North Pennines Open 5

As I drove into Blanchland on Sunday morning the sun was peaking through and the roads weren’t too icy. The race venue looked very professional with the new Open Adventure flags and hoardings on display. James had said the area could be a bit muddy if there wasn’t a sharp frost so it was looking like we might be in for a mud fest.

Registration was a hubbub of chatter as people caught up with friends and discussed route choices, and the OMM over tea and bacon butties prepared by the local Village Hall Committee. I planned a rough route and decided to run first and bike second. Rarely for an Open 5, I thought some people might clear the course, so the dummy checkpoints would be key in deciding what to miss rather than what to go for. Having dibbed out and picked up the checkpoint values I was immediately given the dilemma of how long to spend on foot. There were more points available on the bike leg but some significant road sections, so I decided to go for a 2 hour run and 3 hour bike split. I had planned to start to the West of the course and was someway in before I realised this was where the obvious points to drop were. That meant I was committed to my route choice right from the start, though looking at the race analysis there appears many different routes taken, so there probably wasn’t an optimal choice.

The run went well over a mixture of road, laid path and then up onto the moor. I was a little too busy enjoying the views and forgot to turn left to the fairly obvious chimney (with its 3 snowmen), which meant I was one of the slowest on this leg (note to self read the control description and remember you cover ground much faster on a 1:25000 map!). I headed out over the moor getting a bit chilly as there was a slight breeze but it was still very clear. Next CP was a 5 pointer that was slightly off route, but seemed silly to miss, I crossed a fence and didn’t spot any tape so carried on looking for a boundary stone. I soon realised I’d gone too far (not sure why I didn’t twig a boundary stone would be under a fence!) and turned back to see Chris Morgan dibbing. I picked up the CP and ran with him over the moor before dropping towards the finish on a fast bridleway and road. A quick detour to the waterfall, where James’s ‘slippery’ note proved accurate as I slid rather uncomfortably onto a rock, saw me into transition at 1:58 - so right on time.

The bike course was equally difficult to choose a route, particularly as the run had been in a different area so I’d got no insight to the conditions on the moor. As I went onto Birkside Fell, I mistakenly followed a bridleway sign which had fallen over and was pointing the wrong way, so I had to backtrack to pick up The Carriers Way. The track was continuous mud between one inch and 8 inches deep, which played havoc with my bike. My brand new front brake pads were destroyed just on this flat section and I soon had chain suck. It was all cycleable (just!) though, except when someone was coming the other way, which of course a lot were as there were only a couple of routes off the track. There seems to have been as many route choices as there were competitors so this didn’t seem to limit options.

Towards the forest there were more trails on the ground than on the map and more boggy ground. As I descended I had one of those comedy moments when I inadvertently cut across some apparently pristine bog, of course within seconds the bike was vertical and I was up to my elbows in mud while still sitting on the saddle! I managed to swim out of the fetid mud soup and continue on my way, but the grinding paste concoction not only finished my rear brakes but coated the cassette so thoroughly I couldn’t get the chain to bite in the top two gears. More mud in the forest had teams sliding all over the place and I saw a couple of near misses with the trees. I was then out on the road for a while but the bike was now grinding and squeaking alarmingly. I had one hour left, so decided to pick up the Northerly checkpoint before heading back through the forest. I was surprised to see so many riders still so far out, as I thought I’d left it quite late in the start window and was tight on time for my home run. This was the moment I dread when racing solo as my legs suddenly started to tie up and a bonk was imminent. Shovelling in gel and some fluid I started walking up a forest track taking a final look at the map. This was the point I realised I’d mismarked the scores and hadn’t noted a 35 pointer on the return leg. I got back on the bike and worked hard through the forest checkpoints disheartened by some deep muddy paths but made it out onto the road quicker than I expected. I was now on the brink of running out of time, so the calculations of whether it was worth going for 35 points and forfeiting some of them by being late back, or heading straight in was playing on my mind as I careered down the hill with some other riders. Those in front opened the gate so in a squealing, screeching cacophony of metal on metal and mud I turned up the track only to realise my legs were dead and I would lose more points than I could get, so it was back to the road for a sprint finish. I made my way as swiftly as possible through the locals and other racers, only to dib in the wrong control box and finish a few seconds late (apologies to the team who had timed it better and were walking down the finish shoot as I veered past!).

