I Am A Survivor!!

Haven't written for a while, all has been quiet on the training front! I have been taking a break from structure and just doing things for the fun of it. In my last post I wrote that  I was expecting to do my first half iron distance, the Vitruvian. Unfortunately it didn't happen, I had other commitments come up for that weekend at short notice, so had to withdraw.

Not to be put off getting something done this year, I noticed a Facebook post by a friend talking about The Viking, a mountain bike event, 30k or 50k, not far from where I live. I thought it was ideal, I really enjoy going out on my mountain bike. Note my turn of phrase there- I didn't say, 'I enjoy mountain biking'. That is because I have concluded I don't deserve that title. When I say I enjoy going out on my mountain bike, I mean I   really enjoy going on the nice man made trails they have in Nottingham, jumping over roots, skidding in dust, that kind of thing..

However, the Viking was not nice man made trails. It was muddy. REALLY muddy. I don't like mud. I really get stressed when my bike gets dirty. It's some kind of OCD thing I have.What I thought it would be like in England in October I have no idea, I think I had some nice idea that it would be all dry in spite of the torrential rain we've had all ''summer''. And of course torrential rain and 1300 bikes doesn't help to settle it down much. In some parts it was impossible to ride through, I had to get off and walk. Which made my shoes and overshoes (to protect me from the mud) really muddy.

I wasn't feeling good anyway, I had gotten lost getting there, which had made me late, and now I was filthy. 3 pet hates of mine all in one morning. I was quite stroppy as I pushed my bike up a hill, slipping all over the place, and I got back on near the top. This is where I began to feel a bit pathetic, because I was actually really scared of falling off. I thought my mountain bike skills weren't bad, Im not usually a fearful person, and have ridden quite freely on rough terrain etc, but this was something different. It was like trying to ride on ice!! The back wheel was all over, side to side, and I kept unclipping and steadying with my foot, as well as throwing my weight to steady myself. It was also the first time I'd used SPD's with my mountain bike. Maybe that had something to do with it.

All around me people were bombing past, some pedalling and moving, others falling off. Which made me even more nervous. I stopped to let people go past, so I wasn't holding anyone up. A man came powering by, turned to look for his friend, and his bike slid straight out from under him, and both went flying. Unfortunately they went flying straight into my hand. I managed not to fall over, but felt a pretty sharp pain. I got out of the way quickly, and carried on.

To cut a long story short I had to stop at the next feed station and was examined by a doctor, because by that time I couldn't bend my fingers at all. He told me I couldn't continue, and arranged for me to be picked up, and I was taken to a first aid station where I sat feeling sorry for myself. They advised me to go for an X-ray, there was a nasty bruise, a lot of swelling and it was clicking, but as it was the weekend and I didn't fancy sitting in a&e with a load of drunks I gave it a miss!

So that was the end of my first ever mountain bike event!! However, that's not to say I won't be back next year... if it hasn't been raining :p

So, bearing in mind that I really dislike being muddy and wet, on Wednesday I had the bright idea to enter Survival of the fittest. Which is a very muddy and very wet assault course and run.

I was quite wary about hurting myself further, I am still suffering from injury, I now have bursititis in my left heel. So I had to be careful. Not careful enough not to enter though obviously. I haven't run for months now, never mind crawled, jumped, swung and climbed! I wrapped a support bandage around it, and was determined whatever happened I was going to finish ONE event this year!!

 Some of the obstacles involved-



Climbing on/through/over cars...

....scrambling under nets... this was the dry one, others has thick muddy water you had no choice but to crawl in..

...LOTS of water obstacles... this was the prelude to a huge water slide which dunked you into a FREEZING cold lake...

....walking over planks in-between climbing up and over bars.... (good co ordination needed!!)

....crawling through tubes.... (no idea whose backside this is by the way)

And lots more! All ensured that no strength would be left in your body at all, and you would run (or stagger) to the finish line to be faced with this monster- It looks small on this picture, but trust me it isn't! It's around 8ft tall, and has no foot holes or ropes or anything to climb up!
(probably why the man on the left is taking the easy route)

I just stood and stared at it for ages, as if a magic little fairy would pop up and lift me over it! No. 2 men grabbed my arms and pulled me, and someone else shoved my feet and I eventually got up there. Then I sat and stared down the other side.. how the hell was I meant to get down?!! I was scared of jumping and hurting my foot, but I realised I had no choice. So I went for it, and tried to land my weight onto my good side.

Wa hey, I did it, I am a survivor! I got my medal and t.shirt, and I really did feel I earned them!!

And today... ouch. Just ouch. That is the only word :D