After 4 months of preparation I was finally on the start line of
the Wild Atlantic Way Audax ride (WAWA). The longest ever Audax ride hosted in
Britain. 2,100KM lie between me and Londonderry along the longest coastal road
in the world. 56 intrepid riders were taking on this challenge made up
of 54 cyclists and 2 on ElliptiGO's ~ myself and Andy. There were no other
'special bikes' present which was interesting. Did they know something we
didn't?....
All my training was done. Had I done enough? Probably not...
Actually definitely not, but that didn't phase me, and nor did I believe it
reduced my chances of success. I firmly believed that success in this ride
would come down to mental aptitude and a steely resolve to keep GOing when
things got tough. You can 'train' this aspect of mental toughness up to a point
but its only in the ride itself when you really find out what you have to give.
This ride was all about finding out if I had what it takes to
complete the distance on an ElliptiGO within the allocated time of 7 days and 7
hours (175hrs). Physically I thought it was probably possible but there are
many factors outside on one's control in a ride of this length that would come
into play.
All I was focused on now was what lie ahead and to take it one
day at a time. It was far too longer a distance to comprehend riding in one go.
Just one day at a time at 300KM per day was the plan. Look no further ahead
than this and in the words of the legendary ultra runner Lizzy Hawker 'Stay in
the moment'. This would be my inspiration to enjoy each day and each hour no
matter what is thrown at me and to GO with it and have faith that it will
happen.
The journey over to Ireland was relaxed. Phil Whitehurst and I
timed the ferry crossing perfectly from Holyhead and settled with a pint of
Guinness to watch the England Wales game. We didn't get to the b&b in
Kinsale though until gone 11pm and alarms were set for 4am. Not ideal for what
lay ahead and I didn't sleep brilliantly.
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| Myself, Andy and Phil enjoying breakfast at the start |
The morning of the ride was relaxed but also with a sense of
nervous excitement in the air. Andy looked very tense and I think just wanted
to get started. It was great to finally get started. Andy and I took our
positions and somehow found ourselves on the second row in an F1 grid like
pattern. The WAWA drone operated by event photographer J Collins
Productions hovered above us capturing this unique event in a unique way.
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| Ready! |
Day 1
~ 325km – Kinsale to Kenmare
After a 3... 2... 1... count down by the very likeable Eamon
Nealon, we were soon on our way riding alongside the Kinsale harbourside. It
was a beautiful setting with the early morning sun shining keenly down on us.
One mile down the road and the positions were set. I was at the back setting
the 'ElliptiGO pace' that would be needed to be sustained over 7 days. It
wasn't a sprint, it wasn't even middle or long distance, possibly not even
Ultra. Perhaps this distance needed a new name! WAWAULTRA!!! :-D
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| WAWA start |
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| Stopped for lunch on Day 1 |
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| Eamon at the secret control near Healy Pass |
I enjoyed a lovely chicken curry prepared by the amazing
volunteers and was ready for bed. Andy and I agreed to take a 2 hour sleep and
after sausage and egg for breakfast we were out the door at 6am to a crisp
bright morning.
By mid-morning the clouds were starting to look a bit
threatening. And then the rain started just after second breakfast. Yes I sound
like a Hobbit with all this breakfast and 2nd breakfast talk!! But regular
refuelling was absolutely essential on route. And there is nothing better than
a Full Irish Breakfast to set you up for a days riding.
We knew to expect rain along the way, this was the west coast of
Ireland after all. We perhaps hadn't expected it to come quite so soon or to
remain steady and constant for much of the day. It wasn't cold however so the
dilemma for me was what to wear so as not to overheat. Because of the warmth a
rain jacket soon had you sweating so I opted instead to just keep on what I was
wearing, a long sleeve base layer, cycle jersey and add a wind proof gillet.
That did the job nicely. You could then quickly dry off as and when the rain
decided to eventually stop.
Day 2 was a long day on paper and on the road. Discussion
between Andy and I would always turn to what time we thought we would arrive at
the sleep control based on our average pace. At this point our average pace was
good at 18KPH moving speed. My calculated target moving pace for the whole
event was 17KPH. I worked this out months ago in planning for this ride to
ascertain if it could even be completed on an ElliptiGO. My conclusion was that
it could be but the average couldn't drop much below 17KPH otherwise we would
have to stop and sleep ALOT less to make up the distance and lack of speed.
