleep prior to Wednesdays 25 on the A3, which will be my first quick course of the year! Hope I can get under 54 as a minimum!
Soldato
Yeah that was Hamish Bond. A multi world champion kiwi rower who's now decided to pursue TTing with the aim of Tokyo 2020. He's decided to come over here under the guidance of Aerocoach. Already smashing CRs everywhere he goes. FTP supposedly close to 450w.
Absolutely! Been keen to see what he gets down to over the next couple of months. Some impressive power that is for sure!
Established tonight what caused my stinker of rides. When I took my bike apart other week I've not put it back together exactly as before and I'm cutting off my hip too much.
Got about 8 miles in tonight and just slowly died a death for 5 miles. Until I could just about hit 200w. So struggled round for a 56:5x something. Need to sort it out post marmotte. But glad I now know.
Got about 8 miles in tonight and just slowly died a death for 5 miles. Until I could just about hit 200w. So struggled round for a 56:5x something. Need to sort it out post marmotte. But glad I now know.
Soldato
I did the TransScotland Race at the weekend.
Start at Inverness castle. Visit Braemar Castle, Inverlochy Castle, Inverary Castle, Newark Castle. Finish at Glasgow Necropolis using any route you like between the checkpoints.
There isn't a lot of roads about up here so there wasn't a a big choice of different routes. I did select a couple of variations which were slightly longer but flatter than the most direct routes.
8 riders started at 10am on Saturday morning with 2 more following a couple of hours later once the delayed sleeper train from London arrived. The different route choices became apparent early on with most riders opting for the A9 cycle path. I went for a different option and was riding alone within 4 miles of the start. I'd occasionally see other riders in the distance after that but it was the last time I would ride with any of the other racers.
The first half of the race heads through the Cairngorms so it was going to be hilly. The route 'choice' here was either stick to the roads and ride 4 of the 8 highest passes in the uk, or take an off-road 'shortcut' and cut out 1 of these passes but replace it with 6 miles of carrying your bike through peat bog. Despite the off road shortcut being the slightly quicker option, all of us except 1 guy took the road. ...and then we all regretted our choice when our route turned directly into the wind. The wind was being channeled up the valleys so it felt like it kept turning with us and was always a headwind. The big climbs gave a bit of a break because they sheltered the wind but then the descents were just as hard to pedal down.
Checkpoint 1 - Braemar Castle: 81miles, 5h27
I'm not feeling too bad at the first checkpoint. Quickly take a photo of the castle and tweet it using the race hashtag. My back is sore and my left knee hurts a bit. When i'm pedaling, it's fine but if I stop for any reason or just freewheel for too long it hurts a lot to get it moving again. Oh well, just keep pedaling and it'll be fine, right?
As i'm heading for the Coop to grab some food, I pass another racer going the other way back to the main road. If I can make a quick stop, he'll only be 5-10mins ahead of me. 2 litres of water to refill my bottles, a chicken wrap and a big bag of haribo and now I'm eating on the bike and chasing down that rider in front of me. My strategy for long-distance races like this is to ride steadily at my own pace and not get caught up in competition with other riders - but then I have moments like this where I get over-excited. Many races have ended badly when this happens.
Pitlochry: 120miles, 8h35
I made up most of time on that rider in front. I didnt quite catch him but the gap was down to a few hundred metres as we entered the town. But I know that I've been pushing too hard - I feel sick now and the pace isn't sustainable. I stopped at the Coop expecting to see another bike parked up outside but nothing there. I've already decided i'm going to stop at the fish and chip shop and take some time to eat properly here so I just grab some water and a bag of cookies from the Coop.
