The Next Challenge... by Skye_Trekker

Not too much running has been happening since my last post. For the time being I'm going to have to limit my mileage, and realistically I wont be running any real distances probably for the rest of the year.  Although running definitely isn't the cause of my back problems any run over 5-6 miles only aggravates the injury to the extent that everything just siezes the next day, and its just not worth it.  A couple of osteo appointments with Dr Doom have helped but things just aren't improving enough any more.  So 2-3 weekly runs of around 5 miles will be the most I'll be doing.  I think I'd rather stick with that in the hope that maybe I'll see an improvement as the year goes on.  In all honesty though I suspect my Half Marathons are more than likely finished now.

So, with reduced running its given me a bit of time for extra cycling.  It had been my aim this summer to try and get a 100mile ride done, and as I've entered a 100m sportive at the end of Aug I thought I'd better get a few long rides in before it.  I'd managed a couple of 40 & 50's (longest since the 81m Etape) and there was going to be the possibility of a ride down to Fort William next weekend as the running group are doing a race there.  Plan was for me to cycle down, meet up with them then get a lift home after.  But with the weather here being pretty grim I was reluctant to make too many plans for race day in case my cycle was rained off, so decided just to take the opportunity to go the first chance I got.  Towards the end of last week the weather finally picked up and Friday looked as if it might be okay to try my 100 miler, so I thought I'd still try going down to FW earlier than originally planned and meeting up with the Skye bus and getting back home that way...

  It probably wasn't the best choice for my first 100 miler...  And all in all it was a ride done purely done on a wing and a prayer.  First consideration was the bus back left FW at 2pm so I reckoned at riding between 14.5-15mph it was going to take around 7hrs. That should have meant a 6.30am start, except I had a ferry to catch at Armadale, and as that left at 8.50am I then had to leave home at 4.15 to cycle the 60 miles down there.  It was an obscenely early time to get out of bed on a Friday morning.  Even worse it was raining...  But my kit was ready so I set off anyway.  I cycle the first 25 miles of this route almost weekly, so it was a fairly easy start, but the following 35 were new to me, though as the roads were quiet it was a nice cycle down.  Got to the ferry with 45 min to spare so was able to relax, thinking the hard work was done...

Its just a 20 minute crossing, so when I arrived in Mallaig I had over 4.5 hours to do the remaining 40+ miles, so I sat back looking forward to a steady scenic cycle.  Opting to use the cycle/walking path at the side of the road was a BIG mistake, it was covered in little stones and rocks - a puncture waiting to happen - so I decided to get back on to the road the first chance I could.  "Pfffsttttt".  Too late.  Flat tyre - only 5 miles out of Mallaig.  Off the bike and a  delve through the saddle pack for spare inner tubes.  Finally managed to get the tyre off, new tube on, try to blow it up only to find the valve was too short for my pump.   ****.  Quickly dig out the gas pump from my rucksack only to find the valve was too short for that too.  Back into the saddle pack for the other spare inner tube.  It had the wrong valve too.  It was then I regretted ditching my 3rd spare tube the previous night - although it was an old one and patched I at least knew the valve was the right length.  Sods Law.   So, there I sat, at the side of the road, contemplating a long walk back to Mallaig or hitching a lift to FW when I had the smart idea of trying to repair the burst tube.  After all, I've done it plenty of times before - it wouldn't take long...  I can tell you now that patching a tyre in the comfort of your kitchen/garage bears no resemblance whatsoever to trying to repair it at the side of a busy road, when you are knee deep in grass and being eaten alive by midgies.  Blew the tube up, only for it to deflate before I could find the hole.  Tried again with the same result and realised that the basin of water I usually had in these circumstances was sitting in my kitchen sink.  No way of finding the puncture without some water, a puddle or anything.  No puddles to be found so I used the next best thing - my water bottle (smart thinking at the time, not so smart when I needed water later on though...).  So there I was, dipping my inner tube into a bottle full of electrolyte solution as if it was the most natural thing in the world as the cars, caravans & lorries whizzed by.  Eventually located both punctures, patched them, got the tyre back on and proudly set off again.  It had only taken me almost an hour...  And the repair only lasted 8 miles.  Quick stop to reinflate and I was off.  This time it lasted 5 miles.  Next time I got 2 and the following time nothing.  I was now stuck between Mallaig & FW with a completely flat tyre, 2 useless new inner tubes - and a ticket for the 2pm bus.  I then did something I probably shouldn't I rode on my rim for 3-4 miles until I could think of what the hell to do.  In the end the only option left was to stop, dismantle my bike and hitch to FW.  So thats what I started doing, really gutted at the way my day had ended.

Then, in the distance a couple of other cyclists appeared, saw my problem and stopped to see if they could help.  Their cycle pump actually managed to fit my tube so it was a case of getting my tyre off (again) and doing another change.  At that point to my horror/shame I realised I'd left my tyre levers somewhere in the grass the first time I stopped.  What a muppet.  Next thing the guy has my wheel off, tyre removed and the new tube in and is already blowing it up.  What an angel.  Just as he was finishing I started picking up all my bike debris scattered  everywhere in the grass when an artic decided to overtake a van travelling on the opposite side of the road. We never even saw or heard it coming.  It missed the 3 of us by what I thought was inches - judging by the look on the other cyclists face it was obviously closer than that, and we all screamed in unison.  It was as close as I EVER want to get to an articulated lorry again, and the most horrifying incident I've had in over 20 years in cycling.  I was busy watching for traffic coming from the left, never expecting a vehicle to come from the right at that speed, especially when we were all clearly visible.  Next punture I have I'm getting as far away from the road as possible before I change it.  I'd rather be eaten by midgies than become a statistic of road kill.

It took a few minutes to calm nerves, say thank you/goodbye and get on my way.  I had just under 90 min to cycle the remaining 20 miles to Fort William, bit of a non-starter really, after already having done over 80m.  Funnily enough at the Etape I got to 81 miles and felt I could carry on for another hour or so - on Friday I reached 80 miles and just wished I could stop...  And even if I got to the bus in time I still needed to dismantle the bike and put it in a cycle bag as the bus won't take bikes.  Anyway, I made it to Fort William with 5 minutes to go and managed to take the bike to bits out of sight of the driver and put it in the luggage compartment with seconds to spare.  Absolutely no time to get changed/clean myself up though and I got on the bus covered head to ankles in bike oil & grease, black tyre dust, grass, muck and general debris.  What a fetching image I must have been to my 16 yr old daughter who was also on the bus - on her way back from a Take That concert in Glasgow...  She just smiled and said quietly "hi mum", but I bet thats not really what she was thinking...  Sat down, fell asleep and woke up just before we reached Skye.  I was kind of hungry at that point, however as it had been my intention to have a leisurely lunch before catching the bus and that obviously hadn't happened, I was rather short of food.  A rummage in my rucksack produced 6 gels, 1 shotblok, a rehydration sachet and some peanuts.  None of which was really going to hit the spot.  I didn't even have anything left to drink as it tasted of inner tube...  Next option was just to try and sleep the rest of the journey away... 

 Was met off the bus by my OH who just looked at me and laughed, shook his head and said 'good day then'.  I suppose it was in a way.  Nothing could take my first century ride away from me (101.3m to be exact) but it had to be the most stressful bike ride I'd ever had in my life and I was more mentally shattered than physically...  I'd do it again (still planning to cycle down and watch the others race next w/e) and with the many lessons learnt hopefully I'll enjoy it a little more ...