It had stayed clear all day but as the sun was setting it started getting cold so it was time for some warm clothes before a baked potato and slice of cake from the hard working village committee while James and Lisa worked out the final placings.

I was 7th which reflected the number of mistakes I made, next time a clean, fast run and bike is needed!

Merida MTB Series Penrith

My Merida weekend started with a panic on Saturday when I was rebuilding my bike after having my forks tweaked and discovered my bottom bracket had seized. I went for a 2 hour run as planned having checked my road BB had the same bearings. When I got back and stripped the MTB BB the crank bolt disintergrated as well. No problem, its almost the same as the road bike, unfortunately I couldn't get the self extractor cover off, nor could The Edge bike shop or the nice mechanic at the Merida stand on Sunday morning. So then its 08:30 (race start 09:30) and I was busy with a hacksaw, big hammer and chisel, this eventually did the trick and at 09:25 I was filling up my camel pack from the tap near the front of the start line which meant I cruised through as the whistle went. These aren't races as they are on bridleways, but getting a good start is key to having a fun ride, as traffic jams often form with around 800 riders heading for narrow trails. I rode with Helen Jackson (adventure racing friend) up Loadpot Hill which kept my heartrate about 180 (oops), the swooping descent was great fun and Helen surprisingly turned off on the 50km. She caught me up again on Place Fell after realising her mistake and we'd been hike a biking for about 1km up 250m of ascent before a walker pointed out we were on a footpath and should have turned right at the bottom. I got down the hill the direct route and had the pleasure of hanging on the tails of all the strong riders who'd been further up hill as they came back through me. When Helen caught me up again she'd been joined by Ant (another AR friend) and my heart rate was now 183 just keeping up with them on the flat, on the next hill I predicatably blew up and had to walk (along with all the other mere mortals). I finished the 78km in 5:17 in around 40th place. It's the hardest I've worked on my bike all year and was an eye opener into just how fast the lead guys are going. More details of the Merida series on http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/ .

La Machine arrives in Liverpool

A brief shopping trip into Liverpool became a weekend of spider watching as I got caught up in the crowds waiting to see the beast. It was an impressive feat of engineering, although the storyline was a bit lost on me. Maybe someone, somewhere knew what was going on? I managed to get a few shots of it on Saturday but forgot my camera for the grand finale, not that I could see enough to capture the event on film. Great event though and one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen. I' ve been disappointed by the TV coverage, you obviously had to be there to experience it properly.

Coast to Coast 31 August - 1 September 2008

Pre Race

The Coast to Coast started with a slightly delayed drive up the M6, I normally struggle with pre race organising and, with only a week back from Canada, everything was a mess.  Jeremy (support driver for the weekend) and I picked up Joe at Rheged and headed to St Bee's for the start.  We found the golf course on our third attempt (did I ever say don't trust my nav?) and after saying hello to everyone, and picking Shrek as our mascot for the weekend, headed to the pub for a quick pint.   Once back it was clear there would nothing to glean from James about the format of the weekend until the morning, so we went to bed.

