Are You Tough Enough?

Wow, what a scorcher! The predicted heatwave struck and it even managed to coincide with the weekend. Perfect weather for a leisurely bike ride down to the coast and an ice cream on the front. Not for me! Instead I faced the ordeal of 4 hours in sweaty, dusty lycra charging flat out around a wood in Surrey, with a Sunday lunch of energy gels and Go bars!  

 

For the last six years the Army, with a little help from the experts at Gorrick, have organised the 'Are You Tough Enough?', MTB endurance race near the Deepcut Barracks in Surrey. For variety this year they moved the venue across the road to Frith Hill, creating a new 7 mile course with many of the traditional Gorrick twists and turns mixed up with some faster open trails.

 

Tropical temperatures meant that it really was a case of hydrate or die. I’d been drinking extra water for a couple of days beforehand to ensure I started in the best possible shape. I took along 8 large bottles of water to pick up each lap, along with gels to keep the fluid level high.

 

There was some short lived relief from the heat as we dashed away from the simmering concrete of the start arena into the dappled shade of the forest. After the wild melee of the start, there was a fast rooty descent that strung the riders out into single file. I was about 10^th in line, keen not to get caught up behind slower riders but at the same time conserving energy for the long afternoon ahead.  





Dusty helmet stripes!

The Saharan trail conditions threw up clouds of dust as the pack swept around the course. When the sweat inevitably began to pour the dirt clung to riders faces and legs until we looked like a cast of Mary Poppins chimney sweeps. The sandy conditions meant bikes drifted through the corners although the tyres buzzed along nicely on the rock hard open paths.
 


For the first half of the race I clung on desperately trying to keep my friend Ian in sight. I closed on the climbs and then he would pull away again on the technical sections. When I finally caught him I literally crawled past unable to say a word, in my own little world of pain. The first 2 hours were all about racing, the second two were about survival. Every part of my body started to cramp, including my feet and hands. I drunk as much as I could, taking on water at the pit stops and downing bottles of water and munching bananas.
 

As I closed back on the arena for the 6^th time, I could hear the commentator counting down the time left. Wringing a little bit extra out of the knotted muscles in my legs I crossed the line with less than a minute to spare. My reward; an extra lap and another 45 minutes of racing! Unfortunately a racer from Dyson Cycles who I had been riding with for over 3 hours came through just behind me to keep me honest! So with no chance to sit up, I fought the ever increasing cramp in my legs to slowly stretch my safety margin until I was able to relax slightly and roll to the line.

 

I was delighted to come home in fourth place. My best result of the year so far and a sure sign that I am better suited to the longer endurance format of racing. Next time the podium!