As promised (to myself anyway), going to write a blog regarding the Rob Roy challenge which is successfully completed last Saturday.
The challenge itself is described below:
"The Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge is one of Scotland’s most successful fundraising events. Covering 55 miles of the spectacular Rob Roy Way, teams or individuals walk or run 16 miles from Drymen, near Loch Lomond, north-east through the Trossachs to Callander, where they switch to bikes for a 39 mile cycle to Kenmore – all in around 8-12 hours."When this idea was muted back in February, I was at a pretty low ebb, self confidence was low, fitness lower and I needed something to get me out of the rut. I decided the commitment needed to attempt this would be the ideal driver to improve on a few aspects in life and would be a really good day out in the countyside.
Since February I have been working very hard at fitness, managed to get down from 14st to 12st 9lbs, all done the correct way, no crash dieting like I have been guilty of in the past. Although, I have to say come 7pm the night before I had serious doubt if I had done enough, whilst I had less bulk to haul round, I was still not bouncing up the stairs in the morning and most importantly had done 0 hours on the bike.
I have never cycled off a gym bike in 15 years and had no idea if I could even do it, but as they say, "its like riding a bike", this saying is pretty much all that got me to the start line. Incidently the last time I had cycled those 15 years ago, I fell off my bike doing my paper round ha ha
We arrived to register at 9pm the night before in Drymen, was pretty jokes as I turned up with 6 litres on strongbow in a spar bag as I was ensuring I had my carryout for the next night. Not sure the organisers seemed too thrilled at my clear athletic nature ha ha everyone in our team joked about the posibility of my death and the general lack of chance of me completing. I have a fairly self deprovating style of humour, so I played to this a lot, lower expectations is the key

The start line was a good old fashioned Midgey fest, I still look like a plague victim, I have about 120 bites, without exaggeration! despite having top of the line "Smidge" applied throughout. The trek was not going to phase me at all, just the week before I had trekked 7 miles in primark plimsoles through Muirhours (where trainspotting is set), so this would be a walk in the park (quite literally I suppose). I banked the first 8 miles without issue, lovely scenary, ambled down hills pretty quick and I think people started to realise I was fitter than perhaps thought.
The next 8 were a much greater test, the conditions were boggy, the rocks pretty slippy and I saw a few spectacular tumbles. I did say if I fell in the bad mud, I would be calling my mummy to pick me up and not playing anymore. I had one comedy, this puddle cannot be that big moment, turns out to be a semi lake and was "balls deep" but not in the good way ha ha arrived in
Start - Drymen Sat 08:22:42 ----- -----
CP1 - Aberfoyle Sat 10:06:50 01:44:08 01:44:08 278th (501)
CP2 - Callander Sat 12:33:41 04:10:59 02:26:51 280th (501)The above is from the official website, so we got to Callander in 4 hours 10 minutes, not a fast time, but we were not running and did the first half as a team. There was a lot of slowing down to let people catch up and I think I could have comfortably done it a lot faster. I was feeling pretty fresh in this point, the clear country air is amazing motivating, I was actually starting to feel pretty good about the whole thing.
At Callander was the moment of truth regarding the bike, got on my hire, wearing my fetching new cycling shorts which were busy cutting off the circulation to my lower leg, and pushed one foot in front of the other! BINGO, we did not fall off! on the down side we could not work the gears, back in my day you had a 5 speed Shimano single gear box, Why the Fuck does this thing have 2 gear levers?

?
We set off and quite comically my friend was insturcting me with gear changes for the first little while, when he stopped the whole thing went a strange pear like shape! I had not quite figured out steering yet, misjudged a corner went to put my foot down out of fear and found out it had nowhere to go. Queue a spectacular fall down a 3 foot ditch into a pile of rocks!! OUCHIO! my mate come round to see the trees rustle and me appear, laughing on the inside but a mix of scared and hurt on the inner.
After this, I decided I would be very careful going down hill! Pretty sure my hire bike break will never be the same again! only the right one mind, as the left gear/break scared me and was never used!