Right now we were doing fine, but as the days wore on it indeed became clear
that the average moving pace was dropping resulting in less time to sleep than
I had ever planned for.
The last 100km on Day 2 was really tough. Andy and I were
already both suffering from sleep deprivation despite it being so early in the
event. We rolled into the Ballyheigue sleep control at 4am ~ a 22 hour day with
20 hours moving time. I don't think either of us expected that and it was a far
longer and tougher day than we had ever imagined. And to top things off having
dried out from the rain we had had for most of the day and evening with an hour
of riding to go we got an absolute lashing of rain soaking us to the bone again
which was hard to take.
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| Still time for a selfie |
Arriving at the sleep control was a mighty relief. A very warm
friendly greeting from the volunteers always cheered me up, plus hot food, and
cup of tea and a warm sleeping bag to crash was a great ending to a very long
day. Day 3 was a shorter day and included a short 20 minutes ferry crossing at
Tarbet. With this in mind despite our late finish on Day 2 Andy and I decided
we could afford to 'sleep in' and aimed to leave the control at 8am. It seemed
a sensible decision at the time especially considering the sleep deprivation we
both experienced in the last 100km of Day 2. We needed sleep.
Day 3
~ 265km – Ballyheigue to Oranmore
We departed at 8am and headed over to Tarbet to catch the ferry
which was 56KM from the control. The ferry left every 30 minutes so regular
enough not to have to worry about getting a certain one. Despite the rain which
continued we made good time and had some spare time to grab some food from a
shop. In such trying conditions the mere thought of a warm shop for a 10 minute
rest bite from the elements and some food was a real pick me up.
I'd changed into fresh clothes at the last sleep control
including my sealskinz water proof socks. I had hoped they would be the perfect
answer to the heavy downpours we were getting but they were utterly useless.
Water would still get into the sock but couldn't escape leaving my feet
permanently standing in water. Not good! The ferry had a heated waiting room so
I took the opportunity to change my socks, dump the sealskinz in the nearest
bin and return to a normal pair which would at least let the water out!! On a
more positive note regarding footwear by new Altra shoes that I had bought just
before the event and were untested were proving to be excellent. A wide toe box
ensured no rubbing or discomfort whatsoever. Love them!
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| Andy and I making steady progress into the wind and rain |
The ferry trip was short lived and we departed with 10 or so
other cyclists who had also got this ferry into the continuing rain. The late
start was a mixed blessing. We needed the sleep so I don't regret leaving later
but what was meant to be a short day turned into anything but that. The
conditions were the toughest yet including some really strong head and side
winds which slowed our progress significantly. It took us 10 hours to cover the
first 100km and it was already 6pm with still 160km to ride that night. It was
clear that our plans for an early finish were not going to happen and we would
once again be riding deep into the night and the early hours of the morning.
Weather aside the terrain and scenery on Day 3 continued to be
absolutely spectacular. I wouldn't say that we started taking it foregranted
but such was the effort that we were putting into the ride and battling the
conditions that much of our focus was purely on maintaining forward progress.
That became the sole goal and everything else became a little blurred around
the edges. Day 3 was however a real turning point in my ride for very different
reasons that would impact massively on the rest of the week. What was at first
just one broken spoke that went 'ping' late in the afternoon led to a series of
further broken spokes all to my rear 20" wheel. And over the course of the
next 3 days I was on the receiving end of over 15 broken spokes. I don't even
know the exact number! Of course at this point it was just 1 and I didn't think
too much of it.
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| Mizen Head - Day 1 (remembering the sun and blue skies that were a distant memory) |
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| Count the missing spokes! |
Day 4
~ 306km Oranmore to Currane /Achill
Day 4 was a tough day (again). WAWA just doesn't do recovery
days. It started leaving the control 1.5hrs after Andy who I told to go on
ahead whilst I tried to sort out the spokes with a spoke tensioner. I had some
advice given to me by different riders as to how I should tension the spokes
around the 1 broken spoke. The most concerning thing was the fact that they all
seemed so loose. In fact at least half dozen spokes had no tension at all and
could just be turned by hand. I was annoyed by this as this wheel was brand new
and just recently rebuilt by a shop in London with brand new rim and spokes
supplied by ElliptiGO. Clearly the shop had done a shocking job with the build
and threatened to put my ride in some doubt. At this point though I wasn't too
concerned and thought after tightening the spokes that I would be able to
continue unhindered and without any further drama. How wrong was I!