Day One

We started on St Bee's beach 9am with a Shrek photoshoot to get our hand in.  It was an unusually calm start to the day, with no boxes to faff with or kit checks.  James distributed the maps and dispelled the first assumption that the paddle would be on Ennerdale (with the small field it was possible to use Wast Water), so a cycle avoiding A and B roads upto Nether Wasdale needed to be planned.  Immediately there were a few route choices and with a half remembered good quality coastal path I recommended that way.  We decided to stay on road for the start and set off into St Bee's, soon to be overtaken by a tandem careering up the hill with Tim and Jenny Higginbottom at the wheel and Mark following close behind.  The plan looked good initially as we dropped onto a track running along the beach from Braystones to Sellafield.  At Sellafield we cut under the railway and came to a fenced off track, so we carried on up the hill to the apparent footpath - this was hike a bike for 1km before becoming impassable, we then hit the high security fencing round the plant and had to drop down onto the railway side. If we'd followed the fenced off track it would have run parallel to the lines from the previous bridge, but this didn't likely to be a right of way.  Once under the high security bridge we were onto the Sellafield train platform and out onto a cycleway to Seascale. We had to avoid doing more than 1km on B roads, so we cut into a housing estate and I proceeded to demonstrate my quality navigational skills by taking us out into the fields one junction too early, the track started good and then deteriorated into overgrown hell and finally swamp.  After much head scratching we realised the error and escaped back onto the bridleway, which was a good quality surface.  We decided to cut round on bridleways, avoiding the climb out of Gosforth, which worked well and was a grassy bridleway.

We met Jeremy in Nether Wasdale and he followed us out to the YHA at the end of Wast Water, unfortunately the drivers behind him were getting irate so he overtook us just before we reached the turn and had to do a little detour, before being able to turn round and get back.  The paddle was great with different views up the Wasdale Valley and of Great End.  The water was inky black and felt quite slow, but we were soon wading up the river before loading the boat on the car and setting off for the trek across the central fells.  We climbing efficiently to Styhead Tarn and then ran gently back down to Seathwaite.  I was getting a bit dehydrated but we pushed on along the Allerdale Ramble at a run/ jog then hit the climb up to Watendlath Tarn.  I filled up with water at the bottom and pushed up the steep gravel path to the Tarn I love this quiet corner of the Lakes the Tarn always looks so tranquil when you reach it.  The trek across High Tove was a bit damp underfoot but not as bad as I expected.  I wasn't happy on the steep descent to Thirlmere though as I was in an old pair of fell shoes (I'd only bought shoe from my newer pair!).  We arrived on the shore just as a team was setting out, so rather than get cold waiting for a support boat we jumped straight in and swam across sharing their support.  Joe started to get a bit cold about two thirds of the way across and I started cramping a bit but we made it to the beach and got some food in before heading up Helvellyn.  Joe was a bit spaced on the climb though it didn't slow him down and on the descent my lack of trust in my shoes made it hard for me to keep up.  The long run down to Patterdale started to batter my legs and toes and I was ready to get out of my shoes and grab a pint and some food in the pub when we finished.

Day 2

We started early with a paddle up Ullswater, well about 15 mins after the official start time, but no one was worried as it wasn't a race!  The Necky handled the shallows with no problem and the mist lifted as we paddled up the lake.  It was so calm we could see the bubbles from Cath & John, and Ant & Helen's boats, even though they were long gone and almost out of sight.  The wind picked up slightly as we reached Pooley Bridge, but the sun was out and we resisted the temptations of breakfast at Joe's house and set off up Askham Fell.  The Fell is steep gravel then rolling grass, but not technical and unlikely to get impassable.  We got to Bampton and headed to Shap planning to stop at the CoOp for some food, of course starting early on a Sunday meant we were there before it opened.   We took the direct route to Soulby which was very slow with constant gates and grass tracks.  The Equestrian Endurance riders came past us in their droves with 'mornings' being shouted all around. Soon we were in Kirby Stephen and picked up Jeremy before slogging up to Hartley.  The sun was still out as we started trekking out onto Hartley Fell, but the rain clouds were forming and soon we were in drizzle.  From Nine Standards we followed the Coast to Coast in a curve round to the South which was probably drier and slightly less boggy than the top, but still boggy and slow.  Ravenseat to Keld was wet and a bit slow, Tom and  Houli disappeared in to the distance after starting a hour or so later and coming the direct route.  We saw them again coming into transition after missing the part of the briefing that said the transition was in Keld and we were looking for it on the road above when Jenny cycled past and pointed us in the right direction.  The track across the river was treacherous in the wet and I just survived it, unfortunately Joe slid into the gate post hitting his knee.  The old railway was great although the middle section not shown on the map was knee deep gloop which was hard going.  The climb out of Grinton was brutal but then we were soon onto Marske and the short foot section to the finish.  This was entertaining with various cows and bulls on the path to keep us awake, getting to the farm proved a bit of challenge as there was no obvious path, but we were soon in and enjoying the hospitality of the farm (the warm shower was much appreciated!)  We drove into Richmond for food and the rain finally eased as we got back to briefly studied the maps for the next day before going to bed.  