Round to the fish and chip shop on the main street and there's a bike sitting outside the hotel next door! It's got a large saddlebag and a bag on the front too. Too much kit on it for somebody out doing a day ride and not enough for a proper tourer, it must be another racer. The sun is shining now so I sit outside to eat (and also keep an eye on that bike to see when he leaves). A text to mum+gf to let them know how I'm doing and a quick check of twitter to see what time others posted their checkpoint1 photos. Nobody has posted anything? Then I realise my own tweet has failed to send as well - not enough mobile coverage in Braemar. So all I really know is that there is at least 1 rider in front of me (who is now in the hotel next door). From the pace of the others based on the 4-5 miles that I rode with them from the start, I estimate that there could be 1 other rider up ahead but most are likely to be behind - not a very accurate way to work it out so there's no point going chasing off after riders in front who may not even exist.
Dalwhinnie: 152miles, 11h35
Getting to Dalwhinnie was hard! My average speed has gone way down. In my head, getting from Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie means riding due north - the complete opposite direction of the descent from Glenshee. How can I have a headwind in both directions?! I'm really struggling mentally now and I want to get out of this wind. It's only 4 hours from here if I decide to ride home but it's 9:30 now so that means getting there at 1:30am - I dont have keys with me and the gf is away for the weekend so that's not really an option. I have an emergency foil bivi in my saddle bag so I could just continue for a little bit then have a sleep and get my mum to pick me up in the morning.
Checkpoint2 - Old Inverlochy Castle: 195miles, 14h29
The valley of Loch Laggan is wide and means the wind is much weaker. It's flat and there's trees too, so it's more sheltered and I'm starting to enjoy riding at a normal speed again. I'm also heading south(ish) again so the thoughts and temptation of quitting and riding home are fading. I get to Fort William about 12:30 but I know from other similar races that there's a 24hour petrol station here so i'll be able to get some food. It doesn't disappoint! They have a microwave to use and a coffee machine, too. I get a pot of microwaveable pasta bolognese, coffee and crisps to eat whilst sitting on the forecourt and some ibuprofen for my sore knee. Also a couple of macaroni pies and another bag of haribo to carry for later - I'm not sure where the next open shop is going to be.
I check twitter again and still nobody else has posted any photos of checkpoint1. Surely everyone has been through by now? It's 1am and fully dark now so I do my best to take a photo of the castle sign in the light of my torch and post it anyway.
Ballachulish: 209miles, 16h04
The road from Ft William to Ballachulish is quite busy - even at 1am. The wind seems to have gone now that I'm on the coast and the night is warm so I'm feeling quite good again. Even better when I can get off the main A82 and head round the coast. The coast road adds an extra 4 miles onto my total distance but it also avoids the Glencoe climb so I think it's worth it - in fact, it would be worth the extra 4 miles just to get away from riding on the busy road in the dark.
Conel: 235miles, 18h05
Only 1 car passes me in the next 2 hours on the coast road. It never really gets properly dark at this time of year and the sky starts to brighten again before 3am. It's great when the sun starts to come up after riding all night. I've done a few 24hr races and other night rides and I love the boost you get when the light comes back. My back has stopped hurting now but the pain has moved to my saddle/crotch interface. I need to move positions ever 10-15 mins to shift the pressure around. The aerobars come in really handy for this as they give a load of extra hand positions. My knee is fine now too and my legs dont feel tired at all - so that's all good.
Checkpoint3 - Inverary Castle: 267miles, 20h28
On long rides like this, when I start to need food I get heartburn which then gets progressively worse until it makes me spew. The problem is that it's difficult to eat when i'm feeling like that and the longer I leave it, the worse I feel and the harder it is to eat. Stupidly got myself into this downward spiral on the road into Inverary, I put off eating and decided I would sit down when I got there wherever I could find shelter and take a bit of a break. I dont know why, but the bus shelters in Inverary dont have seats in them
So I had to sit on the ground whilst I dressed myself up in all the clothes I was carrying and sat shivering and slowly eating my macaroni pie. It did the trick though and after half an hour I was able to get up again, take a photo of the castle and be on my way.
