Well, that was it. The last week of riding before the big event. I had a good week, out locally on Monday, again on Tuesday with Julie (her first ride back since breaking her collar bone) day off on Wednesday, then spin classes on Thursday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday, Maria had play dates both afternoons, Maz was working, so this meant I got out up dundonald hill with Robin both days. Excellent.
I'll only really ride to work this week, just to keep the legs turning, and get all my energy built up for Saturday. The strathpuffer is a 24 hour event (I avoid the word race, as I'm not racing! Just looking to endure!) which begins at 10am on the Saturday and finishes at 10am on the Sunday. It's done on a 7 mile course and the winner is whoever does the most laps in that time. There are solo, duos and quad races, but I've went for the solo, along with my fairlie massive buddy Klaus, and a couple of mates from GMBC.
There is around 7 hours of daylight, and 17 of darkness, so mentally it's tough. One thing I feel I have on my side though is that I'm pretty well used to the lows that come at 3 or 4 in the morning, as I've been doing shifts for over 15 years now. Circadian rhythms won't be my undoing, I'm quite sure of that.
Were pretty well organised too, with a couple of borrowed generators for power, as lights need recharging and food needs cooked, as well as a big industrial UV heater. Bring it on.
If anyone is interested in following the event, sportident do live time updates of lap times, just google strathpuffer lap times, and you'll see how poorly we are all doing! Look out for me, klaus Schlesiger, Robin Jamieson and Tom Downie, all puffer virgins and all solo.
Funnily enough, it's not the actual event I'm most worried about, it's the drive home! We'll get the heads down for a few hours first I reckon, then hit aviemore and the mountain cafe for a monster breakfast, before getting home. I'm pretty sure my first woman will have a belter of a dinner for me, possibly her speciality chicken pie, and then I'll sleep the honest sleep!. Then I've got a whole week off to recover. It's all falling in nicely.
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Good luck for the 'event'. Doing a 24 hour race solo seems mental to me but add in that its in the freezing cold north of Scotland and I think you need your head read! Look forward to reading how it goes. Elaine
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