Overview

Billericay 10k – 2^nd November 2008.

Given that I’d run 10 miles a few weeks before I was looking forward to this event.  It was my second year and I’d managed a pb last year so had hopes of a good time.  As was the trend this year I had not managed as much training beforehand as I’d hoped but was sure I’d still do ok.

It was a very misty morning, cold and damp but if you race in November you have to expect poor weather.  This is a popular run so there were a lot of people at the start.  I lined up in my normal position – towards the back and we were off.  An uphill start seems a bit cruel but it’s a great way to warm up and the camaraderie in the crowd during the first few km is always good.  Looking along the road at all the mad runners in the freezing mist I felt very proud to be part of it all.

I soon settled into my pace and enjoyed being further up the field (relatively) than at the Tiptree 10.  It’s nicer to run with more people around.  The ‘new’ running style was now becoming my normal running style so I found I was quite relaxed and enjoying myself.  I like the Billericay route as it’s undulating but not hilly.  The undulations mean you naturally change pace slightly throughout the run and as I did last year I concentrated on keeping a steady pace uphill then relaxing on the downhill stretches. 

I must admit though I was caught out in the last km.  I thought the distance between coming into town and reaching the finish line was a lot shorter – it seemed it in my memory!  So as I came into town I speeded up a bit, then as the road got longer and longer I began to flag a bit.  After going past one couple by overtaking them in the road I really couldn’t then slow down again so I kept at it but it did hurt.  By the time I made the final turn and was on the downhill stretch to the finish I was struggling but determined to keep going.  Seeing the finish line itself gave me the impetus and I ‘sprinted’ to the line to finish in 1:03:43.  A pb by a few seconds! 

Stebbing 10 – 9^th November 2008.

One week later and I was lining up for my second 10 mile run.  This event is known as the remembrance 10 (as it was remembrance Sunday) and the 2 minute silence before the start was well-observed, again it made me proud to be part of the running community.

I was not familiar with this area of Essex.  The village itself was very pretty and the first mile looped around it before heading back past the start and out into the countryside.  I found this first mile quite tough, it was undulating and because it was such a small field I was very close to the back which I don’t like.  After this section the route goes downhill and I found that once I’d reached the end of the hill I was feeling better.

Again, this was a lovely route, very rural and quiet.  The more runs I do the more I am finding myself targeting people to overtake or keep pace with.  When I first started running my aim was just to complete the distance and (hopefully) get a pb with no thoughts of beating anyone except the clock.  Now I find myself actually ‘racing’ in the broadest sense of the word.  My strategy really worked well around the 5 mile mark, it was open fields and the headwind was strong.  I’d been working my way up gradually to a group of four and instead of overtaking them I was very cheeky and drafted them for a while.  It worked and I didn’t suffer too much from the headwind.  Once we reached a more sheltered stretch I overtook them.  I do have to say though that a couple of them overtook me in the final miles!

Knowing I was capable of doing the distance helped during the tougher stretches, and there were several tough bits, this route is far more undulating than the Tiptree route.  The worst stretch is the hill about 8 ½ miles.  It starts out gentle and then the incline gradually increases, when you’ve already been running for well over an hour it’s a killer.  I managed to keep running all the way, although my hill running pace is slower than an asthmatic tortoise.

It was around this time that my pet hate began to appear.  The fast finishers, complete with race t-shirts cooling down.  Do they do it deliberately to taunt us plodders??  Look at me, I’ve finished already and I didn’t even break into a sweat!! 

This time though I ended up ashamed of thinking that about the faster guys.  About ¾ of a mile from the finish a couple of runners wearing their finishers t-shirts came towards me.  I recognised one of them as I’d chatted to him at the start of a couple of Triathlons earlier in the year.  They started running alongside the guy in front of me, from what I could see they were club-mates and they’d come back to give him some company on the last stretch. 

As I overtook them the guy from the triathlons started running with me, we chatted (well he chatted, I gasped) and then he turned to his mates and said he was ‘changing allegiance’ and taking me in.  Gradually he increased the pace and where I would normally have struggled with this having someone ‘pull’ me along really helped.  By the final stretch he realised I couldn’t speak any more so just ran along slightly in front and again increased his speed.  I found myself running to the finish at a pretty good pace (for me) and my friend dropped away just as I turned into the finish line at 1:46:25.  I didn’t get a chance to thank him but I’m sure his help meant I beat my Tiptree time.

