44 Days to Go: Dales, Vales and Gales

I sit here tired and sore having upped the amount and type of climbing.  Going with the tried and tested wisdom of focusing on weakness I decided that I need to focus on harder, longer and more climbs.  My ability to ride for hours is strong, but any climbs over 10% and I feel my weaknesses come into play.

Last weekend we headed to the Lakes as Mark was completing part of the Fred Witton route (the idea to ride at the same time as the event to get some company).  As I was providing support by way of picking Mark up from the west side of the Lakes I did a shorter ride from Coniston.  I had forgotten how tough even some of the easier climbs were, and to be honest it is a bit of a shock after the more gradual Scottish hills.  I put together a superb short route taking in Hawkshead Hill, Kirkstone Pass, Langdale and then Hawkshead Hill again.  While it was only about 40 miles it involved 1300 metres of ascent. 

The real test came on Sunday in the Yorkshire Dales.  Mark was entered into Etape du Dales. As I was going to be there, and had managed to get a late entry, I attempted one of the "UK's hardest sportive". We turned up at 8ish on a wet, cold, windy morning.  After registering and sorting the kit out I was off at 8:40 with the marshall shouting - "Good luck, only 699 people ahead of you".  Yep, most had taken advantage of the early start time that was available from 6:30am.  This was going to prove a naive move on my part.

As there was a cutoff time of 2pm at 70 miles it seemed that most of the late starters were the fast lads.  I had calculated that I had time to make the cutoff but I had seriously underestimated the climbing time, and a strong head wind didn't help.  The first hour of the ride consisted of being passed by fast guys without so much as a hello. Were they pissed off because they started late or was this just the unfriendliest/ most serious event I have done? The first sign of company was when I got to the bottom of Fleetmoss when suddenly the pace eased up.  Spinning my way up as I remembered from riding this climb years ago there was a steep section at the top.  I must have been doing okay because a passed a few guys on the way to the top (who I spoke to I must point out), and managed the climb pretty easily.  Then it was the thrill of dropping down what must be one the best descents in the UK.  Although I quickly eased off when the strong side winds gave me the wobbles. 

The first food stop / checkpoint was just outside of Hawes. Unfortunately not much food left as 699 people had been through already, but managed to get some SIS GO which was a fantastic.  Picked up some friends here too as finally got some conversation out of my fellow Etape du Dalers.  So it was just Buttertubs, Turf Moor and Tan Hill before the next control point.  Heading up Buttertubs was okay but I was starting to get concerned as the occassional guy was seen heading the opposite direction, not looking too happy. But I tried to ignore that and once again I was looking forward to another enjoyable descent.  Dropping down at a fast but safe speed, hands hovering near the brakes I approached a tight left hand turn with caution.  I had noticed there were couple of cars coming so I made sure that I stayed well within the white line.  But the first driver completely cut the corner and I was faced with a stone wall and a car with about a foot in between.  The driver saw me at the last minute, swerved all over the road, and received an earful of abuse from me.  It was so close that I promptly burst into tears from the shock!  Pulling myself together I carried on to the next hill, for the next incident.

The initial approach up to Turf Moor was steep long section (for me anyway).  My legs gave up so I tried to unclip, failed miserably and ended up on the road - on to my right hand side which was already sore from an unavoidable crash the week before.  Unbelievably I have only had three offs on my bike, one spectacular one last year and now two in one week.  After some sympathy from a motorist, I dusted myself off and carried on.  Turf Moor and Tan Hill were bloody hard on account of a strong head wind.  Tan Hill just seemed to go on forever, and ever, and ever.  And then when you get to the top it is the most miserable place in Yorkshire.  On arrival the marshalls asked how I was.  Shattered was my response so they advised I rode to the nearest station and took a train home.  A train?????  As tempting as it was I was tired but not that tired.  Due to my late start it was absolutley impossible to make the next checkpoint by the cutoff of 2pm.  I was also told that I was only a third of the way into the route (not true!).  So after a cup of tea and a chocolate bar I grabbed some gels from the food stop and descended off Tan Hill, and headed back over Buttertubs.  I wasn't going to have battled that headwind all morning to not get the benefit of a tail wind. 

By now the steep sections of the climbs were taking their toll on my calf muscles (I did say I was crap at steep hills). I stopped for a strong coffee in Hawes to gather my strength to get back over Fleetmoss for the final push back to HQ.  I caught up with some other guys on this stretch who had also been sent back to Hawes.  I flew home on the final 20 miles after the final climb.  85 miles, 2600 metres of climbing.

I was gutted though when I check the splits on the results on Monday.  My time to Tan Hill was pretty reasonable.  Had I started earlier I would have made the cutoff and finished the entire event.  But you live and learn.