With concerning regularity another spoke would just break
without warning. I worked out that this mostly happened on the ascents when
more force was being applied through the rear hub. And all the spokes that
broke initially were all on the drive side. All I could do was continue and I
didn't let it effect my outlook on the ride. Each time a spoke broke I would
jump off and tape the broken spoken to another using electrical tape and push
on forward.
The highlight on Day 4 during the day time was riding with
fellow WAWA rider Paul Sexton. It was nice to have company and not feel quite
so isolated and alone. Paul also had his fair share of drama early on having
sheered off his rear derailier and was down to just 3 gears. I still had 11 so
maybe things weren't so bad. We eventually made it to Clifden after a long
circular tour around many lakes and bays that always seemed to take us further
away from our intended destination. This was something you got use to on WAWA.
You would see a road sign showing the distance for the town next on the route
sheet but the route was never direct. So what showed as 30km away on the road
signs could easily be double that distance. This was going to be another
extremely long day and night.
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| Day 2 - Photo as proof of passage to the Lighthouse control |
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| Paul and I in the pub at Clifden ~ he was hilarious company on-route |
I lent him my head light at Clifden and he went off to buy some
extra batteries. I started back on the route and fully expected Paul to catch
me in the first mile or two but he never did. I'm certain this wasn't because
of my speed because I didn't have any. He must have gone a different way I
thought or perhaps he was just as battered as me and couldn't muster any speed
either. It was a long long long night alone battling extreme sleep deprivation
and fatigue. And the spokes continued to break. It rained and rained but the
rain had long stopped becoming any sort of issue on this ride. You just expected
it to rain and enjoyed it when it didn't.
During this next section I felt like I was stuck in a bowl in
the mountains that I just couldn't escape from. I can't recall much else apart
from the continuing hallucinations that kept me kind of amused but I was
actually starting to think that it was a reality as I slipped in and out of the
real world and some dream state as I floated along on the ElliptiGO. At this
point I thought that I would still be able to make the control stop at Corraun
for around 6am if I pushed through the night. However I was getting extremely
sleeping and shortly after the photo control in Louisburgh I pulled up by the
side of the road. I found a patch of grass and decided to sleep for an hour
here. It was already light by now. I had with me my emergency foil bivey sack
which was brilliant. It was huge ~ taller than me. So after rolling it out I
stood up in it bringing it completely over my head. I curled up on the
grass so I was completely covered and protected from the elements and was nice
and warm. I used my dry bag with spare kit in as a pillow and soon dropped off
to sleep.
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| Somewhere in the wilderness |
It was a long stretch on some main roads. I desperately looked
for breakfast in the next town but it was still early and everything was
closed. Petrol stations are your bet on these rides. And I was hugely pleased
when I came across one which was open. I had a large cappuccino and three
pastries. I also managed to send some messages to friends and family to let
them know of my progress.
It had stopped raining too and it was a nice morning. By this point
I had counted 8 broken spokes all on the rear wheel. It's a miracle I was still
able to ride at all. I got news through from friends who were in contact with
Eamon race director that he was able to track down some new spokes for me. So I
just had to make it to Corraun. The cut off time at Corraun was 10:35am and
looking at the time I was going to be very close to that time when I eventually
rolled up. I estimated that the spokes had already costed me 3hrs in lost time.
After fighting against a head wind on loop island I finally made
it to Corraun 1207km into the ride. I was so relieved. It had been a long night
of riding and seeing all the volunteers once again was so nice. It was crunch
time for the ElliptiGO. A cycle mechanic from the volunteer team was there
waiting for me with new spokes in hand. There was some doubt whether they were
the correct length. Luckily they were. Eamon was able to source 7 new spokes.
It turned out that I had 9 breaks. So he replaced 7 and left two out.
