I didn't do much running around last week. Was saving myself, so to speak. I was also away a lot, so that kind of worked...a confluence of circumstances that fell in my favour. This of course, is nonsense. I would have loved to run, but instead took the forced rest for my weekend expedition, pretending it was the plan. I'll get it out of the way now...I did a mountain bike race. In Holland, and apparently Germany, according to my 'welcome to Germany' Vodafone text messages. Another classic of case of why not, than why.
But as I sit here slightly skew-whiff on my bed, a couple more reasons of why not are added to the list. It was an experience, and there's many parallels I can draw about this as a sport, and my own. To say I left my comfort zone behind, is something of an understatement. I know about my sport, running. I know how it is, training, racing, social...there's a lot to it. I know very little about cycling, other than I like to ride my bikes...see things, and so on. Like running, but further.
So I somehow got signed up to a thing whereby I took my bike to the far east of Holland and joined 2000 other pretty experienced and tooled up mountain bike riders for one of the country's toughest races of the season. And somehow, out the distance options available, I chose the longest...90km, which turned about to be 97km...60 miles. Curiously, Holland is flat. That's not curious. The 1700m of total climb is an interesting stat when noting my Garmin says the highest elevation gain was 53m.
You get the notion then, that it was a roller coaster of a route. Ah yes...the route. It seemed to go nowhere. A convoluted loop of forest trails, which sounds idyllic, but really, after the first 5km, I was done with trees. It was just trees and trees and trees in a relatively flat forest...a knarly short climb and death defying descent...repeat! It took me just over 6 hrs and I barely saw the sky once. I was absolutely busted...but job done. I'm not sure yet whether I enjoyed it or not. But I have to keep reminding myself that this was a race.
It wasn't a ride...it was business. And as such, compared to some running races, there are occasions where the scenery is dull, of even if scenic then no time to look up. And how do you pace yourself for 6 hrs? What I did feel, was inadequate. This is not my game. I was overtaken...a lot. Occasionally I'd pull back places on the hills, but lose it on the descent. I fell off once. I was following a guy who was jumping over little bumps and I thought that looked fun and soon learned I could do that too.
Then he jumped a fallen tree clean with both wheels. I followed and simply jumped into the tree, and was down. It was undramatic, only embarrassing. I went the wrong way once. Noticed how quiet it was, looked back and nothing. To be honest, I'm still not over it. Such a waste of time and energy. And my chain came off once. And that was it. I saw 2 ambulances, one group of paramedics huddled deep in the forest over a guy with equipment and everything giving him urgent attention while we were diverted.
And another crew stretchering a guy to an ambulance with a bloodied head. Almost at the top of every hill was a group fixing a puncture or something else...and I just tootled my way through. Tortoise and hare, came to mind. It's the furthest and longest I've ever ridden my bike. It was not easy. After 90km, I was willing it to just end...like those last few miles of a running race...you're hanging on, not necessarily in control of your limbs, but something is happening...and everything hurts.
I've not had that feeling for a while, having not raced at all this year. I think I did ok. There's always a lot of talk about the bike. Mike and I are always fixing shit that's not broken. But in this event, I rarely gave thought to my bike, except when the chain came off and I was kicking and hitting the chainring to get it free with anything I could lay my hands on. It was certainly more about the body, and the mind.
There was much digging, reflecting, self assessing...and acknowledging of facts. I was not good at this, but loved that feeling of a new challenge and being exposed. Would I do it again? That race, no. But in an instant, I know I can knock out a decent ride, a ride that will get me places and with things to see. Today, I was desperate for a run, but advised to rest one more day. I need to get out and see something. But not trees.