Day 3

Although it was going to be a long day we decided to start at 6am rather than 5am so at least it was light.  A short jog to the River Swale brought us to the first challenge, launching into a fast flowing rocky river.  We survived the first few rock fields and settled into the paddle.  This soon proved interesting, every few hundred metres the river went over rock band and the boat had to be shoved or manhandled over the obstacles.  Even two inches more water would probably have been sufficient to make it passable, although much more I think would have required a helmet.  Soon I'd lost count of the number of groundings as we fought our way down river.  Some stretches were very tranquil and after the A1 it was more navigable and shoots could be run without getting out of the boat.  This eventually led us to our demise as I went for one run too many and got trapped under a tree.  After getting out of the boat and shoving Joe under the tree I got back in but my cockpit swamped and we sank leading to a couple of frantic minutes rescuing paddles, kit and most importantly Shrek!  We finished without further event and met the slightly relieved support crews at Great Langton Bridge.  The Open C2 came in shortly after having suffered the same fate as us in the strainer and Steve also knew exactly what we were talking about.  This was probably the highlight of the trip for me as it required some ingenuity and on the fly route assessment to get down safely.  The next bike was a long trek across the Vale of York which passed without incident and keeping road sections to less than 6km wasn't too difficult.

The sun was out as we reached Heathwaite and started trekking along the Cleveland Way it was a long pull to the top but great views across towards Middlesborough.  We jogged along the top and dropped down again before climbing and dropping and climbing and..., probably one time more than we wanted, as the slabbed path became quite monotous and hard under foot, by Clay Bank we were glad to pick up the bikes, if only to hike a bike back up the otherside onto Urra Moor.  From here it was swooping riding over Farndale Moor and onto Danby High Moor, we stayed on the old railway track and could really tank along.  From Danby High Moor we took the southern bridleway onto Glaisdale Moor, which was definitely not optimal.  It was an overgrown single line of uneven slabs across bog, great fun trying to ride on a 5" full suspension bike though  :-) From there it was a fast descent to Glaisdale and a slog up Limber Hill on the otherside, a brief attempt at towing failed as the hill was too steep and we were then off along the roads to Ruswarp with a slight detour to ensure we went off tarmac at least every 6km.  From there it was a along the disused railway to Robin Hood's Bay and the finish.  The tide was in so it was easy to dip our tires and toes before finding the nearest chippy to indulge in a large cod and chips.  

Vague splits

Stage 1 30km 2:19 bike

Stage 2 4.87km 0:37 kayak

Stage 3 20 km 3:34 trek

Stage 4 800m 0:30 swim

Stage 5 11 km 2.16 trek

Stage 6 13.49 km 1:40 kayak

Stage 7 45km 3:15 bike

Stage 8 15.5km 2:34 trek

Stage 9 27.3km 2:01 bike

Stage 10 2.5km 23:23 trek

Stage 11 5km 0:42 run

Stage 12 18.4 2:32 kayak

Stage 13 30km 1:37 bike

Stage 14 10.5km 2:07 trek

Stage 15 56.5 3:21 bike

Day 1 9:25 66.5km

Day 2 9.54 104km

Day 3 10:20 113.5

TransRockies 10 – 16^th August 2008

Trans Rockies started for me back in November 2007 when a friend told me he had entered. After 3 years of expedition racing, a catered stage race seemed like a pleasant change. By the end of November I was entered with another ChesterTri member Dan, bringing our loosely associated group up to five pairs. The plan was nearly derailed when Dan fell off his bike with two weeks to go and was put in plaster. A second opinion decided his hand wasn’t broken, although his ribs and shoulder were heavily bruised.