My legs didn’t hurt quite as much this time but I was still pretty tired afterwards.  Having done two 10 mile runs I thought about running the Brentwood Half Marathon in March 2009.  Another three miles couldn’t be that bad could it?

Chelmsford 10k – 19^th November 2008.

For the third weekend in a row we were up early to go to a race.  This time a 10k.  I’d never run this one before and was looking forward to the finish which was in a stadium. 

The weather was horrendous, high winds and pelting rain.  We sat in the car and wondered why the hell we did this stuff!  Luckily though, the rain clouds passed over and by the time we set off on a short jog to the start there was little more than a drizzle.  Even so I’d decided it was best not to take the ipod this time.  It only barely survived the drenching at the Southend 10k so best not to tempt fate.

The field for this race appeared quite small for some reason but the atmosphere was good.  I positioned myself near the back and waited for the off.  It felt very odd not to have the ipod, I’m so used to running with it.  We set off and I found it extremely difficult to settle into a comfortable pace, I guess it shows how reliant I have come to be on the music.  I didn’t like hearing my feet hitting the pavement and how heavy my breathing was either, it really put me off my stride. 

On a normal run I’m warmed up and comfortable after about 10 mins, this time however it took me a lot longer to settle down, I didn’t feel right until about 2k in.  Finally I got used to the sound of my breathing and my plodding and I could relax a bit and appreciate the surroundings.  The run takes you out of Chelmsford and through some of the pretty lanes and villages on the outskirts.  The traffic was quiet and it was well-marshalled.

The route was relatively flat although there was a bit of a steep climb about 8k, very short though so no real problem.  After running the 10 mile races the time seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was heading back into town and towards the stadium.  After the nice lanes I was not too keen on this section, I don’t particularly like running along narrow pavements and for once I was glad to be near the back where the field was spread out.  I wouldn’t like to be running in a big crowd along there. 

The last stretch is an uphill incline, I put a bit of an effort in to keep the legs going, it was my last run of the season so wanted to give it my all.  I passed a couple of other runners which felt good.  We turned off the road and into the park,  my legs were feeling pretty shot and I was then worrying that we had to do a whole lap of the stadium, I had visions of getting half way around and my legs giving in!  It was only a short 100m section on the track and it felt great.  I’d not really looked at my watch that much so wasn’t sure what my time would be.  I was so excited to see the time on the clock.  I crossed the line with a big grin on my face.

My last run of 2008 and I’d achieved a pb of 1:02:09, taking over 1 min off my previous pb!  What a way to finish the season.

Au Revoir.

To all those who have been following my blog and supporting me this year I thank you.  I hope you have enjoyed reading it and I’m sorry this last entry is so late!  I had it ready on my pc months ago and forgot to post it.

I have enjoyed writing this blog and recording my thoughts and feelings about the different events.  It’s interesting to look back now and see how much I’ve done. 

It looks as if 2009 is going to be even busier.  18 events (potentially) in the calendar let alone the fact I’ve joined a cycling club and will be taking part in time trials and possibly road racing.  I’m looking forward to it…….

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Like a lot of events this year it had seemed a good idea to enter a ten mile run at the time but faced with actually doing the event I wasn’t so sure.

10km was the furthest I’d ever run which equates to 6.2 miles so I was almost doubling the distance.  With the idea of doing a longer triathlon next year in mind I need to increase my running distance and endurance.  Therefore it was with a ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ attitude I lined up at the start.  There wasn’t a huge amount of people entered and the vast majority were wearing club vests so I was slightly concerned that I would come in last.  Luckily though – especially compared with the Southend 10k the week before – the weather was sunny and, for the middle of October, pretty warm. 

The first few miles went well.  It was all downhill and I followed my usual race tactic of starting at a steady pace and not haring off too fast.  I had decided that the best way to deal with the increased distance was to just think about finishing ‘10’.  Not 10k or 10 miles, just ‘10’.  As I’m used to 10k’s it did seem a long time between markers but the strategy of not thinking about the actual distance did seem to help mentally. 