Dunoon: 305miles, 23h33
This was the only part of my route which I hadn't pre-planned for definite. Taking the ferry from Dunoon across the Firth of Clyde would cut 10miles off my journey but I had anticipated it to be slower than riding the extra 10 miles. After the low point in Inverary I decided that the slower but shorter option of the ferry would be better. I'd checked the ferry times beforehand and I knew there was at 10am which meant I had to push quite hard for the last 15miles or so into dunoon. There was a slight tailwind by this point and the fast roads meant that I didnt have any trouble getting there in time and I only had to wait around 10 mins to get on the boat. Perfect timing! It's a short crossing, about 20 mins, but I had enough time to eat my other pie and check up on twitter. Still nobody tweeted their photos from any of the checkpoints so I guess you only need to do the finish photo. At least nobody has tweeted a finish photo either and I think I'm about 2.5hrs from the finish so I cant be too far behind if there's anyone in front. There's no other bikes on this ferry so I know that if anybody got an earlier ferry there's no chance I'll catch up but also I dont need to worry about anyone else catching me in the last few miles.
Checkpoint4 - Newark Castle: 317miles, 24h58
I arrive at the castle a lot sooner than expected. I thought the finish was around 2.5 hrs from the ferry but it's going to be a lot less. Down to a miscalculation of distances rather than a new pb on the West Ferry 10 course though. I did consider it for a few seconds - I'm riding deep rims and clip-on aero bars. 300+miles is maybe a bit too much of a warmup for a 10 though! I ride most of the course on the aerobars anyway (at a sensible pace). The roads are familiar to me now from when I used to live in glasgow. I havn't needed the map on my garmin at all on this ride but it still feels nice to know exactly where I'm going.
Finish - Glasgow Necropolis: 337miles, 26h29
The roads into Glasgow are not too busy. I suppose it is still quite early on a sunday morning - it doesnt feel like morning to me though. Waiting at a set of traffic lights in the town centre, another cyclist rolls up for a chat. He's just starting his ride - heading east out of the city somewhere. We talk about the weather and how changeable it was. I told him that it was pouring rain when I got on the ferry and dry when I got off 2 miles away. I didnt mention the weather for the other 300 miles I'd ridden through - he probably thinks I've made an early start to get into glasgow from dunoon or somewhere.
Felt really good by the end - knees and feet were a little sore but my back and crotch were ok again. Felt very much awake compared to other times where i've had a similar lack of sleep - I'll need to try and work out what I did this time which helped so much. Interestingly, i'm wondering if having less caffeine helped? Maybe without the big caffeine spikes I dont feel as low when it wears off. I'm not sure why I felt so good.
Took my photo and posted it on twitter - nobody else has posted a finish time yet. I guess i'm first? Woo I won something
Some stats.
Total distance: 337.6miles
Moving time: 23:39:04
Moving avg: 14.3mph
Total time: 26:28:38
Avg speed: 12.7mph
Climbing: 16,173ft
Strava link
Full results here - lots of other great rides in there too. The girl in 2nd place also rode with no sleep and the guy Stu who scratched at Bridge of Orchy did 330k on a fixed gear (including all those hills!)
And here's a photo of my bike, just for @xdcx because I know how much he'll love the saddle+bar angles!
Start at Inverness castle. Visit Braemar Castle, Inverlochy Castle, Inverary Castle, Newark Castle. Finish at Glasgow Necropolis using any route you like between the checkpoints.
There isn't a lot of roads about up here so there wasn't a a big choice of different routes. I did select a couple of variations which were slightly longer but flatter than the most direct routes.
8 riders started at 10am on Saturday morning with 2 more following a couple of hours later once the delayed sleeper train from London arrived. The different route choices became apparent early on with most riders opting for the A9 cycle path. I went for a different option and was riding alone within 4 miles of the start. I'd occasionally see other riders in the distance after that but it was the last time I would ride with any of the other racers.
