well if been to literally the ends of the country for this one,
THE SWIM starting of from malaig opposite the picturesque isle of skye in the deepest loch/lake/fjord in Europe
apparently inhabited by a much more ancient monster called MORAG..
fear is common at the beginning of any race but this was especially scary, 3.5miles in 9*C out of the field of only 8
this alone saw off 3 people and sorry to say 2 of whom id had the pleasure to race with in the wales ultra earlier this year,
the other was a 5 time deca man!!! who just said "bugger this it's cold", i swam with one guy who normally does 10k swims for fun
but thankfully at a slower pace so i hung with him across the casamus trenches which you could see a long long way down this loch like many was land locked and the water quality is like bottled water! the swim went around the long way around a group of islands looked lovely above the water but when your in it you can see these as peaks to huge huge under water mountain tops! this is really eerie specially when you are already
on the look out for morag!.. my trusty swim partner (also from prev race) fell foul of the biting cold at around 1:15 (half way) i stayed with him till the boat came to get him hoping maybe he'd recover and carry on because if he didn't i'd be on my own with the bottomless depths, cold, and of course morag!! the boat came he got in i gulped and started the lonely swim trying not to look down!! all i could do was watch the boat get further away
this i felt was like looking onto what it must be like surviving a sinking boat, i sucked it in and peddled my arms like hell, upping my pace and suddenly it clicked i was moving and quick i was strangely warm even my hands prob due to fear but hey take what ou can i say.. i finished the swim in 2:13 with a might triumphant shout glad i'd done it, thank full to be having hot coffee be most of all for being un eaten!!
T1 THE BIKE kitted up tyres pumped bottles full, all things i'd forgot in wales...
go go go i was in 4th place strongly believing i'd catch the faster swimmers this the whole day would prove nigh on impossible..
where do these guys come from?? i was going nice and constant trying to keep my heart at 70% (a proven winner for me over long dist) but something wasn't right i laboured up some pretty horrid climbs (most of scotland in fact) but i was finding it hard, harder than before
weird i'd eaten i'd slept i purposefully tapered but i was like a jamless doughnut ebbing more than flowing like damp kindling trying to get going
i eased off biding my time and energy, maybe the swim got me more than i'd let on i panicked and tried to jump start my legs with sugary treats working only slightly followed by a sunken blown out feeling this was bad news really but i carried on hitting 85 miles app half way,
and with a nice long down hill section to glide down i sent my team car ahead.. hitting around 45-50mph i noticed a wobble Ahh, position?, wind?, road surface?, this almost immediately turned into a frame clanging tank slapper of a buckle (back wheel) rattling to a stop cursing at thin air,
right think, get off road, check spokes.. one missing, spin wheel! buggered.. ok ring car.. no reception, "bloody scotland" ok think
right helmet off cos getting hot and angry, shoes off tie em to bike phone held aloft i run pushing a now audibly unhappy bike 5mins passes lat glacier pace, still no signal keep running a mile goes by no signal jesus its like the dark ages!! i ran past i recently ill fated dear besides the road.. god it was massive like a bloody big horse!! im now running with reason god i dont want to be last.. 2 miles 3miles.. i eventually decide to improvise and searching the hedge row use some old wire wrap it round the phone half doz times and standing tip toe reaching the sky like a crazed yoga teacher
and bingo 1 bar!! just one that was pretty on/off so i typed out an sos text and hit send! re-try? yes, re-try? yes, sent! i keep moving and within 10 mins i had a spare wheel on and i was going again almost an hour down now but now angry i worked hard 10, 20 ,30 miles went by soon i was watching 150miles tick over with 25 to go easy i thought, i even stopped to take a picture of an impromptu bag pipe player belting out "e reaal grabber of o toon" i hit the last 10miles now spinning preparing for the run... god the run i'd forgot about the run!! 173 miles 13 hours!
T2 THE RUN off the bike shovel in the food make hilarious comment like that was easy... i idled a little too long, loosing focus i'd forgot i was being chased too and as i am just about to get going the guy who's been behind me since the swim rockets into t2, i shout well done (but thought oh god don't be last), i make for it, there's just 35 hilly miles to cover on foot through the night hope his not a runner, i hit 2 miles thinking i was douin quite well, legs check, will check, marbles pending!, 3miles up a steeep hill and whoosh 5th place guy went by so well i had to stop and stare, like watching a real pro cyclist trounce a hill, like lance armstrong showing up at a local milk race!! however this was a long race and lots can happen and it did.... namely he got quicker, i got slower and the longest day of the year (june 21st race day) proved itself to be quite serious..
this run route follows just one road, curving anti clockwise around the applecross peninsular right up next to rona, and raasay i watched on as night fell like forrest gump a beautiful slow red/orange sunset to rival any photo ever taken and the most amazing glins of light from the sea, i jogged on , mainly just on the descents now the up bits were just too much, i knew i was last but im a fighter and i will finish! then almost as soon as the light had finally gone and all was left were the numerous light houses guarding the out cropping rocks and dangers, without warning wind serious wind bent double comedy charlie chaplin wind and then rain and i was now officially the toughest race id ever done id been bonking prob since 110 miles on the bike 6 hours ago but now with the cold and the rain i was apparent i needed more help, i arranged contact with my support every mile at first then after 13 miles (ironic) i asked for contact every half mile thats 800m and it was takin me nearly 10 mins to do this! i wavered in the road like a drunk a marshal and organiser named chris (whom had been tirelessly offering up words of encouragement the whole day) drove up and through half drawn windows remarked ahead was worse, because ahead lay the infamous "cattle cross" running from the 17 mile point immediately up hill some whopping 500/ 850m alt, and across some pretty treacherous roads with multiple arrow markers on the map! (these alone are scary), he agreed to wait just before this pass for me as he didn't want me going up alone, i smiled and waved like a looney, cos this is now how you feel, nearing 4am in the dark in the rain having swam at 5am (yesterday) then cycled a massive distance now half way through a 35 mile run smiling is all you've got left. and besides it makes for better photos!, i blearily arrive at the up bit, chris is resting up in a car, pip is parked next to him equally asleep, i take a long look up the pass, rain howling down like a challenge, but more accurately like a threat... i felt quite uneasy at the prospect, real fear for safety is almost remote control it can lead you to do remarkable things, summoning extraordinary strength , or hanging in for days like after an earthquake, we read these stories daily, but for me at that point it made me climb in the car out the rain and just sit, i didn't wake any one to go up with me in fact i did'nt want them to wake up and see me struggling, i stayed in the car, i told chris id wait to see if it cleared id go up maybe 6 am but i knew right there less it was 25*C i was out! broken and beat but not then nor now sad about it, i actually grew on that race, prop bigger and braver and most importantly wiser than any other race, i didn't need to finish it, i really did just enjoy being there...... so while "weather you think you can or you cant" etc is a great up and at 'em attitude, I'm now thinking, win or loose doesn't matter it's playing the game that counts, big thanks to all who have helped me lately, i won't mention names you know who you are and truthfully it's a little bit of every one.. I'm just sorry i didn't get both ticked for ftc ;-)