I began to get into a rhythm, my left gear never moved from 2, and I just worked the right gear up and down to navigate hills, I know this cost me but I just could not figure out what the hell was going on! Aroiund 4 miles in we began to go on our own pace, so there was no longer support, it was me against the road. Myself and my friend Fiona tended to get into stops at the same time, as I could go up hills well, and she could go down them, so we kept crossing, was getting a bit like, FFS not you again!
CP3 - Balquhidder Sat 14:34:18 06:11:36 02:00:37 274th (476)Reached Balquihidder have made up, although I had thought this was half way, turns out it was actually only 10 miles! FML when I discovered this! The next stage was utter hideous, 7 miles without a decline, one particular zig zag hill was just an impossibility, other cyclists stopping meant losing momentum and I eventually had to take my bike for a walk, which is just so bad as the legs are like jelly and so much better to be cycling! Got to the water stop thing we had 9 miles to go and this was the FML we have 20 moment! This was the closest to the wall that I got! I just did not know what to do.....
...the feeling of passing people who looked like keen cyclists while clearly not having a clue what I was doing was hugely motivating, this pushed me on, the feeling that you are doing something that nobody thought you could and the fact it was such a good cause pushed me through! Plus the girl at the water stop told me it was all down hill to Killin, that helped
CP4 - Killin Sat 16:00:26 07:37:44 01:26:08 249th= (473) Felt great at Killin, the wall was over and we had 16 miles to go, being passed half way is such a good motivator, you feel like you have broken the challenge before it has broken you. I was very pleased when I saw the above to see I had made 30 places + over the toughest stage, I am blessed with rugby player legs, so the hill climbs were very good for me, as mentioned previously though, being shit scared made me less swift on the downslopes! I really did not want to die out there ha ha
At this point I made my getaway from Fiona, there was 6 in our team, 3 runners and 3 trekkers, I was now leading the way for the trekkers and it was a good feeling to know I was not dragging the team down and was actually cometitive on this cycle. The last 7 miles felt like an utter breeze, I was so happy to know that the end was coming and I just kept plugging away. The event staff were incredible, always smiling and willing you on, it made for such a brilliant day. Also county people and outdoors pursuit enthusiasts are so nice and welcoming, never said good morning/afternoon/evening so many times in my life! amazing all 3 in one challenge!
When I got to the finish line I was delighted, we had an amazing support team who had met us at each stage and willed us on as well as keeping us fed and watered!
Finish - Kenmore Sat 18:07:27 09:44:45 02:07:01 252nd (448) So, I managed to finish 4th in my team, and 252nd overall. Very pleased with that, doing the challenge was the main aim, but amazingly I felt okay afterwards, it was a moment of realisation that maybe I was fitter than I thought!
The evenings entertainment was also top class, massive tent with a Cailleigh (bad spelling), I have never been a great highland dancer but as my older friends were dying I was basically the designated dance partner for all their wives!!! was getting pretty dizzy by the end, also doing it in Timberland boots meant there toes must have been hurting as I am not Mr coordinated! The final strip the willow was almost the second time I hit the wall, it literally lasted an age! but I powered through, mainly as I was busy trying to chat up the massage girls and could not show weakness!!! ha ha
Our team managed to stay up till they turned the lights off and were the only competitors still drinking #winning camped out over night and woke up with a great feeling of acomplishment! Ironically my sorest injury was my achillies which appears to be from Highland dancing in tims! was a long old journey home but loved every moment!
Already talking about what to do next year, this has been muted:
Now in its thirteenth year, the Kindrochit Quadrathlon combines four tests of your strength and endurance:
- Swim 0.8mile across Loch Tay
- Navigate and climb 7 Munros
- Kayak 7 miles
- Cycle 34 miles round Loch Tay
The clock only stops when you take the sword and slice a watermelon in two, before a fabulous post-event party feast and fireworks on the banks of Loch Tay. After all the sweat and tears it is a chance to finally kick back and celebrate what you have achieved yourself and for others.My mate said the scariest thought of that was someone giving me a sword! I said "can you hire one, or can I bring my own" ha ha
We managed to raise £3,000 for the charities as part of our team and personally I conquered a lot of demons! Still a few to conquer, its like Buffy the Vampire Slayer in my head. Thanks for reading, token picture below (assuming it works)