The first half of the race heads through the Cairngorms so it was going to be hilly. The route 'choice' here was either stick to the roads and ride 4 of the 8 highest passes in the uk, or take an off-road 'shortcut' and cut out 1 of these passes but replace it with 6 miles of carrying your bike through peat bog. Despite the off road shortcut being the slightly quicker option, all of us except 1 guy took the road. ...and then we all regretted our choice when our route turned directly into the wind. The wind was being channeled up the valleys so it felt like it kept turning with us and was always a headwind. The big climbs gave a bit of a break because they sheltered the wind but then the descents were just as hard to pedal down.
Checkpoint 1 - Braemar Castle: 81miles, 5h27
I'm not feeling too bad at the first checkpoint. Quickly take a photo of the castle and tweet it using the race hashtag. My back is sore and my left knee hurts a bit. When i'm pedaling, it's fine but if I stop for any reason or just freewheel for too long it hurts a lot to get it moving again. Oh well, just keep pedaling and it'll be fine, right?
As i'm heading for the Coop to grab some food, I pass another racer going the other way back to the main road. If I can make a quick stop, he'll only be 5-10mins ahead of me. 2 litres of water to refill my bottles, a chicken wrap and a big bag of haribo and now I'm eating on the bike and chasing down that rider in front of me. My strategy for long-distance races like this is to ride steadily at my own pace and not get caught up in competition with other riders - but then I have moments like this where I get over-excited. Many races have ended badly when this happens.
Pitlochry: 120miles, 8h35
I made up most of time on that rider in front. I didnt quite catch him but the gap was down to a few hundred metres as we entered the town. But I know that I've been pushing too hard - I feel sick now and the pace isn't sustainable. I stopped at the Coop expecting to see another bike parked up outside but nothing there. I've already decided i'm going to stop at the fish and chip shop and take some time to eat properly here so I just grab some water and a bag of cookies from the Coop.
Round to the fish and chip shop on the main street and there's a bike sitting outside the hotel next door! It's got a large saddlebag and a bag on the front too. Too much kit on it for somebody out doing a day ride and not enough for a proper tourer, it must be another racer. The sun is shining now so I sit outside to eat (and also keep an eye on that bike to see when he leaves). A text to mum+gf to let them know how I'm doing and a quick check of twitter to see what time others posted their checkpoint1 photos. Nobody has posted anything? Then I realise my own tweet has failed to send as well - not enough mobile coverage in Braemar. So all I really know is that there is at least 1 rider in front of me (who is now in the hotel next door). From the pace of the others based on the 4-5 miles that I rode with them from the start, I estimate that there could be 1 other rider up ahead but most are likely to be behind - not a very accurate way to work it out so there's no point going chasing off after riders in front who may not even exist.
Dalwhinnie: 152miles, 11h35
Getting to Dalwhinnie was hard! My average speed has gone way down. In my head, getting from Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie means riding due north - the complete opposite direction of the descent from Glenshee. How can I have a headwind in both directions?! I'm really struggling mentally now and I want to get out of this wind. It's only 4 hours from here if I decide to ride home but it's 9:30 now so that means getting there at 1:30am - I dont have keys with me and the gf is away for the weekend so that's not really an option. I have an emergency foil bivi in my saddle bag so I could just continue for a little bit then have a sleep and get my mum to pick me up in the morning.
Checkpoint2 - Old Inverlochy Castle: 195miles, 14h29
The valley of Loch Laggan is wide and means the wind is much weaker. It's flat and there's trees too, so it's more sheltered and I'm starting to enjoy riding at a normal speed again. I'm also heading south(ish) again so the thoughts and temptation of quitting and riding home are fading. I get to Fort William about 12:30 but I know from other similar races that there's a 24hour petrol station here so i'll be able to get some food. It doesn't disappoint! They have a microwave to use and a coffee machine, too. I get a pot of microwaveable pasta bolognese, coffee and crisps to eat whilst sitting on the forecourt and some ibuprofen for my sore knee. Also a couple of macaroni pies and another bag of haribo to carry for later - I'm not sure where the next open shop is going to be.