Day 5
~ 300km – Currane /Achill to Ballina
Time to refuel for Day 5. A volunteer made me two rounds of
sausage sandwiches. Amazing!!! And after a cup of tea I felt on a high. On a
ride like this the highs need to be celebrated to keep the spirits high, and I
was surrounded by people that really wanted me to succeed which really spurred
me on. I didn't have much time to hang around though. The cut off had only just
passed for this control and it was almost 11am but because of the mechanicals I
was of course allowed to continued and there was no question of not being able
to.
The ElliptiGO was fixed and getting back on it felt like a new
bike. What I didn't know was quite what a tough day of riding I had ahead of
me. Yep again in true WAWA style it gets tougher not easier and don't let
anyone tell you otherwise. The first stage of Day 5 consisted of a 77km figure
of eight loop. The wind on this very exposed peninsular was unbelievable. It
reduced my pace to an absolute crawl but all I could do was battle on. The
highlight of this section was seeing others riders on the route. I actually
rode the loops in the reverse order which didn't matter or effect the distance
ridden. It also meant that I passed riders who were hours ahead of me and
already on the return to the Corraun control. A few riders made navigational
errors in this section as the loops were a little confusing, and added
additional miles. Definitely not something I could afford to do.
It was a really tough day and my morale was dropping. The lack
of sleep I got last night further effecting my pace. It took around 3 hours to
complete the first loop. As I descended the hill and made my approach towards
the turn off for the second loop I spotted Andy's ElliptiGO parked in a petrol
forecourt! I wasn't expecting that as I thought he was hours ahead on me. I had
left Andy at 6am on Day 4 as I tinkered with my spokes and told him to ride
ahead. A lot had happened since then. Andy had it tough too and he told me he
was out! I couldn't quite believe it. I thought I was the one in trouble and
didn't conceive that Andy would be calling it a day. The big climbs had taken
their toll and Andy's ITB band was causing him a lot of trouble. Hearing Andy
was out made me seriously consider by position in the ride as well. Mentally I
was hanging on to a thread and knew I had another 2.5 days of the
most testing riding I would experience. But I was slipping into the
mindset of looking too far ahead rather than just focusing on the now.
I promised myself that I would never stop knowing that I could
go on. So after a coffee and ice cream I bid Andy farewell and headed for the
second southern loop. The mountainous coastal landscape on this loop was
breathtaking and I did enjoy taking it all in. There were still some big climbs
and the wind was still there. I hadn't completely got over the idea of quitting
though and told myself I would just make it back to the Corruan control and see
how I fared against the cutoff which I thoroughly expected to be behind.
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| The long lonely road |
It was now gone 6pm and I still had 220KM to ride to get to the
next control at Ballina. The distances now between controls was so much to take
in that it barely seemed conceivable that I could still do this. But all I kept
telling myself is that all I could do was to keep going. The rest of those
kilometers on Day 5 and indeed into Day 6 are a bit of a blur. If I were to
attempt to describe how it unfolded it would be scarcely accurate as I was now
riding purely on instinct. In a way this kind of helped to pass the time as I
become less aware of the task at hand, the time of day and what I needed to do
in terms of tactics or pace. I was now a passenger on my own journey.
Sleep deprivation was really getting to me now and a long out
and back section to Blacksod Lighthouse in the early hours of the morning was
tough and probably my lowest point yet. The Lighthouse was a photo control
point. I had to take a photo of the plaque at the foot of the lighthouse as
proof of passage. However such was my mental state and the hallucinations which
were now a regular part of my ride that I was seeing plaques everywhere along
the road. I even stopped at one and rode up to it to take a photo but it was
just a wall. This continued as I kept stopping unable to concentrate for very
long. I eventually made it to the Lighthouse and got the shot.
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| Shot captured by Phil on my way out to Blacksod Lighthouse (it says it all really!) |
On the return leg I was so tired that I knew it was time to get
some sleep for the second night in my foil bivey bag. I settled on a grass
patch well off the road in front of a commercial building and set my alarm for
a 45 minute sleep. It was always a relief to stop and despite the short sleep
it helped massively.
