Post-event Torture

Rob Roy for the second year running, and doing the full monty again. You can do a combo of 14 mile hike and either a 35 or 56 mile cycle on the event, or just the hike, or just one of the cycles.

Last year for both the hike, and the 56 miles in the saddle, we were a smidge under 4 hours each (time excluding stops at feed stations). I felt like I was hanging on for the hike, then in a group of three two of us towed the third around.

This year my plan was to run the flats and downhills, which worked out surprisingly well, giving my legs the chance to do something different every now and then, and the effect on the time was incredible - a smidge (being 2 seconds) under three hours.

The bike was also faster than last year, by about 30 minutes. The effect was that, including stops, I registered 7h10m for the whole thing. Even more remarkable was seeing that as the 10th fastest time (out of 83 doing the full thing - 26th off the hike, making up 16 places on the bike).

Tired, but worth the 5am start to drive up the road. I'd taken camping stuff as an option to stay at the event, but the midge-heaven that was brewing, plus no-one else from the team staying, and the lure of a comfy bed for the night, meant a drive home (via Callander for fish and chips).

The pic is of Rhona, who works in the office, loosening off my on-the-verge-of-cramp calves....