The course was lovely, threading it’s way through some lovely country lanes and small villages.  The quiet roads meant there were hardly any cars to worry about.  Being near the back there wasn’t a huge group of people to pace with, just a few of us spread out thinly.  I tried my best to keep up with people in front and not get overtaken too much and gradually the markers went by.

By the 7 marker I was beginning to tire somewhat.  I had a gel to perk me up and slowed the pace slightly to give myself a break.  I knew that somewhere after the 8 marker we would head back uphill to the finish so wanted to keep something in reserve for that.  I still didn’t feel the need to walk at all which was great. 

The hill at about 8 wasn’t very steep but it did go on for quite a while and there were quite a few people walking it.  After running the furthest distance I’ve ever run I really didn’t need this but I kept my legs going and plugged away at it.  Just as I was nearing the top I started to see people who’d finished running the other way.  One was nice enough to tell me that it was all downhill from there.  I smiled and thanked him but inside I was actually really annoyed.  I know I’m slow, I don’t need patronising by someone who’s already finished ages ago and looks like they’ve been for a Sunday morning stroll when I’ve still got 1.5 miles to go!!!  I guess I am being unfair but I do always get fed up at seeing the faster finishers running the course in reverse to ‘cool down’. 

He was right though.  Soon I was back on the outskirts of Tiptree and almost home.  By this time my thighs were hurting like never before but I was determined to finish at a run.  There was no way I was attempting my usual ‘sprint’ finish though.  A slow trudge over the line would have to do and at least I wasn’t the last runner to finish.  As usual Jon was waiting at the finish for me (and took some photos in which I look remarkably bad).  I stumbled over the line at 1:47:33.  My legs were so painful and I was exhausted but so pleased to have finished my first ten mile run!!

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Southend 10k 5^th October 2008.

Since I first tried running without socks as part of my tri training my running style has changed.  I found that if I landed on my heels the trainers rubbed my Achilles but if I landed more mid-foot or on my toes they didn’t.  The more I ran like this the more I realised I was running faster, easier.  I noticed this most on the Blackwater tri run leg, despite a distinct lack of training my pace on the run was a pb.  That’s a pb for all runs not just the tri. 

As always though, there was a downside.  The few longer runs I had managed with this new style had resulted in a pain in the side of my foot.  It came on once I’d finished and would linger for a day or two.  It wasn’t too bad but it did stop me training and I was a bit worried that I was doing myself an injury.  So, we went off to the running shop at Bluewater for a gait analysis and maybe some new trainers.  The last time I was analysed I was pretty-much a beginner so I was due a check over.

The lady in the running shop was really helpful and it was fascinating to see myself run.  Watching the video it was pretty obvious that I’m a neutral runner, everything was nice and straight and there was no lean in my ankles.  I had been wearing shoes with support and it turns out I no longer need that so £85 later I’ve got my shiny new neutral trainers.  I do love getting new kit!   Unfortunately I didn’t have time to wear them in before the Southend 10k but at least now I know that my running form is pretty good (but still very slow).

So, race day dawned.  Wet.  Very wet.  I tried to tell myself that we’d had good weather for the last two years so we were due a dodgy one but it didn’t help at all.  I was not looking forward to running in a rain storm even with my waterproof jacket. 

We got there quite early as we normally do, we like to relax before an event and not arrive all stressed out just before the start.  Usually the hour or so before this race is a very social time, everyone congregates in the field near the finish area and we normally see a few people we know.  This time, although the rain wasn’t too heavy, most people seemed to be waiting in their cars until the start.  We walked Charlie round the field a few times and then it was time to brave the elements and get ready for the start.

I was in two minds about taking my ipod because the weather was forecast to be so bad but what with the foot problem (and if I’m honest motivation problems) I’d not trained very much and thought the music would help keep me going in the tough spots.  It was raining quite hard by the time we lined up at the start.  It didn’t feel too bad in the crowd while we waited for the gun but I was dreading hitting the seafront where there was no protection from the elements.

The siren went and we were off.  The crowd thinned pretty quickly and as I headed towards the seafront I could feel the blast of the wind and the rain hit me full in the face.  Strangely enough I felt quite elated, I felt that although I’m a slow runner and I’ll never win any prizes I’m still a real runner.  I had to be to even think of running in this weather! 

