Orange Tour De Ben Nevis 20th September 2014

This was my introductory race for my new Team Sponsor, Singletrack Bikes.

As I gathered my supplies before heading onto Fort William High street for registration, I asked a fellow racer to take a picture of me for one last social media input and tagged the Tour De Ben Nevis as the ‘toughest race of the season’.

Sitting here in the warmth of a cosy bed, cradling a lovely cup of tea with entertainment at my fingertips whilst reflecting on a season that is still two months away from finishing I still can’t think of any other race that has pushed me to the mental and physical limits that I endured for the five hours of riding 'the Tour'.

I was no stranger to the endurance battle that the tour lays out for its competitors, and was far from naive to the efforts I was going to have to apply to claim a reasonable standing with such a very high standard of riders in all categories.  I definitely had my work cut out for me.  I had completed the tour two years ago in a time of 7 hours and 6 minutes riding it on my Specialized Myka hard tail.  At this time I had had very little experience of racing never mind endurance racing and it was the first time in my life I hit the emotional and physical 'wall' whilst riding. I was ready to give up and cry at the time and since then I have been hoping to claim victory over the race that nearly broke me.

The route - appropriately named as the grey stuff in the middle is Ben Nevis

This time I had experience, a Pivot, fantastic Dare2B clothing, a higher level of fitness and a greater knowledge of what to pack and what to expect.  As prepared as I was there was still a huge level of uncertainty about what was about to happen.  The tour is different to my usual races as it takes competitors into the wilderness on a circular route for 72km around Ben Nevis.  The distance away from civilisation and the sense of isolation or helplessness if anything were to go wrong  set some unease in my mind; What if I hit the wall once more, but even further away from home?

Queen of the hill title makes Lochaber News

I put all this aside, brushed myself down from the emotionally challenging two days that Scotland had just overcome and decided to find my race face.

At registration I caught up with the usual No Fuss crowd, picked up my dibber and chatted with some Wheeler friends.  As I congratulated Hannah Barnes for her great efforts for the Enduro World Series I found a spectacular character with walking logo's attached to various limbs..

This guy later pulled out a 6 pack of bud half way round the course.  Legend!

Lochaber Pipe Band - Photo Courtesy of No Fuss Photography

At 10am we set off along Fort William high street to the triumphant sound of the Lochaber Pipe Band. We embarked on the first of many steep climbs up Achintore Road along to Lochan Lunn Da Bhra and then onto the West Highland Way to Stage 1 at Kinlochleven.  I don't know if it was the lingering lergie that seemed to be clouding my head that left me feeling antisocial but this race seemed to send me off in an internal world of contemplation. I ran through race tactics and questioned continuously how and when I should pace myself in order to save energy for the special stages.  

Stage 1 descent

I'm fairly familiar with the terrain of the Mamore mountains, but not too familiar with the loose ground that the Indian summer had created.  The ground was pretty skitie!  After Stage 1 we climbed back up the 300m to Mamore Lodge and toward Stage 2, another brutal and punishing climb to Loch Eil, which would see competitors gain another 300m.  I was growling like a fierce VO2 max monster and felt sorry for anyone who crossed my path fearing that the hound of the Baskervilles were on their tale.

Toward Stage 3 I rode alongside a couple of Cross country riders whilst admiring the stunning scenery of Loch Eilde and the Mamores. My mind slipped in and out of waves of thought as I contemplated the popularity of this funny race. 

Beautiful views and blue skies

The Tour de Ben Nevis could very well be the lovechild  of Enduro and Cross Country.  Like its cross country father its takes its competitors into an internal battle between physical and mental endurance, whilst its Enduro mother provides timed stages to compliment.  Both the complete duration of the course and special stages earn you points.  You gain points for every person you beat on each of the stages and the winner, surprisingly, is the person with the most at the finish line.  Understanding what kind of rider you are is imperative for a good result.  Are you an Enduro master who can make up the points on the special stages timed downhills or are you blistering athlete who can whizz round the track faster than anyone else and gain points that way.  Perhaps this slightly different and exciting format is why the tour stands out as a popular race. It attracts a great variety of riders especially the cross country, Enduro and trail riders who see it as a great day out perhaps wanting to set some goals and conquer a massive challenge in a beautiful explorative environment.  

