Sleepless in the Saddle

12 months ago, sprawled on the sofa the day after my first ever 24 hour solo race, incapable of moving, yet incredulously plotting my return in 2010. This one race has been the focus of everything that I’ve done in the past year, which has flown by. So it came as a bit of a shock to find myself back at Catton Park (near Burton upon Trent), setting-up camp, pits etc and the focus of a whole year about to hit me.

Rich Holland had encountered a moment of madness too and had also entered as a Solo, with Lizzie and Shonah able to share pit duties was great news for us. It was also a huge benefit to have so many of my riding buddies there who were also there racing in various team combinations, so any mechanical issues could be dealt with.

A good result in a race like this starts with an organised pit strategy to minimise any time spent standing still. This means that you need someone there all the time (even if they have had a glass or two!), with food, drink and spare bike ready to go at any time and the girls did a great job sorting all the food Rich and I would need over the next 24 hours. We had also managed to bag an outstanding spot for our pit about 200 meters from the end of the lap.

Andy waves at the camera

The start of this race is a bit different, leaving your bike behind the start line, you have to run a loop that’s about half a mile, pick-up your bike wherever you’ve left it, then you’re off.

I had promised Mark during the dark winter months that I would be riding this one for LEDgend Lights and I wasn’t messing about, it had to be a front and centre for me on the start line and this meant that I needed to be there early , in fact I was the first to claim a spot for my bike… as the commentator pointed-out to everyone else that was there!

Front row for Rich and I... No Messin'

2pm, the horn goes and its time to run… With so many people starting this race its really important to avoid the log-jam that inevitably happens at the first bit of singletrack, you could easily lose 15 minutes and that’s 2 free rests! I’m not a bad runner, but I’m not great either its not something I’ve ever really done much of and the pace was quick, still I got back to the startline in good order and Lizzie was there holding out my bike for me to grab.

Go Go Go!!!!!

The first 7.5 mile lap went well, a sensible pace, no hold-ups or dramas, a brief pause by our pit for a fresh bottle, re-stock jelly babies and an energy bar in my pocket and its time to find a pace that’s going to work for a long time!

The only way to approach a race like this is to break it down into psychologically manageable chunks…

Phase 1, 2pm - 8pm. – Let the game commence

This was the non-stop phase, bottle swaps and food re-stocks all done on the move.

6:30pm bike swap

By 5pm I was 11^th and had started getting twinges of cramp in my Quads, my knees were aching and I couldn’t understand why, I was drinking plenty and had only been riding a few hours. We needed to have lights-on at 8, so a quick bike and helmet swap at 6:30 gave Lizzie time to fit lights to the bike and helmet. The moment I swapped bikes it was obvious that the seat position had changed on the other bike (hence the cramps)… Two laps later I swapped back to assurances that the seat height was fine but it looked a bit tilted back, the boys lept into action and fixed it whilst I did another lap on the Maxlight… and they had all laughed at my seat height notes on the white-board before the start!

That's a LEDgend Light on my head!!! :)

Phase 2, 8pm – 11:00pm. – Evening Shift

11pm and 10th Overall

Despite moving up to 10^th overall, things were not going well, I felt dreadfully sick and lethargic. I started drinking water instead of energy drinks and that did help ease the queasiness but was conscious that my pace was continuing to drop and I just couldn’t put my finger on what was causing the problem. It dawned on me that I hadn’t had a proper meal since my second breakfast at 10am, although I’d been snacking pretty constantly it just wasn’t enough, so it was a relief to place an order for some hot food at the end of the next lap.

A pasta pot and coffee has never tasted so good, helped in no short measure when Sascha and Anna decided to give my legs a rub… this is an image that will remain in my head for a long time to come! 

Feeling no pain

My lower back was absolutely killing me, and had been since the first lap, I don’t normally bother with painkillers much, preferring to just get-on with it but Sascha insisted that I take two of her magic green capsules, she’s a nurse so resistance was futile!

Phase 3, 11pm – 2am. – The Night Shift

Paul, Rich and Anna enjoying themselves

I’d moved up another spot to 9^th,and with a fresh set of batteries fitted while I was eating and feeling lots better for a stop that was less than 10 minutes, it was time to get on with the first half of the night shift. I enjoy night riding, and it was a pleasant evening. By the time I’d finished that lap, Sascha’s magic green capsules had kicked-in and all the current aches and pains all-but disappeared and my lap times had settled back around the 50 minute mark.