I remembered my form and kept on my toes, I struggled not to start too fast, it felt quite easy and I was tempted to go all out but experience has taught me that’s a bad idea so I held myself back slightly for the first km.  Normally there’s a lot of support along this stretch but there wasn’t as many crowds as usual, I was pleased to see any considering the weather.  And, I always feel for the marshalls, as bad as running in this weather is it must be far worse to stand and marshall so thanks to all those who give up their time.

Once past the pier and out of the shelter of the sea wall the full force of the wind and rain hit.  It was not nice.  The headwind sapped what little speed I did have and the rain was dripping down my face.  I had got to the point where I couldn’t get any wetter and it wasn’t pleasant.  My feet were squelching but it was the wind that was the most demoralising aspect.  I tried to console myself with the fact that if I was facing the wind on the way out it would be behind me on the way back.  It really wasn’t much consolation but it helped a bit. 

I was going along quite nicely, keeping pace with people who normally would have pulled ahead and lost me.  I got into a nice rhythm and although the wind and rain were awful I felt fine.  What really pleased me this time was how far I’d got before Jon passed me coming back the other way, the first year we ran this I’d barely got to the casino, this year I was almost 4k in. 

The rain began to ease off as I approached the halfway point.  Everything was feeling fine, no pain in the foot, heart rate a bit high but manageable, legs still had energy in them.  I checked the time and was pleased to see I was pretty much on time for a reasonable run, that surprised me a bit as I felt the headwind had slowed me down somewhat. 

The second half of the race was better.  As sod’s law would have it the wind had dropped and the rain eased off, typical when the wind was now behind me and I could have done with the help!  It was still drizzling but at least I began to dry out a bit and my hair was no longer dripping.  I began to tire somewhat by 7 ½ Km but instead of slowing down and conserving my energy like I usually did I decided to keep at it.  I know I can do the distance and if I’m ever improve my performance I need to start pushing it harder. 

It was tough, my legs were beginning to feel the effects but I didn’t have any pain anywhere else like my hip or foot so knew I just needed to keep going.  I really had to grit my teeth between 8 ½ and 9 ½ Km, my legs were beginning to feel like lead but I wouldn’t let myself stop.  A lovely marshall was telling us only 500m to go and that was just what I needed to hear.  There was no chance of a sprint finish but at least I could keep the pace up and get to the finish.  I love the finish line at Southend, you turn off the seafront and it’s a lovely little downhill before you enter the park.  A short sprint on the grass and you’re over the line. 

1:03:30!  Not exactly the result I’d planned at the beginning of the year but it was still a pb so I was really happy with it.  I was also really happy that I’d managed to push myself and not get into a negative thought cycle as has happened so many times before.  Even with so little training recently I really feel like my running is coming together now.

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Where on earth did the summer go?  Did we even have a summer or was last Saturday it?  I can't believe we're into September and the kids are back at school already.

Cycling in France - Lovely!!!!

It's another busy month coming up, something on every weekend but it's not all good.  It seems that I can't make the Blackwater Tri after all.  It can't be helped but I am a bit disappointed that I won't be doing this one again this year.  Will just have to make up for it next year I guess.

On the other hand though I am considering a cyclosportive - 150km - at the end of the month.  It would be by far the longest I've ever riden and I've not exactly done a lot of training lately but I'm really tempted.  I've decided to focus for the next few weeks and I'll see how I feel closer to the event.  I've got the Southend 10k in October to look forward to and train for so it's not all bad!

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June was turning out to be such a busy month.  Another Sunday and again the alarm went off at a stupid time.  I was looking forward to this one though so it wasn't so bad.  It was the first time I'd done this particular event and after the Ongar tri last week I'd certainly got the bug again.

We parked up at the leisure centre and after a bit of confusion found the registration area tucked away behind the main centre.  Another strange sight was the transition area.  No racks for the bikes, there were just lines of tape along the floor with the numbers on.  It turned out that the club had been let down by the scaffolding company at the last minute.  Still, they did well with their contingency and it actually worked out well as each competitor had alot more space around their bikes.

I really enjoy the time before the start, there's always something going on, people setting out their transition area and the first few competitors starting.  Soon enough it was time for me to line up poolside.  Knowing that the swim had gone well at Ongar I wasn't so nervous.  Again the swim went well, slow and I was passed a few times but still, it was good. 