Despite the fix to the rear wheel earlier that day this didn't
stop the old spokes from continuing to break. The new ones were fine but I had
broken at least another 5 spokes during the day but there was nothing that
could be done about it so it was just a matter of hoping the wheel would hold
out to the finish.
I eventually made it to Ballina at 1500KM where surprisingly
there were still cyclists there which I was not expecting. I made it within the
cut off time too. A miracle! This was of course because the cut offs factored
in sleep time and I was scarcely getting any. I ate, and I showered ~ cold
water only :-( and got into fresh gear or was it old stuff. I can't
actually remember.
Day 6
~ 296km – Ballina to Lackenagh
Day 6 was going to be another long day. I remember very little
of what happened. It rained. It was still windy. My spokes were still breaking.
And the hallucinations were better than ever. By God's grace I got through what
was an unbelievably tough day of riding. I should point out that physically I
was absolutely fine. Despite the total distance covered my legs were fine and
my feet were comfortable. It was just mentally tough which manifested itself
through a growing doubt of what I was doing, why I was doing it and when would
it end. I was now on auto-pilot not in control of much that happened.
In this state my game plan now was to try and ride with any
cyclists that I could to avoid riding alone and feeling quite so alone and
vulnerable. The company really helped me get through these tough times on the
GO. Some notable people that helped me along the way were Richard Guthrie,
Birgit Zimmermann, and Paul Sexton. Thanks for your company. You don't know how
much you helped me. There were probably others too so excuse me for not
including everyone. But you know who you are.
I was now approaching the business end of the ride. Being on Day
6 seemed so close to the finish yet the actual distance to go still seemed
insurmountable. The night of Day 6 was the most confused I've ever been in an
event. My hallucinations were now in full flow and it was becoming increasing
difficult to grasp what I was supposed to be doing. Even following the pink
line on my Garmin and making forward progress was a real struggle. It felt like
I was stopping every mile to gather my thoughts and remember that I just had to
keep going. I was in the company of other riders and was convinced I wasn't
alone even though I was. At one point I couldn't go on and had arranged for the
wife of an ElliptiGO buddy to come and fetch me. She was going to come with my
wife and my two children too. I was waiting for them by the side of the road.
But they didn't arrive so I would ride a little further up the road before
stopping again and waiting. In the end I came to my senses and realised that it
wasn't real. No one was coming to rescue me and all I could do was to continue.
I got through the town of Killybegs at 3am in the morning (photo
control). This was at 1710KM. 90KM from the next control that marked the end of
Day 6. The climbs continued. I couldn't go on much further and I had to sleep.
As I was accustomed to by now it was out with the foil bivey bag and I climbed
inside. I opted to stop at the top of a long climb in front of some houses. I
knew I couldn't stop for long as I was up against the time limit. Funnily it
was only when I stopped to sleep that I had complete clarity as to what my goal
was. I never over slept and I was always very efficient. Completely covered, I
would also ensure I brought my backpack inside with me too in case it rained
and I used my dry bag as my pillow which when riding was attached to the front
of my ElliptiGO. It was a great set up that worked really well. I set my
digital watch alarm for 45 minutes sleep. It would sound before I knew it and
I'd pack it up. This time around it took a little longer to reorientate myself
and set off. But there was a problem. I didn't know what direction to go in
despite remembering that I climbed the hill to get here I continued in the same
direction but was really unsure so turned around and went all the way back to
the bottom of the hill only to turn around and come all the way back up. It was
very frustrating riding in circles up and down the same hill. This continued
for what felt like ages but eventually through pure good fortune I managed to
work it out. Having looked at my track on Strava post-race it appears that
there was in fact no turn off the road. I just went back and forth on the same
road adding around 3-4 extra miles.