Anyway back to the race!  Approaching the special stage where you had to hike a bike up a hill with some soggy feet I  took a few deep breaths and set off to give all I could.  It was hard to know if the traditional style of running would help or just to opt for the fell running approach of 'big steps very quickly'.  Either way the summit seemed unachievable for quite some time.  Even after the dedication of the fell runners gait to the top of the hill the stage continued. Down some tumbling and technical rocks a few muddy crossings and numerous arduous and harsh climbs, crossing the river toward the bothy and barbecue could not have came any sooner. 

The route went on and on into the hills

Homeward bound and happy to have the hike a bike behind me I still had about 30Km to ride. I headed home as fast as my wee legs could go. I just wanted to get to the final special stage, Blue Crane.  The ride through the forest of Nevis Range lasted forever.  The distinctive and welcoming whistles of the marshalls for the Scottish Downhill Race at Nevis Range was like the sound of a Christmas choir.  Nearly there. 

I have never been so pleased to see Blue Crane but in classic Newman style this is where I managed to deck myself by failing to clip in and losing my feet resulting in me granulating my crotch on my rear wheel for a few metres. I was all over the place but I loved it.   

Stage 4 nearly home.

Back toward Fort William and while dibbing out I was so mentally gone that I nearly had a full blown conversation with a stranger, convinced she was my best friend Louise.

This little dude watched me do yoga.  

For the afternoon I wound down with the classic soup and sandwich, catching up with the Aviemore crew Nash and Ronan and reading over some celeb gossip in Closer Mag. Then some yoga on the Parade  and a fab dinner with my wheeler buddies and sharing stories of the day.  I then set off to prize giving thinking I may have made it to third place I was absolutely gobsmacked to find out that I had won!  

I reckon this was probably the best result I have ever achieved on my bike. Full results can be found here. 

Looking a bit stunned from the result
I'm very small too

With the Senior Male winner
also from Kinlcohleven, Gary MacDoanld

Thanks to the support of Singletrack Bikes and Dare2B 
and my awesome family for helping me with my daughter.

Thanks for another fantastic event No Fuss. 

A well deserved rest in the sunshine followed

Scottish Enduro Series Round 1 - Fort William February 2014

Nothing sits heavier in the stomach than the first set of results from the start of a season, that you just aren't happy with. since looking at the results from Round 1 of the Scottish Enduro Series I have been in a self reflective spiral that even Yoda would struggle to add perspective to. I have to start this blog with some thoughts that have fluttered around my mind in regards to this result:  

1.  Its ski season and a good one at that.
2.  Its Winter and mud riding has never been my strong point.
3.  Training has become a special treat to make me feel less guilty for drinking copious amounts of wine and Strongbow.
4.  A New relationship has taken the focus from fitness to checking out a well fit dude.
5.  I still need a lighter bike and this 40lb Orange Patriot from 2004 is going no where fast in slop.

So why am I entertaining such depth in my pondering about this result?  Lets have a brief recap:

Its Sunday, the race day of the 1st round of the Scottish Enduro series, an exciting new series for the most popular competition happening on two wheels in this current climate of 150mm travel, carbon frames and lightweight components that become smothered in mud.

Im feeling nervous at the prospect of competing in a torrential downpour at the UKs Outdoor Capital, and home venue for the mountain bike world cup, Nevis Range in Fort William. Luckily I have some fantastic clothing from Dare2b including waterproofs, base layers  and some stylish bike tights to help keep me dry and warm. 

