Sleepless in the Saddle - 2008
In memory of Paul Bebe
Sabine and me arrived on Friday night to find my parents, sister and brother-in-law already halfway through setting the tent up. I was excused any strenuous duties to go and register while the rest was erected. When everything was completed we settled in for a Chinese and some beers while discussing plans for the next day.
Final bike preparation the next morning began in the sun. A bolt rounded off while re-shimming the rear brake, which meant out came the hacksaw. And then it started to rain. After I eventually managed to replace the bolt all that was left was to lube the chain and attach my race number.
It was still raining when I showed my dad the location for the picture of Paul riding SITS, used on the charity flyer. On the way over we bumped into Andy C and Rich. It was great to catch up with them and glean some info from experienced solo riders. Along with info I came away with a mud tyre courtesy of Andy. After his practise laps he said it would be essential on the rear wheel, and he wasn’t wrong.
The rider briefing was held under umbrellas. It had now been raining for four hours. Chipps made a point of letting everyone know where the Muck-Off jet wash was. Pat apologised about the weather, his Indians were dancing but they weren’t having any effect.
All too soon it was time to line up for the Le Mans style running start. I went with convention and waited near the back. As a solo it would be pointless expending lots of energy sprinting with the elite racers at the front. I would be riding for a long time and needed to conserve my energy.
At 2pm the horn sounded and we were off. This coincided with the rain stopping. Although I planned to walk I did a bit of jogging and even a little sprint, to catch up with Andy and have a few words before starting to ride. I finally reached my bike and got onto the saddle. As I set off along the flat start to the course I tried not to think about how much time there was ahead of me.
At the first steep climb into the woods I met Andy again, just as we hit the start of the first lap congestion. We pushed through the trees and had a chat before emerging on the other side to get on with the race in earnest. Now the field had been strung out we could ride, and get to appreciate how bad the conditions were. The ground was wet and muddy and it was already being churned up. With everyone’s tyres clogging and fighting for grip I gave thanks to Andy for the skinny mud tyre on my rear wheel.
Lap two was the same but without the congestion, so I got to ride a lot more. It was on this lap I started to notice the carnage. The trails were mainly grass on a clay-based soil that had been churned up into a sticky sludge. The grass and mud mixed together like fibreglass, perfect for building mud huts, clogging tyres and frames and ripping off rear mechs. I lost count of the amount of riders reduced to pushing.
I planned to do three laps before a break, which in the dry would have taken just under three hours. After 2 ½ hours I finished my second lap and pulled into the solo area. My pit crew quickly hung set to work with bucket and brushes. After hearing about the queues at the jet wash I was glad to have my own bike cleaning service.
After a few pasties and a change of clothes I was back out again. The next two laps were different again. The trails were drying out, which turned the ground from sludge to the consistency of warm plasticine. It was hard work riding over the sticky earth, especially as it stuck to the tyres and gave them a heavy, leg sapping, coating of mud. At this point my head went a bit 80’s….”I will survive, hey, hey, I will survive, tra la la la la la-la la la”. I knew the tune but not the words, same with ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and all the other random songs about survival that popped up in my head.
I was happy when it rained on lap four as it reduced the trail to sludge again. The mud didn’t stick any more so pedalling was easier, although it did make staying upright harder. On the way round I got talking to Glenn, a fellow soloist. He knew who I was from the Singletrack news articles and that I was riding for Paul. When he found I only had one bike and it was a hardtail he offered the use of his spare full-sus if anything went terminally wrong with mine, as my need was greater. Although I didn’t take advantage of his fantastic offer the gesture was something I will never forget.
At the end of the lap my bike was a real mess again but my crew didn’t flinch and got on with the de-gunking, while I had a good feed and a change of clothes. It was now time for lights. Even in the dark I planned on doing two laps. Unfortunately the sun had set when the track was in the worst condition, and that's how it stayed until the morning. The mud was like treacle.
My lights gave no help judging the depth of the mud, so I couldn’t avoid the worst bits. It stuck to every part of my bike and built up without falling off, drastically increasing its weight. It also clogged the wheels to the point where they wouldn’t turn. All I could do was stop and remove the grass and mud to get them spinning again. When I could ride it was hard to control my direction and speed, so after a few close shaves I started pushing on some of the descents as well. It took me 2hr 10mins to complete that lap, at the end of which my cleaning fairies were needed again.