The new day had dawned and with it more drama in my unfolding
adventure. After a big climb and descent another spoke broke. I stopped at the
bottom of the hill to tape up the spoke and when I set off it was immediately
obvious that this was it for the ElliptiGO. The rear wheel was now so bent that
it was completely unridable. Game over? I certainly thought so. I was in a small
village with just a cluster of houses and some commercial buildings but not a
single person around. The occasional car or 4x4 would go past but I didn't
really know what to say if I flagged them down. I had no reception on my phone
so couldn't phone Eamon. I knocked on some doors but no answer from anyone. So
I walked along the road as it started to rain again and came across a primary
school. It was 8:30 on a Thursday morning and there was life inside. I parked
up by busted ElliptiGO and walked into the school. Two children greeted me and
fetched their teacher. She was a little surprised to hear of my story and the
distances I had ridden but thankfully was happy for me to use their phone to
call Eamon. But Eamon wasn't picking up so I could only leave a voicemail. So I
called a taxi to drive me to the next control which was 40 miles away. One of
the children, no older than 10, had a taxi number on her mobile. I called and
explained that I had a large bike and needed a lift to Lackenagh. He seemed OK
to do it but I didn't really get a sense of how long it would take for him to
get to me or the cost.
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| WAWA clearly taking its toll |
I was invited into the school staffroom and made a cup of tea.
They really looked after me. And then Eamon called the school phone back. This
call changed everything and thus the final chapter in my adventure was being
rewritten. The plan ~ to contact a local bike shop and get a road bike brought
out to me and swap it over for the ElliptiGO which they would try and fix. Let
me be clear on this.... I have never ridden a proper road bike in my life. I
have two ElliptiGO's, a Dahon foldie and a Giant mountain bike. But there was
no doubt as to what I had to so. This was my WAWA. I always felt that something
would happen on this ride, and I was fully ready for the unexpected. Funnily
enough even before I started this ride I promised myself that I would make the
end no matter what EVEN if that meant not finishing on the bike I started it
on. I had almost predicted it.
I had a bit of a wait for the guys to get the bike out to me. The
time off the bike was actually very welcomed as I chilled out with the
brilliant kids, used the bathroom to freshen up, drink tea and interact with
people in a way I hadn't done for 6 days. It was great. I had been removed from
my state of conscious unconsciousness and been placed back in the real world.
It was a real blessing in disguise and I truly believe that this was the way it
was meant to be. I was feeling pretty good and had a confidence that things
would work out. My Christian faith has helped me a great deal in tackling this
ride both in the build-up and during the ride itself. God was right there
alongside me which gave me the confidence and inspiration to continue no matter
how bad things got.
The guys rocked up with a van and trailer and the next chapter
began. They unloaded a Cube road bike and rolled up my poorly ElliptiGO onto
the trailer. I didn't know it then but this would be the last time I would see
my ElliptiGO as they couldn’t fix it. In fact as I write this two weeks later
my ElliptiGO is still at the bike shop!
Riding a road bike was a completely new experience for me. Could
I even ride this thing up the road for 100 yards, let alone for the final 350KM
to Londonderry! It just felt odd. It goes without saying that the very compact
hunched position on the drop handlebars of a road bike couldn't be any more
different to the upright standing position of the ElliptiGO. They also brought
me some cleated shoes that click into the pedals. I tried them on but they were
one size to small and I didn't want to take the risk anyway. I've seen
experienced cyclists fall because of cleated pedals and I simply wasn't
going to risk it given my complete inexperience on a road bike. So I stuck with
my very comfortable Altra running shoes, and prepared a small holdall bag that
went over each shoulder with only the bare essentials ~ rain jacket, tracker,
money etc. So I was going from my ElliptiGO laden with all my spare gear,
tools, and handlebar cam and preparing to ride the next one and a half days
with little more than what I was wearing on a bike I've never ridden. I've
never been more ready in all my life! Up the WAWA.
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| The Cube!! I certainly couldn't lift an ElliptiGO like that! |
We agreed that they would follow me for 1 or 2 miles to ensure I
was OK. I was and soon I was left to my thoughts once again. The first few
miles were nice and flat and it was immediately obvious just how much faster a
road bike is compared to the ElliptiGO. Now we all know they are faster but
until you have experienced both you can never fully appreciate just how
different the effort to output ratio is. I was clocking 25KPH without even
trying. My average speed on the ElliptiGO was 16KPH. I WAS FLYING!!! And having
fun again!!! I had 50KM still to ride to complete Day 6 and get to the sleep
control at Lackenagh. But clearly I would not be sleeping. It was around 10am when
I left and if I could keep up the 25KPH average speed I would arrive there at
midday. The cut off time was 11:55am!! The terrain was undulating but also
including some big descents. I had no idea of how the bike would handle around
the tight twisting hairpin bends so took it really easy. The brakes were biting
well so this gave me some confidence.