Aware, that  shortly I will be tackling Stage 2,  the ominous stage of gloop, that had me cradling my inner child on practise day.  I was in a state of denial that there was still hope,  that somehow I would suddenly acquire the muscle memory and backbone to attack this frictionless substance.

It had as much traction as grease and a series of muddy drops that I had managed to ride the day before in practise, whilst screaming desperately for some comfort. But, it appeared that I was in a minority with the insecurities, as stage 2 was proving a popular favourite for about 75% of all the other competitors including my new fella, Mr Buwert.   How could this be ?  What am I missing about this filth? How do you stay up right on this stuff and why do I constantly wash out into a horizontal shape thrower? I have no answers  - It could be as  simple as "I was shitting my pants"!  And fear = bad habits...  A tool i've learned from years of Snowboard coaching.

The easier part of  stage 2. 

According to my new mountain biking hero and fit dude, Mr Buwert, there are a number of ways to tackle this kind of terrain:

1.  Look way ahead.  I think I may have been suffering from extreme hazard fixation. 
2. Stay loose - I observed a strong theme of Aaron Gwin style "legs up"allowing the bike to move freely underneath.
3. Don't pull the front brake.
4. Keep your speed and use it to spray the mud away. or something like that.

So how did I ride it?  Screaming and shouting at myself, getting in the way of other competitors and sliding around on my ass and chest whilst pushing my bike for about 75% of the way.  So not very well. But it turns out that in a series of bad results this happened to be my fastest stage- coming in 7th, but still over 2 minutes behind the fastest lady, Emma Guy, this is not where I like to sit on the results table.   

A sloppy corner 

Trees for cleaning mud.  

At the finish line, I was greeted by a number of muddy and overwhelmed fellow racers including Mr Buwert who was sporting a new look with 90% of his face coated in thick mud. I equated instantaneously that he had experienced a Face Plant!

But to his credit he  rode with style and attempted all obstacles. Well Done Mr Buwert! And despite his epic fall that filled his facial orifices with runny earth he was still over a minute faster than me. 

None the less, I like to keep myself happy with the comfort that I rode this stage in practise, I overcame my fears and seized my opportunity to get to grips with having no grip and I rode that slippy shit.

So lets not prey on the negatives of this result a number of many positives can be brought to light about this result. 


* Firstly, I have definitely highlighted a massive area that I need to work on for the next round of the series at Innerleithen. which will in no doubt be the Innersanity that races hosted by the Inners team like to provide.

* I have no major injuries, not even a bruise in fact.

* Catching up with all the usual enduro buddies and witnessing a fantastic field of female riders from many different parts of the UK.  Is a great sign that the sport is growing and more female riders are competing! Well done girls!  

* And for the love of all things bike - I got a whole weekend pedalling away on some of the gnarliest trails I have rode for some time and with some of my favourite biking folk.  Some of which have offered opportunities of slop training and various invitations were handed out over the weekend of sharing trail and riding knowledge. I love the biking community.  

* Last but not least,  Nevis Range and the Scottish Enduro Series have done us all proud, hosting a  well organised and fun event in very challenging conditions.  Well done guys and i'm so glad the marshals quickly realised that my screams were not anything to do with pain. 

So in a conclusion to a longwinded moan - Things ain't that bad, I had loads of fun and I am eager to hunt down  that slop to inhibit its fear factor.

The winner at the end of the day was Scotland and it ability to host yet another fantastic biking event. N um pure chuffing now!  

So well done to all who embraced these stages with enthusiasm. There were some truly fast times, the womens category proved some stealth competition with only 4 seconds between Emma Guy (19.56)and Tracy Brunger (20.00) it was a close race for the number 1 spot. Lesley Ingram came 3rd in a time of 20.25.  As the series moves south for the next instalment 
things will only become more interesting. Slop being replaced with sticky clay and also a close training ground for many loyal enduro competitors.  

Ladies Podium

On the bike in slop

Full results can be found Here