Strathpuffer 2017

Last year we were sitting chatting about the wonders of the world when I got a message from a fellow cyclist asking whether we had signed up to the puffer! In shock, I rushed to my laptop. We had the dates wrong and didn't realise sign ups had already been open for a couple of days. In our heads that was our chance to race over. But I had to see if there were spaces left and to our excitement I managed to get us a place!

It was time to get ready: 1 Dad, 2 Brothers and 1 sister doing a 24 hour mountain bike race together in the Scottish Highlands in winter...

I don't think I was quite prepared for what I had just signed up for. Spending most of time on my road bike, switching to rubbled, loose ground on a super old mountain bike was pretty weird and challenging to get used to to say the least.

The only way my training really changed was that I did the majority on my cycling on a mountain bike and increased the time spent in the swimming pool with more endurance sets along with my sprint sets and more time on the stationary bike trying to get used to the saddle.

January 22nd came way quicker that we could have ever imagined. Traveling over to Drumnadrochit where we have family friends, we discussed and refined our race plan. We decided we were going to try the 1234, 1234, 1234 method until it became pitch black. We would then let two people sleep whilst the other two were out there, so a 1,2 method for about 4 loops and then switch until daylight again.

Arriving at the event in the morning was surreal. Vans, campers, people, dogs, tents and bikes EVERYWHERE!

It felt like time was short as most people seemed ready to go as they had stayed that night to get ready but we still had to find a place to set up camp. Driving around, we eventually found a space to put up of tiny tent and trangia whilst Dad and Osh got the bikes ready to start the race.

Having completed the race two times preciously, my younger brother Ossian (16years old) decided he wanted to begin the adventure at the start line. Seeing it begin at the side line was unreal. All shapes, sizes, ages, bikes, cycling gear. Were we all mad or what?

We decided to try film as much of the experience as possible. We used a Go Pro whilst on the bike and my vlogging camera in-between to talk about how it was going.

Ossian was the 1st rider, Dad 2nd, Brad 3rd and myself 4th.

After they all arrived back after their first lap they seemed to be buzzing. I am not going to lie, I was crapping myself! I had only gone around this loop once before with Dad but it was more of a daunder with just the one bike for a quick glance at the terrain. I knew I was way out of my comfort zone, especially for a roadie!

IT WAS MY TURN.

I knew that I needed to pace myself. There were a lot more laps to come. The others had completed their first lap much quicker than expected. This was probably due to the upgrade of the path on the final section. I had no idea what I was capable of so I took the dibber from my Dad and started to pedal.

I went up and up and up. I have this weird love of going up hills so I really enjoyed this first section. The sun was shining and my legs were feeling fresh. Getting to the top, I knew I just had to relax and do what I could on the sections that followed.

Bridges, boulders, mud, rock faces, heather, you name it, it was there! To be completely honest, I am absolutely rubbish at mountain biking down steep hills. It scares the living crap out of me. Maybe it is the thought of falling and hurting my knee again or dislocating my shoulders (like I have done twice before) whilst falling off my bike.

Hearing that someone had to be airlifted from the bottom of this very bridge the previous year was exactly what I did NOT need to hear. DOUGH!

The course was actually pretty undulating. Terrain changing all the time, with new challenges appearing every few minutes.

After going for it and swooping along down the paths all the way to the bottom of the race course, there was no one from the team there waiting for me. I was a tad shocked as we all knew how important it was to be ready for the incoming rider for the switch over. I searched in the crowd but ended up pelting it back to camp where they were shocked to see me. Apparently they assumed that I was going to take a LOT longer than I had! Ha ha. I good thing I guess. That I had exceeded their expectations I mean.

I was absolutely BUZZING and could not wait to get back out there. But first I needed to refuel.

So what did we do for food you may ask?

Well the previous morning I prepared a huge pot of vegetable soup, rice and pasta. I also brought a huge box full of fruit, veg, energy bars, cereal and much more. To be honest I think we didn't really leave anything back at home just to be on the safe side. We used the small trangia to heat the soup and water for teas and hot juice.

I ended up acting as the mother in feeding all the boys and making sure they were warm and okay. There was a real sense of go for it attitude from us all as long as we were properly fed (understandable).

Lap 2 for me was another fun uphill in the sunshine. It was another chance for me to really get used to the down hill sections before darkness kicked in. I love that there were spectators and other rides throughout the loop cheering, singing and encourging all the riders around! It really helped push me to keep up the pace for sure!

Lap 3 and I tanked it up the hill, legs still feeling surprisingly fresh. Just before going over the first wee bridge where the downhill madness started there is a slight downhill. I was going for it when all of a sudden it felt like I was hitting curbs like on a main road with pavements. I waas pretty confused and stopped to see if there was something wrong with the bike and not just big lose rocks. I lifted up the front end of the bike and what happened? The front wheel came off! That was a close one! Could have been an absolute disaster if that had happened just a couple of minutes later whilst still on my bike on the downhill,

Just before the crazy downhills I stopped to make sure that the suspension wasn't locked out. I could not believe it! THE LOCK OUT WAS BROKEN! In a panic I asked a spectator/supporter on the side line if he could help but after inspection he said there was nothing he could do.