I check twitter again and still nobody else has posted any photos of checkpoint1. Surely everyone has been through by now? It's 1am and fully dark now so I do my best to take a photo of the castle sign in the light of my torch and post it anyway.
Ballachulish: 209miles, 16h04
The road from Ft William to Ballachulish is quite busy - even at 1am. The wind seems to have gone now that I'm on the coast and the night is warm so I'm feeling quite good again. Even better when I can get off the main A82 and head round the coast. The coast road adds an extra 4 miles onto my total distance but it also avoids the Glencoe climb so I think it's worth it - in fact, it would be worth the extra 4 miles just to get away from riding on the busy road in the dark.
Conel: 235miles, 18h05
Only 1 car passes me in the next 2 hours on the coast road. It never really gets properly dark at this time of year and the sky starts to brighten again before 3am. It's great when the sun starts to come up after riding all night. I've done a few 24hr races and other night rides and I love the boost you get when the light comes back. My back has stopped hurting now but the pain has moved to my saddle/crotch interface. I need to move positions ever 10-15 mins to shift the pressure around. The aerobars come in really handy for this as they give a load of extra hand positions. My knee is fine now too and my legs dont feel tired at all - so that's all good.
Checkpoint3 - Inverary Castle: 267miles, 20h28
On long rides like this, when I start to need food I get heartburn which then gets progressively worse until it makes me spew. The problem is that it's difficult to eat when i'm feeling like that and the longer I leave it, the worse I feel and the harder it is to eat. Stupidly got myself into this downward spiral on the road into Inverary, I put off eating and decided I would sit down when I got there wherever I could find shelter and take a bit of a break. I dont know why, but the bus shelters in Inverary dont have seats in them
So I had to sit on the ground whilst I dressed myself up in all the clothes I was carrying and sat shivering and slowly eating my macaroni pie. It did the trick though and after half an hour I was able to get up again, take a photo of the castle and be on my way. Dunoon: 305miles, 23h33
This was the only part of my route which I hadn't pre-planned for definite. Taking the ferry from Dunoon across the Firth of Clyde would cut 10miles off my journey but I had anticipated it to be slower than riding the extra 10 miles. After the low point in Inverary I decided that the slower but shorter option of the ferry would be better. I'd checked the ferry times beforehand and I knew there was at 10am which meant I had to push quite hard for the last 15miles or so into dunoon. There was a slight tailwind by this point and the fast roads meant that I didnt have any trouble getting there in time and I only had to wait around 10 mins to get on the boat. Perfect timing! It's a short crossing, about 20 mins, but I had enough time to eat my other pie and check up on twitter. Still nobody tweeted their photos from any of the checkpoints so I guess you only need to do the finish photo. At least nobody has tweeted a finish photo either and I think I'm about 2.5hrs from the finish so I cant be too far behind if there's anyone in front. There's no other bikes on this ferry so I know that if anybody got an earlier ferry there's no chance I'll catch up but also I dont need to worry about anyone else catching me in the last few miles.
Checkpoint4 - Newark Castle: 317miles, 24h58
I arrive at the castle a lot sooner than expected. I thought the finish was around 2.5 hrs from the ferry but it's going to be a lot less. Down to a miscalculation of distances rather than a new pb on the West Ferry 10 course though. I did consider it for a few seconds - I'm riding deep rims and clip-on aero bars. 300+miles is maybe a bit too much of a warmup for a 10 though! I ride most of the course on the aerobars anyway (at a sensible pace). The roads are familiar to me now from when I used to live in glasgow. I havn't needed the map on my garmin at all on this ride but it still feels nice to know exactly where I'm going.