I felt as if T1 went a lot smoother and I was off on the bike.  Unusually for me I'd not practiced this route before so was riding into the unknown.  I had been told thought that there weren't any major climbs and it was pretty straightforward.  I remembered to keep the cadence high and concentrated on riding as smoothly as I could.  A first for me though was the fact that the course was quite crowded and I struggled with the drafting rules.

It was very frustrating to get past someone and then after a few mins have them overtake you but not quite fast enough, so leaving you in their draft zone.  The alternative then was to either drop back or try to get past them again.  I was leapfrogging a couple of guys over the whole course.  I did wonder if it was male pride that made them keep putting such an effort in to get past me each time and then have to slow down.

Anyway, it did have the advantage that overall I did a good time on the bike, I got to the point where I had to keep in front because I was fed up with overtaking!

T2 went a lot better than at Ongar, couldn't have got much slower though!  I set out on the run feeling pretty good.  It didn't last.  Within a few minutes my calves began to feel tight and just like at Ongar they soon felt like they were going to cramp up.  I shuffled along as best i could, determined that I wasn't going to stop or walk but it was torturous.  Faster runners went past me like I was having a Sunday morning stroll and I began to get very fed up.  The run was 2 laps around a couple of fields.  The grass in the second field was shorter which helped somewhat but even so I still couldn't seem to shake this stiffness. 

It's at times like this when I get very negative and start to wonder why I do this, that I shouldn't be there and why am I even thinking of doing a longer event when I struggle so much on a sprint distance.  As I'm sure I've said before so much of performing well in an event is in the mind and thinking negatively like this really doesn't help. 

By the second lap though I was feeling a bit better and the closer I got to the finish the better I felt - what a surprise!  I even managed to put a bit of a sprint on to the finish line.  My legs felt like lead but I'd done it!

Looking at the results I was pleased (again) with the bike leg.  I wasn't surprised at the swim time being as I'd done no training and I was disappointed with the run time.  Overall though it wasn't too bad, just got to try harder at the next one!

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I can't believe it's been a whole year since I did my first tri. And yet here I was again, waiting to register at the Ongar leisure centre. I hadn't planned on entering the Try-a-Tri again, it's a novice event and I'd hoped to do a couple of tri's earlier in the year. These hadn't happened and so I decided to enter as a warm-up for the Grays tri the week after.

It was good to enter again though. I know a couple of members of Tri-Sport-Epping so it feels very comfortable to be there. I lined up to register and listening to the other entrants remembered just how nervous I was this time last year. I felt very experienced as this was my third! And that's when I realised just why they stop anyone entering who's done more than two previous tri's. The excellent atmosphere is down to the fact that everyone there is in the same boat - nervous! If there were too many experienced entrants it would really take that great atmosphere away.

I got my tri 'tattoo' (the number on my arm and leg - I always like having them, it makes me feel like a proper athlete!) and my swim time and then went to rack my bike and sort my transition stuff out. I felt quite calm about the bike and run but was worrying somewhat about the swim. I haven't managed to do any swimming since the Blackwater Tri in Sept last year. I had put a very realistic time down on my entry though so wasn't too worried about being swamped with people overtaking me but it's not ideal to enter a tri and have done nothing in the pool previously!

One of the slight downsides with a tri is having to get up extremely early to get to registration and then having to hang around for your start time. Although it does have the bonus for your cheer-squad (Jon and the dog - Charlie) that you can spend a little time with them chatting and they're not just standing around. The time passed watching others competitors set up and soon enough I was lining up poolside.

The water was cold as I jumped in the deep end and I was feeling quite nervous, I had no idea how my swim would go, or if my arms could cope. I was counted down from 30 seconds and then I was off. Surprisingly enough the swim started out well, I soon felt into a smooth stroke and although I was overtaken by a couple of people I enjoyed it. I messed up a couple of the lane changes by miss-timing the duck under the rope but apart from that it went really well. I reached the end of the last length and the two nice marshalls helped me out of the pool.

I ran into the transition area and got my top, bike shoes, race belt and most important of all, my bike helmet on. The bike off the rack and I was off, no nerves for this leg, it's my favourite and I know the course well. I was hoping to complete the course in under 50 minutes as my cycling has improved a lot during the last year. I found the first section ok but there was a very strong headwind though the middle section which sapped the speed somewhat. Having ridden this course many times I knew what I was doing, I knew where the inclines were and which parts were fast. I was on target on the first lap so pushed it a bit more for the second and was really pleased to come in at 48 minutes.

