24 Hours. Why?

24-hours is a long time for just one task. Motivation, boredom, and sleep are a few or the words that immediately spring to mind. I’ve read many articles describing the good and bad ways of tackling a 24-hour solo, but, all I could do to attempt it was envisage it as going on ‘a bit of a ride’ with friends. The goal was to keep smiling and using others to bounce off for motivation.

As it turns out I only managed just over 12-hours of the race (24 Hours of Exposure) retiring due to a painful wrist which I feared would lead to my demise. No doubt, at high speed down a wooded hillside while trying to get that illusive event photo that doesn’t make me look like a rank amateur travelling at a pace that a small child would be ashamed of while screaming ‘DAMN YOU JOOLZE!’

 As it turns out the best place for me to watch a 24-hour race is out on the course. You get a real sense of the immense effort and punishment that the lead riders are putting in. It humbles me to think of the commitment they have put into chasing the thing they love.

Prior to the start, Matt Page was meticulously preparing and as the returning champ had the obvious pressures of the title resting on his and his teams shoulders. Ant White was in his last year in the Open Male category and was desperate to achieve the National and European titles to add to the list of victories in his –  the most successful – UK 24-hour career. There wasn’t a more determined rider on the course than the young pretenderJ osh Ibbett, who always looked happy and in control and trained to the Nth degree.

I’d consider all three riders to be friends so watching the race unfold lead to highs and lows of emotion, generally surfacing as what I hoped were words/shouts of encouragement as I was being lapped. The sense of community at events like these is great, you can leave everything at the door and all enjoy like minded company hell-bent on attaining self-inflicting pain.

You know the story with the results so I’ll skip to the end:

– The fun part… the reward.

– The post-ride week off!

– I’m taking it that’s it’s now my right to ruin my body in a different way so here’s to the pies and the Friday night drinks!