Finish - Glasgow Necropolis: 337miles, 26h29
The roads into Glasgow are not too busy. I suppose it is still quite early on a sunday morning - it doesnt feel like morning to me though. Waiting at a set of traffic lights in the town centre, another cyclist rolls up for a chat. He's just starting his ride - heading east out of the city somewhere. We talk about the weather and how changeable it was. I told him that it was pouring rain when I got on the ferry and dry when I got off 2 miles away. I didnt mention the weather for the other 300 miles I'd ridden through - he probably thinks I've made an early start to get into glasgow from dunoon or somewhere
.Felt really good by the end - knees and feet were a little sore but my back and crotch were ok again. Felt very much awake compared to other times where i've had a similar lack of sleep - I'll need to try and work out what I did this time which helped so much. Interestingly, i'm wondering if having less caffeine helped? Maybe without the big caffeine spikes I dont feel as low when it wears off. I'm not sure why I felt so good.
Took my photo and posted it on twitter - nobody else has posted a finish time yet. I guess i'm first? Woo I won something
Some stats.
Total distance: 337.6miles
Moving time: 23:39:04
Moving avg: 14.3mph
Total time: 26:28:38
Avg speed: 12.7mph
Climbing: 16,173ft
Strava link
Full results here - lots of other great rides in there too. The girl in 2nd place also rode with no sleep and the guy Stu who scratched at Bridge of Orchy did 330k on a fixed gear (including all those hills!)
And here's a photo of my bike, just for @xdcx because I know how much he'll love the saddle+bar angles!
First ever DNF last night!
Just coming up to the half way point and it came away in my arm, with me swerving to the right, almost taking out a wannabe mod going past on their stupid mopeds. Bit annoying as I was definitely on for a course PB following good power for the first part.
Just coming up to the half way point and it came away in my arm, with me swerving to the right, almost taking out a wannabe mod going past on their stupid mopeds. Bit annoying as I was definitely on for a course PB following good power for the first part.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 10,648
I did the TransScotland Race at the weekend.
Start at Inverness castle. Visit Braemar Castle, Inverlochy Castle, Inverary Castle, Newark Castle. Finish at Glasgow Necropolis using any route you like between the checkpoints.
There isn't a lot of roads about up here so there wasn't a a big choice of different routes. I did select a couple of variations which were slightly longer but flatter than the most direct routes.
8 riders started at 10am on Saturday morning with 2 more following a couple of hours later once the delayed sleeper train from London arrived. The different route choices became apparent early on with most riders opting for the A9 cycle path. I went for a different option and was riding alone within 4 miles of the start. I'd occasionally see other riders in the distance after that but it was the last time I would ride with any of the other racers.
The first half of the race heads through the Cairngorms so it was going to be hilly. The route 'choice' here was either stick to the roads and ride 4 of the 8 highest passes in the uk, or take an off-road 'shortcut' and cut out 1 of these passes but replace it with 6 miles of carrying your bike through peat bog. Despite the off road shortcut being the slightly quicker option, all of us except 1 guy took the road. ...and then we all regretted our choice when our route turned directly into the wind. The wind was being channeled up the valleys so it felt like it kept turning with us and was always a headwind. The big climbs gave a bit of a break because they sheltered the wind but then the descents were just as hard to pedal down.
Checkpoint 1 - Braemar Castle: 81miles, 5h27
I'm not feeling too bad at the first checkpoint. Quickly take a photo of the castle and tweet it using the race hashtag. My back is sore and my left knee hurts a bit. When i'm pedaling, it's fine but if I stop for any reason or just freewheel for too long it hurts a lot to get it moving again. Oh well, just keep pedaling and it'll be fine, right?
As i'm heading for the Coop to grab some food, I pass another racer going the other way back to the main road. If I can make a quick stop, he'll only be 5-10mins ahead of me. 2 litres of water to refill my bottles, a chicken wrap and a big bag of haribo and now I'm eating on the bike and chasing down that rider in front of me. My strategy for long-distance races like this is to ride steadily at my own pace and not get caught up in competition with other riders - but then I have moments like this where I get over-excited. Many races have ended badly when this happens.