We arrived in the ski resort of Panorama for registration. This was a relaxed affair, with none of the AR pre race tests and kit checks to contend with, so we started to cycle the first part of the course. There was mutiny after 400m as it was straight up the side of mountain in full sun, we returned for a cold beer instead. Next morning, after the race welcome and bear talk, we were back on the hill going up for 9.5km with 1300m of ascent. Dan and I pushed hard to get through the traffic, which worked well but had alarming effects on our heart rates. By the top we were both well outside our zones, but the ‘sweet single track’ should give us time to recover… This proved more challenging than we had anticipated, with the heavy rain of the previous days combining with snow showers to make the going slow. We found ourselves in some space, which was nice after being stuck in traffic for an hour but 20 minutes later we came into a clearing a realised we where in the wrong valley. We turned back (with the 15 pairs who’d followed us – sorry guys!) and regained the tapes, sadly now well and truly in the traffic. As we came down the 20km descent, I scared myself, nearly losing it on a cross ditch (drainage ditches cut across old forest roads of varying depth and steepness to catch out unwary cyclists) and then realised Dan wasn’t behind. As I cycled back up the hill, increasingly concerned (cross ditches and weak shoulders are not a good combination), I was relieved to find him fixing a puncture. K2 ranch was a welcome sight after 52 km and 2478m of ascent.

Day2

A chilly morning start from K2 ranch on took us along 20km of fast road and track, which we managed to cover well in a strong peloton, to the Fairmount resort. Here we started climbing another service road, when this ran out we carried on climbing until it was hike a bike time. Dan was suffering with his shoulder and ribs from his predeparture crash, plus a high sensitivity to altitude making the going slow. Thankfully this played into our hands as the entire field had gone the wrong way and as we trudged up an ever steeper avalanche gully, word came down ‘have you seen any tape?’, as we could still see tape we backtracked and picked up the single track quite quickly. The faster riders gridlocked with the slower riders causing chaos in the rankings. The day was eventually discounted from the final results, this frustrated us as there were markings, albeit a bit unclear, and we had worked hard all day to make up for our mistake on day one. Having said that, my singletrack skills developed rapidly on some insane descents, as the faster riders came through and showed how it should be ridden, we followed suit. A cruel little hill to finish brought us into Nipika after 74km and 3800m of ascent.

Day3

Today was rest day, with just 1500m of ascent and 44km, on the TransRockies time trial. The singletrack and scenery were stunning and the 30 sec start interval meant there was no traffic, which was a relief after the first two days. We pushed hard for the first loop then, after Dan took an inverted look at a tree trunk, we relaxed and enjoyed the scenery for the second half. The afternoon consisted of chilling by (and in) the pond and hot tub, eating the best tasting burgers we’ve ever had and listening to the one man band, who caught the mood perfectly. I’m sure the time trail will be here to stay as broke up the journey and gave a chance to enjoy one area fully.

Day4

Leaving Nipika to the daily strains of ‘Highway to Hell’ we set off for the 109km, 2500m climbing, big day of the race. We made a good start and got into the singletrack with some quality riders, only to succumb to a puncture and get caught up again. The next section took us through some truly stunning backcountry, then it was hike a bike at altitude again before dropping onto the ‘30 km downhill’ on forest road to finish. This proved to be more ‘undulating’ and we were lucky to team up with another team and chain gang it to the finish, otherwise I think that road would have been utterly soul destroying. Whiteswan Lake was beautifully flat and soft grass which made camping a pleasure. After the nightly gluttony and route briefing for the next day, it was time to watch the sunset and count shooting stars.

Day5

Leaving Whiteswan we had a fast start on forest road, before climbing to the Bull River drainage. As we came down into the drainage, the road improved and the cross ditches became less treacherous, we picked up a strong peloton when suddenly Dan dropped back with a catastrophically bent chain link. Breaking the chain and putting in a speed link initially didn’t solve the problem as we hadn’t twigged the chain still had a full twist in it, so a second attempt was required before we were back on our way.