I got into the rhythm of riding the Cube quite quickly and to be
honest it just made for a nice change. Of course I was only in the first few
hours of the ride and was contemplating having to ride through the entire night
without stopping to make Londonderry by 1pm the next day. I was comfortable now
but I was also aware that due to the fact I was only wearing normal running
tights (no padding!) that things were probably going to get a lot tougher.
The maths was simple. I had 350KM to ride in the remaining 27
hours. It seemed more than doable so I wasn't stressed and just got on with the
job in hand. And then the heavens opened. It was an almighty downpour that
perhaps lasted for 30 minutes but I've never ridden in rain like it. The bike
handled it well and I just kept pushing hard enjoying the raw speed this thing
could produce. I was in my element and looking forward to seeing Eamon and the
gang at Lackenagh. The guys were waiting for me and I greeted Eamon with a huge
grin. This guy had saved my ride! I couldn't hang around though. The volunteers
were expecting me and had prepared a parcel of food just for me. I scoffed down
some pasta, apple pie and a cup of tea. Both my drop bags from the ride were
also at this control. I didn't have any fresh clothes so chose the least smelly
to change back into. This included my insulated long sleeve base layer which
had served me well, and some fresh socks. My shoes were soaked through from the
downpour but still extremely comfortable. I was set. 1800KM down and 310KM to
go. I was absolutely knackered, not physically in terms of my legs but
just though general fatigue and lack of sleep.
Day 7 ~
311km – Lackenagh to Londonderry
So far I had managed to get just 8 hours of sleep. 8 hours sleep
since last Friday, and it was now Thursday afternoon! At the time I wasn't
really thinking about it in this way. This was just my reality and I was in the
moment. I estimate my moving time to be at least 20% more than anyone else on
the ride too. And now I was just one day away from finishing what I genuinely
believe to be the hardest thing I will ever do.
But it was not over. We were all told, almost gleefully by Eamon
before the event, that the WAWA has a sting in the tail. Day 7 had some big
climbs ahead and I had no idea what they would be like on the Cube. It only had
two front gears and perhaps 10 on the sprocket. So it appeared to lack a
'granny gear' for the really steep stuff. Oh well we would just have to see.
As I was riding along one thing then suddenly occurred to me
looking at my bike setup... Lights! It had some but the front light looked totally
inadequate for any kind of night riding. It was one of those small LED lights,
the kind you can pick up in the Aldi Cycling special. Great to be seen by
others but utterly useless to see anything yourself. The batteries were also on
the way out so I stopped at a local Asda. Luckily after the shop assistant had
a good look in their stock cupboard she found some CR2032 batteries. That was
the best I could hope for. I looked on route for any cycle shops or shops that
would sell bike lights but there were none. Oh and my tracker was dead. This
was far more troubling in many ways than the light as it meant my friends and
family couldn't track me anymore and may presume I was out the race. I didn’t like
that and so for the rest of the day I was going into every garage and shop I
saw to see if they sold one of those external portable battery banks. You know
the type that you can charge your mobile phone with. But no luck. So no one
knew where I was. I was utterly alone.
As the night drew in I found myself heading back into my
conscious unconscious state and conjuring up scenarios in my mind which I
believed to be true. On a series of long and steep climbs I lost all sense of
what I was supposed to be doing. I would reach the top of a big climb and be
convinced that I had to ride back to the bottom to meet up with Eamon who had
organised some kind of elimination hill climbing contest. It was mad. I
certainly hope Eamon doesn't read this blog as he might actually take this idea
seriously and add it into the WAWA2020 edition!!!
I stood there stationary at the top of the hill wondering what
to do. I really didn’t want to let Eamon down and was convinced there was something
else going on. Crazy. I decided though the best thing would be just to continue
rather than go back down the hill and hoped Eamon wouldn't get mad with me
for ducking out of his contest. Don't ask me where I get this stuff from!!!