Phase 4, 2am – 6am. - The Graveyard shift

Rich "enjoying" a 2:30am food stop

Probably the hardest shift to deal with as your body thinks that it really should be sleeping and not hammering round an XC course, not that I felt sleepy, but it’s the sort of period that just needs a bit of grit, determination and sheer belligerence to keep going. By 5am the darkness was starting to lift and an early morning mist had settled in the frost hollows. The birds were starting to sing, it was so peaceful, its amazing how your spirit is revived as the weight of night is lifted with the sunrise. The course is noticeably quiet during these hours as the slightly more sensible get off their bikes for a kip… I came into the pits at 6am for breakfast and the news that I’d moved up to 6^th.

Phase 5, 6am – 10am – A lovely morning

As the sun started to show above the horizon, I had another problem, the bacon and egg butty that I had been craving for hours wasn’t going down well. My mouth was so dry and I wasn’t producing any saliva so it was almost impossible to swallow anything, even taking a mouthful of coffee didn’t help. I felt fine but knowing how important it was to keep the calories coming in I was worried that this could be a race ending problem if I didn’t find a way of managing it.

Never struggled to eat a bacon butty before!

I had been riding for almost 18 hours and the only mechanical issue I’d had was my seat, then a twang from the back announced that I’d broken a spoke. These weight weeny wheels are starting to become unreliable (note for Kielder). A wheel swap at the end of the lap, and a few mouthfuls of food and straight back out.

Final Phase, 10am – 2pm – Cracking & Paranoid

I had been going quite well during the morning, moving up another spot to 5^th. The sun was gathering some strength and it was going to be a hot day. In the most part that was fine whilst most of the circuit was in the trees or had a bit of speed, but there were a couple of exposed climbs and that’s where the heat gets you,  I needed to keep drinking.

The strategy machine had kicked into action, it was becoming important to know if I could catch 4^th or perhaps more importantly could 6^th catch me?

With under 3 hours to go and I was starting to crack, badly. Knowing that 6^th was a full lap behind and 4^th, a full lap ahead (more of that in a minute!) meant that it would be impossible to move up a place and as long as I kept going 5^th was reasonably safe. But the paranoia monster was in my head… knowing that the information was at least a lap old and because there were only riders names on the board and no numbers I had no idea who I needed to be looking for. 

"Dawn of the Dead"

The last couple of laps chatting to other soloists, the common question would be “How many laps you done mate?” my cagey and paranoid response would be “not sure, how many have you done?” this generally received an answer of 12 to 15, it was slightly embarrassing to admit that this was my 26^th or 27^th .

The team assured me that we were fine, I just needed to do a last lap and there was no point in trying to get across the finish line before 24 hours to do another lap, just finish after 24 hours had ticked-out. The rule is that if you cross the line before 24 hours is up, then you have to do another lap. This makes the last hour a difficult place to be with teams spanking round as fast as possible to beat the clock and get another one in, and those of us trying to make this one our last, I just rode it like I had been doing and opted for a spot of judicious lurking to time my arrival exactly at 24 hours.

"Lurking"

Crossing the finish line 10 seconds after the 24 hours had elapsed was an indescribable feeling, I was utterly spent.

27 Laps, 202.5 miles, 17000 Calories!!!

Rich Holland decided against lurking and carried on for a final 24^th lap… the nutter, finishing 11th.

So I took 1^st place in the Veterans category (by 3 clear laps) and the results sheets have me in 5^th place overall. Now I think this is wrong, 4^th place had completed 28 laps but did not cross the line after 24 hours and therefore in my view, did not finish the race. Poor chap was carted-off to hospital with dehydration! Surely that means I was 4^th?

Either way I’m happy, and what a great result for Rich in his first 24 hour solo.

I’ve got to say a huge thanks to everyone for all the help and support along the way, all the shouts of encouragement from all the boys on the other teams and all the people in the pits helping to keep Shonah and Lizzie awake and sane!

I also promised to give Felicia a mention, I had booked-in with her for a Sports Massage on Monday afternoon and she made me feel like a new man! If your near Handsacre and you need to sort out wrecked muscles I would highly recommend an hour's massage there. Give her a ring on 07523 089895.

So then… I guess next year starts here!!!???

Click here for 1st 12 hours of data from my Garmin