 I like this bit!

Transition two was a bit chaotic as the strong wind had blown my box with my stuff in onto it's side and my socks and trainers were all over the place. It didn't seem to take me long to sort it out and change (but the results say otherwise).

Anyway, I set off on the run feeling ok. I didn't seem to get the jelly-legs feeling as I had previously but my calves felt really tight. Normally the stiffness eases after one or two km but instead my calves seemed to get worse, by the second lap they were feeling awful, as if they were going to cramp at any second, and I was struggling to keep going. The long-ish grass and headwind along the bottom of the field really did not help and I was cursing as I started the third lap, I just couldn't wait to finish and for it all be over.

Plod, plod, plod!

I braved the headwind for the last time, headed up back towards the leisure centre and finally it was all over, I crossed the line and I'd done it. As soon as I got my breath back the pain of the run was forgotten and the thrill of finishing another tri kicked in. Big smiles all round!

Mad hair!!! 

I was really pleased when I saw the results, the swim was far better than expected and I was especially pleased with the bike leg. The run was slow (as usual) and I was a bit disappointed not to improve on last year. But overall, I was very pleased, I had taken 5 ½ minutes off last year (even with a disastrous T2), a great result and a really enjoyable event!

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The Polka Dot Challenge. This was my biggy - the challenge of the year. Seventy-two miles, four categorised climbs and nowhere near as much training as I'd hoped.

As we drove through the Peak District to the B&B, the sheer size of the hills, the horrendous length of the climbs hit me and I began to feel really nervous, so nervous I felt vaguely sick. We'd talked about this and planned for it for so long and now I was finally to face the challenge I wondered if I'd been kidding myself. How on earth was I going to do it? I can't even make it up the small hills around home let alone 72 miles of it.

All too soon it was Sunday morning. We got ready quietly, not just because it was some unearthly hour and we didn't want to disturb anyone but the nerves were really kicking in and I was not in a chatty mood. I tried my best to force some toast down knowing I needed food but it was a chore to eat.

The start area was busy, cars arriving in a steady stream and bikes everywhere. We registered and collected our route maps and timing cards. The weather forecast was for rain and disappointingly it was quite chilly so I put my waterproof on and filled my pockets up with my supplies, flapjacks, jelly babies, energy gels, camera, mobile, emergency fiver.

The bikes all checked over and ready there was nothing left to do but line up at the start. By now the nerves had given way to a fatalistic attitude, I was just going to try my hardest and see how far I got. If I didn't manage to finish then so be it, I'd give it my best. We waited our turn in the line and all too soon we were off.

Jon waited with me until I was warmed up and settled into a nice pace. I was happy at the back of a large pack so once he'd checked I was ok and the nerves had settled he shot off at his own (very fast) pace. We'd agreed to text each other whenever we stopped and report our progress and we were hoping to meet up again somewhere towards the end of the ride.

The first section of the course is not at all picturesque, the bypass around Macclesfield is not really one of the renowned beauties of the peak district! Soon though we were heading out of town and up the first of the climbs. This climb had been worrying me for months, The Cat and Fiddle, 7 miles that twisted and turned, all of it uphill. Although I'd been dreading it I was also glad to reach it. I knew that if I got to the top of this one I had a good chance of making it all the way round.

The first few miles were tough, the road surface was rough and I was praying it wasn't going to be like this the whole way. Soon enough though the road surface got smoother, the gradient eased off slightly and we were out of the town and into the peaks. It is a lovely stretch of road, curving around the hillsides but the potential of the views was spoilt by the low cloud and mist. Another couple of miles and I began to get fed up. Other cyclists flew by me in groups chatting and laughing like it was flat as a pancake, the rain had started and there was a headwind building.

I kept my head down and kept plugging away, the rain came down heavier and I really began to wonder what the hell I was doing and why I was putting myself through this. But the miles gradually passed and eventually I was rewarded with the extremely welcome sight of the pub that marked the top of the climb. I'd done it, I'd ridden the Cat & Fiddle.

A short stop to refuel with some Jellybabies and a gel but the torrential rain hardly made it a pleasant break so I soon set off again. It was such a shame that the weather was so bad because instead of enjoying the countryside and the views I had to keep my head down to stop the rain getting in my eyes.