Lap six felt worse. In the woods I found myself clearing my bike of mud every 50-100m to keep the wheels spinning. I noticed there weren’t many people out on the course at this point, a lot of riders having packed in for the night. The lap was a 2hr 15min slog and I felt my stomach go empty near the end. I always need something substantial in my stomach to go with all the sugary stuff. Once that's finished it goes weird and no amount of energy food will help, I need pies.
I returned to the tent just after 1am and knew I had get some food in, even though I didn’t feel like eating. A small plate of pasta took almost 30mins to eat. A packet of crisps and a ham sandwich took another 30mins. I then sat in a chair for 45mins to let the food work into my system.
At 2.45am my dad gave me the prod I'd requested and, along with Sabine, encouraged me back on to my bike. With a new set of clothes and a replenished backpack I got going again. It was still hard work. The first climb felt Teflon coated and was almost impossible walk up. This was followed by the now familiar push, jam, clean, push, jam, clean.
Things started to improve at the halfway point. As the horizon started to brighten I had a feeling the worst was behind me. At the end of this 2hr lap I had another long pit stop to force more food down and wait for it to settle. Even so I set out on the next lap as soon as I could, while fighting to keep everything down.
I no longer needed lights and the circuit conditions were quickly improving. The track started to fill up with all those who had taken the easy option during the night. It was nice to have company again and all the extra wheels soon had a dry line appearing on the ground. I was back to riding 1hr 45min laps and feeling good, enjoying the dawn chorus and early morning sun.
On Lap 9 I was still having problems and was desperately trying to think of something I could eat. Finally I came up with soup, and my stomach agreed. I returned to the pits and sent my sister find soup, while my tired little helpers cleaned the bike for the umpteenth time. The soup was gorgeous. For the first time in hours I felt full, warm and ready to go. The way I’d been feeling I was thinking of only doing one more lap but now two now looked possible.
With my crew urging me on and I hit the circuit with a new determination. I was able to ride a lot more of the course by now and even enjoy it.
Lap 10 was completed in 1hr 20min and I crossed the line just before 1pm. After 10mins for a quick bike clean and feed I was off on my last lap. Minutes later the pit area received a drenching but I missed the rain, which allowed me to ride in short sleeves for the first time in 24hrs. The last lap was wonderful, despite a broken chain halfway round. I still had a few miles to go when I heard the count down to the end of the 24hrs from the start/finish area. I counted along with everyone else “…5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Yaaaay!!”. Well, not just “Yaaaay” but that’s the printable version.
My body was full of energy and I had a cheesy grin on my face. The last miles were easy. I was going to make it, and after giving it my all I was happy to have done Paul’s memory justice. I can’t remember being so happy at completing anything, ever.
As I approached the timing tent I saw Sabine and Paul’s sister, Julie. On the other side were Paul’s mum and my sister. It was fantastic that they had been able to see me finish. Congratulations were given while I changed into a T-shirt with a picture of Paul on the back. This ride was for him and there was no way I was crossing the line without him.
I shook Pat’s hand with people were cheering on either side, including both my family and Paul’s. It was an emotional moment. I had fulfilled the promise I’d made to Paul in his last weeks. All the sadness and injuries, tiredness and hard work were forgotten in that moment. I was so happy to have ridden such a fitting tribute to my best mate and riding buddy, Paul. He never gave up when things got hard and neither had I.
After 24hrs 21mins I completed 11 laps, just over 91miles, and came 21st out of 98 solo riders. I couldn't have done this ride without my pit crew. Their support in cleaning, feeding and moral boosting duties were vital. They all deserved a SITS T-shirt of their own because looking after me in those conditions meant staying up for the full 24hrs as well. Thank you so much!
A big thank you also has to go to Singletrack who supported me through my whole fund raising effort. With their help a lot more people got to know about my ride. Not only did this help with donations but on the ride as well, where I received some great support. To everyone who donated, well, I was stunned by the response. When I put my targets up on Justgiving I wasn't sure if I was aiming too high but in the end I well and truly smashed them.
I promised Paul I would do this, firstly to raise money, but secondly because you never know when your time is up. I had been thinking of riding solo for a while but always found an excuse not to. Well, I'm going to stop finding excuses and do the hard stuff, I think Paul would approve. Roll on the next challenge.