Pitlochry: 120miles, 8h35
I made up most of time on that rider in front. I didnt quite catch him but the gap was down to a few hundred metres as we entered the town. But I know that I've been pushing too hard - I feel sick now and the pace isn't sustainable. I stopped at the Coop expecting to see another bike parked up outside but nothing there. I've already decided i'm going to stop at the fish and chip shop and take some time to eat properly here so I just grab some water and a bag of cookies from the Coop.
Round to the fish and chip shop on the main street and there's a bike sitting outside the hotel next door! It's got a large saddlebag and a bag on the front too. Too much kit on it for somebody out doing a day ride and not enough for a proper tourer, it must be another racer. The sun is shining now so I sit outside to eat (and also keep an eye on that bike to see when he leaves). A text to mum+gf to let them know how I'm doing and a quick check of twitter to see what time others posted their checkpoint1 photos. Nobody has posted anything? Then I realise my own tweet has failed to send as well - not enough mobile coverage in Braemar. So all I really know is that there is at least 1 rider in front of me (who is now in the hotel next door). From the pace of the others based on the 4-5 miles that I rode with them from the start, I estimate that there could be 1 other rider up ahead but most are likely to be behind - not a very accurate way to work it out so there's no point going chasing off after riders in front who may not even exist.
Dalwhinnie: 152miles, 11h35
Getting to Dalwhinnie was hard! My average speed has gone way down. In my head, getting from Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie means riding due north - the complete opposite direction of the descent from Glenshee. How can I have a headwind in both directions?! I'm really struggling mentally now and I want to get out of this wind. It's only 4 hours from here if I decide to ride home but it's 9:30 now so that means getting there at 1:30am - I dont have keys with me and the gf is away for the weekend so that's not really an option. I have an emergency foil bivi in my saddle bag so I could just continue for a little bit then have a sleep and get my mum to pick me up in the morning.
Checkpoint2 - Old Inverlochy Castle: 195miles, 14h29
The valley of Loch Laggan is wide and means the wind is much weaker. It's flat and there's trees too, so it's more sheltered and I'm starting to enjoy riding at a normal speed again. I'm also heading south(ish) again so the thoughts and temptation of quitting and riding home are fading. I get to Fort William about 12:30 but I know from other similar races that there's a 24hour petrol station here so i'll be able to get some food. It doesn't disappoint! They have a microwave to use and a coffee machine, too. I get a pot of microwaveable pasta bolognese, coffee and crisps to eat whilst sitting on the forecourt and some ibuprofen for my sore knee. Also a couple of macaroni pies and another bag of haribo to carry for later - I'm not sure where the next open shop is going to be.
I check twitter again and still nobody else has posted any photos of checkpoint1. Surely everyone has been through by now? It's 1am and fully dark now so I do my best to take a photo of the castle sign in the light of my torch and post it anyway.
Ballachulish: 209miles, 16h04
The road from Ft William to Ballachulish is quite busy - even at 1am. The wind seems to have gone now that I'm on the coast and the night is warm so I'm feeling quite good again. Even better when I can get off the main A82 and head round the coast. The coast road adds an extra 4 miles onto my total distance but it also avoids the Glencoe climb so I think it's worth it - in fact, it would be worth the extra 4 miles just to get away from riding on the busy road in the dark.
Conel: 235miles, 18h05
Only 1 car passes me in the next 2 hours on the coast road. It never really gets properly dark at this time of year and the sky starts to brighten again before 3am. It's great when the sun starts to come up after riding all night. I've done a few 24hr races and other night rides and I love the boost you get when the light comes back. My back has stopped hurting now but the pain has moved to my saddle/crotch interface. I need to move positions ever 10-15 mins to shift the pressure around. The aerobars come in really handy for this as they give a load of extra hand positions. My knee is fine now too and my legs dont feel tired at all - so that's all good.