It didn't seem long and I reached Buxton and the second climb known as Long Hill. The name was a bit misleading as it was nowhere near as long as the Cat & Fiddle and although steep in places I found this climb quite comfortable. A long undulating section followed, again there should have been some stunning views but they weren't to be seen in the awful weather.

After about 2 ¾ hours I reached the turn-off point for the shorter route. Although shorter it certainly wasn't all easy. There was a short climb known as Martinside that was vicious, only one mile but extremely steep. I started it with every intention of riding it all but had to give up and walk up the rest.

I reached the feed station after 3 ½ hours. The rain had eased slightly but I had reached the point where I could get no wetter. I had intended to stop for a while, refuel and rest for a bit but after I had eaten my banana I began to get cold so set off again. The descent from the feed station into Buxton (again) was difficult, there was a huge long traffic jam and temporary traffic lights to negotiate. Once clear of the main town we then had the third of the climbs, Axe Edge.

By this time I had passed the half-way point but I was seriously concerned about being able to finish. Axe Edge is not particularly steep but it did seem to go on for quite a while. I felt very cold, I was fed up with being wet and I honestly couldn't see how I could ride another 35 miles. I think this was the lowest point on the whole ride. As on all the climbs I had riders zooming past me making it look easy and I really wondered what I was doing there, I wasn't a good enough rider to be doing this.

The fact that there was a lot of traffic on the road kept me going though. I didn't have the option of getting off and walking, there wasn't even any space at the side of the road to stop so I had to keep going. 'Ten more revs' was my mantra and slowly I crept up the hill, rounded a corner and I'd done it! The relief that I'd finished that climb was immense.

The next fifteen miles or so was pretty much downhill and so I managed to recover some energy and certainly recovered my spirits somewhat. The thought of the last climb - Gun Hill - was bothering me though as I could feel my legs tiring on each uphill section. Still, I was enjoying the fact that I was still going, the rain had stopped and once that climb was out of the way, it was downhill all the way home.

The sign at the bottom of Gun Hill showed 20 miles to go. I think it was then that it sank in that I could actually finish this thing. A short distance up the climb though and I wasn't so sure. It was steep and my legs were pretty shot so reluctantly I got off and walked. In bike shoes this isn't so easy so I took them off and walked in my socks, they were soaked anyway and it was far easier on my calves although they still cramped up quite badly.

I was passed by quite a few riders, one of the best thing about cyclists is the camaraderie and I had several ask if I was ok, offers of food and drink and mechanical help if it was needed. As none of them could give me stronger legs they couldn't help but the comments and offers were certainly appreciated. The top of the hill was even more appreciated. After a short stop I set off on the bike again. I was in quite a good mood at this point, knowing the worst was over.

A little distance down the road and two of the guys that had passed me were waiting by the side of the road. I was told that they'd cut their ride short because of the weather and seeing me struggle up the hill they had decided they'd wait for me and make sure I got back to the finish ok. I was a bit worried that I'd be too slow for them but they said it was fine, they were going to see me home.

Although I was ok riding on my own and had set out knowing I'd be on my own their company was good to have. Having someone to draft made it easier on the legs and someone to talk to meant the miles went by faster. We soon passed the 10 mile marker. By this time I was expecting Jon to pass me at any minute. I was actually quite surprised he hadn't caught up with me before. With my companions helping me along (thanks a lot guys) the miles ticked down, 5 miles and Jon still hadn't caught me. As I said to the guys, he'll pass me at the mile marker.

4, 3, 2 miles to go. I was on a high, settled into a good pace it felt like I could go on forever and yet I couldn't wait to finish. And then he caught me, Jon went flying past with a congratulatory wave, just before the mile marker, just as I knew he would! With ½ a mile to go the guys insisted I lead them to the finish, I put my head down and went for it. Turning into the finish area I have never felt such a sense of achievement. I'd done it, I'd finished the Polka Dot challenge.

My time was 6:28 which was a lot better than I'd thought. Jon finished the 100 mile route in 6:26. We were amazed at just how close the times were. To start out together and finish within minutes of each other was great.

I'll be back next year, and I've warned Jon that he's going to have to work a lot harder to finish before me, the 2009 challenge has been set!

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