It was now getting dark and it was evident that despite the new
batteries in the front light I was pretty much riding blind. Cars could see me
so I wasn't in danger from that aspect but I couldn't see the road surface or
spot any pot holes. I prayed hard and continued moving forward. The rain
started again as I rode into the long dark night heading for Letterkenny. This
was the next control point at 1950KM and I reached it after midnight. Nothing
was open as I rode around the streets looking for somewhere to stop and get a
rest bite from the awful weather. I'd made up my mind at this point ~ I refused
to go on until it started to get light again as I felt the risk was too great.
So I had 3 hours to hang out in this barren town. But then I spotted a hotel
and pulled up at the entrance. It was a 4* hotel ~ the Mount Errigal Hotel so I
didn't rate my chances of them letting me in, in my state but this was my only
throw of the dice. They were so nice to me. I explained my situation and they
were happy for me to stay in the main lounge area which was so plush. The chap
even brought in my bike. Birgit Zimmermann also had the same idea and was
already here. I ordered a hot chocolate and biscuits, hung up my wet jacket and
curled up in a lovely comfy chair. I looked around taking it all in and can’t
tell you just how relieved I felt, and almost emotional. I was out of the rain,
I was safe, warm, and enjoyed an amazing 2hr sleep. From memory my alarm was
set for 2:45am.
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| Mount Errigal Hotel - my safe-haven |
The ride from the hotel quickly took me onto the N13 dual
carriageway. I had just 150KM to go now and the next 30KM flew by. It was still
dark but the lighting on the road was sufficient and there was no traffic at
all. The route would take us to Malin Head at 2050KM as we hit some big climbs including
Mamore Gap which was mega steep. Once at Malin Head this completed the end to
end route from the Southernmost tip of Ireland to the most Northern. By this
point my ride was all about finishing but I wasn't too concerned about the cut
off. I was more concerned about the increasing uncomfortableness of my bum and
hands! There is no doubt that this is the biggest negative aspect of road
biking especially for a novice like me. And with no padded shorts all I could
do was to constantly shift around on the bike changing my position to try and
lessen the pain. As I got closer and closer to Londonderry I allowed myself for
the first time to acknowledge that I would finish WAWA. After everything I had
been through in the last 7 days the feeling was one of relief, amazement, joy,
and satisfaction. Finishing this ride was certainly not a given and there were
significant challenges along the way but my faith was a huge benefit to how I
approached this ride and one word sums it all up ~ BELIEF.
It was a long drag into Londonderry and the heavens opened once
again but nothing mattered now. I was reaching civilisation and back in the
urban sprawl. It was strangely reassuring and comforting to be back in a built
up area and out of the wilderness of the Wild Atlantic Way, which marked the
completion of a quite amazing journey. One which pushed me to, and arguably
beyond my limits. It was all consuming and on many of those dark lonely nights
I questioned whether the WAWA would ever release me from her clutches. It’s
hard to put into words where this ride took me, but hey at 8,000 words and
counting I think I should stop there. Oh hang on I haven’t reached the end…
I crossed the finish line on Peace Bridge after 174 hours and 56
minutes just 4 minutes inside the official 175 hour cut off. Eamon, Seamus and
the whole WAWA gang were there to greet me. I had survived the WAWA!! Up the
WAWA!!
Post-ride I was presented with a trophy on Peace Bridge. They had even set up a podium! The trophy was STUNNING! Eamon had gone to the trouble to get a bespoke version of the trophy designed with an ElliptiGO rider in the centre. I gazed in amazement and wonder at this quite awesome hunk of metal. It was priceless and meant the absolute world to me. And this ladies and gentleman was my WAWA.
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| The Podium! |
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| The Bling! |
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| Because you're worth it! |
Still want MORE!!?? Then check out my video of my WAWA ride.
If you enjoyed reading my blog and would like to support my fundraising for this ride please visit www.sponsorstuart.uk. I have raised over £3,500 so far for my Church.
Huge thanks also to all the sponsors and supporters that made this Audax possible:
Audax Ireland
Failte Ireland
GMiT (Galway Mayo institute Technology)
Ballina Engineering Works (who made the amazing trophies!)
Primal livetracking
And of course COPE CYCLES in Dungloe whom without I would not have finished the WAWA!!!
Link to Strava ride data
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| Post-race Pizza party!!!! |