Checkpoint3 - Inverary Castle: 267miles, 20h28
On long rides like this, when I start to need food I get heartburn which then gets progressively worse until it makes me spew. The problem is that it's difficult to eat when i'm feeling like that and the longer I leave it, the worse I feel and the harder it is to eat. Stupidly got myself into this downward spiral on the road into Inverary, I put off eating and decided I would sit down when I got there wherever I could find shelter and take a bit of a break. I dont know why, but the bus shelters in Inverary dont have seats in them
Dunoon: 305miles, 23h33
This was the only part of my route which I hadn't pre-planned for definite. Taking the ferry from Dunoon across the Firth of Clyde would cut 10miles off my journey but I had anticipated it to be slower than riding the extra 10 miles. After the low point in Inverary I decided that the slower but shorter option of the ferry would be better. I'd checked the ferry times beforehand and I knew there was at 10am which meant I had to push quite hard for the last 15miles or so into dunoon. There was a slight tailwind by this point and the fast roads meant that I didnt have any trouble getting there in time and I only had to wait around 10 mins to get on the boat. Perfect timing! It's a short crossing, about 20 mins, but I had enough time to eat my other pie and check up on twitter. Still nobody tweeted their photos from any of the checkpoints so I guess you only need to do the finish photo. At least nobody has tweeted a finish photo either and I think I'm about 2.5hrs from the finish so I cant be too far behind if there's anyone in front. There's no other bikes on this ferry so I know that if anybody got an earlier ferry there's no chance I'll catch up but also I dont need to worry about anyone else catching me in the last few miles.
Checkpoint4 - Newark Castle: 317miles, 24h58
I arrive at the castle a lot sooner than expected. I thought the finish was around 2.5 hrs from the ferry but it's going to be a lot less. Down to a miscalculation of distances rather than a new pb on the West Ferry 10 course though. I did consider it for a few seconds - I'm riding deep rims and clip-on aero bars. 300+miles is maybe a bit too much of a warmup for a 10 though! I ride most of the course on the aerobars anyway (at a sensible pace). The roads are familiar to me now from when I used to live in glasgow. I havn't needed the map on my garmin at all on this ride but it still feels nice to know exactly where I'm going.
Finish - Glasgow Necropolis: 337miles, 26h29
The roads into Glasgow are not too busy. I suppose it is still quite early on a sunday morning - it doesnt feel like morning to me though. Waiting at a set of traffic lights in the town centre, another cyclist rolls up for a chat. He's just starting his ride - heading east out of the city somewhere. We talk about the weather and how changeable it was. I told him that it was pouring rain when I got on the ferry and dry when I got off 2 miles away. I didnt mention the weather for the other 300 miles I'd ridden through - he probably thinks I've made an early start to get into glasgow from dunoon or somewhere
Felt really good by the end - knees and feet were a little sore but my back and crotch were ok again. Felt very much awake compared to other times where i've had a similar lack of sleep - I'll need to try and work out what I did this time which helped so much. Interestingly, i'm wondering if having less caffeine helped? Maybe without the big caffeine spikes I dont feel as low when it wears off. I'm not sure why I felt so good.
Took my photo and posted it on twitter - nobody else has posted a finish time yet. I guess i'm first? Woo I won something
Some stats.
Total distance: 337.6miles
Moving time: 23:39:04
Moving avg: 14.3mph
Total time: 26:28:38
Avg speed: 12.7mph
Climbing: 16,173ft
Strava link
Full results here - lots of other great rides in there too. The girl in 2nd place also rode with no sleep and the guy Stu who scratched at Bridge of Orchy did 330k on a fixed gear (including all those hills!)
And here's a photo of my bike, just for @xdcx because I know how much he'll love the saddle+bar angles!
Holy **** mate! That sounds like some day out.
Must have felt quite remote at times. I felt like I was on the moon when I cycled to Oban over the climb from Inveraray to Dalmally.
*high five*