It was going to a very hardcore lap. Mentally I was prepared for a burst tire and just had to go for it.

Arriving back at base I was describing to Dad that the lock out was broken what had gone wrong with the front wheel when it suddenly occurred to me that the lock out was in fact not broken at all! Sometimes I cycle my little brothers bike where the lock out is on the forks and I forgot I was riding a completely different bike! I was riding a bike where the lock out was on my handle bars! Yup I felt like a right tit. Just shows you what happens when you are getting tired physically and mentally.

Most of the race was a blur until it became pitch black and it became a whole different ball game. It felt like a completely different race! It rapidly became extremely cold and icy. Keeping warm became a massive issue. If we went into the tent the possibility of falling asleep was too high to risk.

During the race we had decided to change our game plan. keep going 1234 throughout the entire race and not to sleep at all. If we were all awake we could all help keep each other awake and make sure we were fed, warm and ready for our laps physically and mentally.

At about 3 am, it felt like I had gone past the point of freezing. I was frozen to the core and could not move my hands or feet. I caved, and retreated into the tent. I fell asleep for all of 10 minutes.

"Coralie, Coralie, you gotta get up, Dad is gonna be here soon". Gads. I don't think I have ever felt so rough in my entire life. Falling asleep was a huge mistake and as described by Brad, I looked like a useless baby, frothing at the mouth unable to communicate. Wow. Delightful right ?

I cannot remember what happened during that lap. All I know is that my music was playing and my legs were spinning.

We all decided to retreat to the massive tent provided by the organisers for everyone to eat, charge lights and get bike repairs. It was actually very toasty and super lit which seemed to help us stay awake.

It then all of sudden became my 5th lap! Cyling up and up into what felt like the heavens was amazing! I was one of those lucky bikers who arrived at the summit just as the strong sun rose over the horizon. It was breathtaking! Made me smile from ear to ear. I had to stop to make sure my front wheel was tight and I took one look out to the sky, a deep breath and went for it.

Little did I know that that was going to be my last lap. Wasn't till I got off the bike at the bottom that I realised how bad my saddle sore was! I found myself standing there almost unable to move. Walking into the warm tent was a struggle. I had never felt this kind of pain before! HORRIBLE I KNOW!

You could tell that everyone in the event had perked up a little. The feeling of there again being daylight was a great push to keep going. We were almost there. Brad and Osh were feeling good enough to do another 2 laps each and Dad soldiered on with another 3! I was motivational support in the tent whilst feeling very sorry for myself.

Now if you are at all familiar with the layout of the Puffer. There is a wee twist at the very end. If you finish a lap just before 10am in the morning you have the option to try and do another lap. HOWEVER, you must complete this lap within the hour (easier said than done when you are hardly functioning) for it to count to your overall lap count.

The year previously when Osh and Dad did it as a pair, Dad managed to finish a couple of minutes before 10 and in his words, "stupidly" said to the marshal he was going to do another lap! Dad being the beast that he is tore around the route. With only a few minutes till 11am, he arrived to cross the line and subsequently collapsed into a heap on the ground! What a trooper! No idea how he did it. Don't think he knows either.

Now this year, we managed to get into the last hour with a couple of seconds to spare! Unfortunately Dad missed the cut off time and arrived in 2 minutes after 11am. It wasn't till after the event on our drive home that we found out that Osh had been doing wheelies throughout each of his laps!!! Can you believe it? Just shows you that ever second counts. Osh's reasoning was that it made it more fun..... hilarious Osh! What a chancer right?

What an experience. It is truly really hard to really put into words the experience that was The Puffer. You would think that it was fairly simple. Cycling around a loop for 24 hours. But no. The organizing of the kit, the bikes, the food, keeping warm and the team plan, was hard enough let alone how mentally and physically demanding it all was.

I always made sure I had my headphones in listening to my playlist full of upbeat crazy music. I did find myself realizing that I wasn't even listening to my music. I was completely zoned out. To be honest it felt like i was thinking about absolutely nothing. Just keeping my eyes open and spin my legs.

I actually loved doing the Puffer. Although I was in a lot of pain the first thing I said when we arrived home was "I actually cannot wait to do it all again next year"! Crazy I know but 100% the truth. I absolutely love this kind of challenge. I like to see how far I can push my brain and body. I loved seeing how many people were getting involved and I have the up most respect for all those crazy soles who did it SOLO! That is right, people were actually taking on this challenge by themselves! Maybe one year I will take on that challenge myself.

Fantastic event with amazing support and organisation. I would highly recommend the Puffer to anyone who loves biking of any kind, who loves a challenge and even someone who wants to try something new. you can race in a solo, pair, quad and even a team of 8. Do as little or as much as your please. whilst enjoying the Scottish banter and whatever the weather throws out at you.

Try it, I dare you!