The next 30km continuous climb was long and ended with the obligatory hike a bike, this time with heat added to the altitude equation to make it even more fun for Dan. The descent was through the infamous rock garden, which appears to be getting slowly tamed. There was a clearish line for the first kilometre, and then the rocks just got bigger and bigger, after a brief stop to allow blood back into the fingers we rode out and headed down the rolling, bouncy track to Elkford. Everyone in the town appeared to be involved in the welcome, which was a great change after the last few days in the backcountry.

Day6

For once our timing was impeccable and we moved to the front of the peloton just in time to drop into the single track unhindered. We rode all the way through, with no traffic, and worked well with a number of other teams to get us up the following 28km climb in relatively good shape. This was good because the last section was steep hike a bike in the baking heat and at altitude (Dan’s three favourite things!) we got over the top and crossed the continent divide to start the blistering descent, only to suffer two punctures in 200m, thankfully both rears or the results could have been disastrous (the daily increase in large white patches on elbows and knees indicated many were not so lucky). As we had only carried two spare tubes we took is easy into Blairmore. The second half of the day seemed to be never ending hike a bike, every time the track flattened out enough to ride we’d get on, go round a corner and find the trail steepened yet again. For a sting in the tail there were three 200m ascents which may have been rideable on fresh legs, but in blistering heat and at the end of a 105 km day with 3000m of ascent they were slow hike a bikes.

Day7

The end was in sight, but everyone was quick to say its nearer 80km if you said only 70km to go. We left Blairmore from the front of pen 2 again, we had climbed to 41^st in the Open Mens bit needed to be 40^th to get in the front pen. This has be our target all week, so we set off up a long gravel road a bit deflated. Yet more hike a bike over the top and we were into man eating crossditches which had been dug in the last few weeks ruining what had been a flying descent. The course seemed to be taking its toll and I was employing every mind game I could think of to keep us moving, an early puncture hadn’t helped. Dodging logs being thrown around by an active logger woke us up a bit and it was onto the last climb of the day. In full sun with no breeze it felt like one of the hardest of the week. Once over the top it was into a couple of sweet sections of Fernie single track and home. This didn’t quite go to plan as we got another puncture and the singletrack wasn’t all downhill. I’d given everything getting up the last climb and struggled with the constant steep inclines, which would have been great fun on another day. Finally we were into the town and the finishing straight to a rapturous welcome from another highly supportive town. We got our 40^th spot, but a day too late for that elusive front pen.

We picked up our vehicle and moved all the kit to our condo before going back to welcome everyone else in. All our pairs made it safely across the finish line and it was onto the end of race banquet to pick up the all important finishers Tee shirt.

This is a well organised race through some fantastic scenery. The food was spot on and, as an adventure racer, the route had everything you could wish for: minimal tarmac, loads of fast gravel roads, both up and down, far more single track than I was expecting and straightforward, if steep, hike a bike to reach it (my MTB and tri friends are at odds with me on the last point – they see bikes as things to be ridden and never carried!). It was surprising so few MTBers had cottoned onto the efficiency of pelotons, often one rider would drop out of the line and then work hard trying to gain a small advantage, only to be overhauled shortly afterwards.

I found the no towing rule made it very tiring to support each other, holding onto camel back straps worked OK but was nowhere near as comfortable as a bit of elastic. I can see why the sheer number of riders could make it dangerous though, this also caused some problems with single track. Fit riders could get up the climbs first but then constantly stop and block the single track. It was worth pushing hard in the early part of the day to be able to enjoy it properly. Apart from the chain, we had no mechanicals and my (slightly pimped!) Whyte E5 worked beautifully, as did the tubeless Racing Ralphs which, although peppered with over 30 slime balls didn’t lose any pressure all week.

I probably won’t be doing the race again anytime soon as there are far too many other races on the list, but I’d highly recommend it.

Slideshow of all my photo's, click to open album: