Last weekend was the Bristol Rat Race, undoubtedly the maddest most fun race ever. The result was with out doubt the best yet too, considering the quality of opposition that we were up against we were absolutely thrilled with our second place behind Saab Salomon. The team was Iona Robertson, Andy Simpson and myself and we just worked so well together. The race report is on Sleepmonsters as usual, but there were some real moments for me. In particular when Iona went over on her ankle that it made an awful sound, we thought it was game over, only half way through Saturday night. I gave her a strong painkiller and the miracle girl ran through the pain to put us in 4th place overnight, after bagging all the checkpoints on the way. Crucial stage it seems was the traverse we had to do of Bristol Grammar School’s climbing wall, as one slip off was curtains for the points total and the time penalty was harsh. Thankfully I made it although it was bloody hard as the holds were grimy as hell by the time we got there. Another moment was when my hydration bladder burst just before we had to go into the Royal Navy local HQ to do a surprise drill stage. I was stood there with this Navy officer shouting marching orders at us and my shorts were dripping away like he’d put the fear of God into me!

Sunday was mostly biking with a lot of familiar trails to me including sections of the Bristol to Bath Bike path and the River Avon Trail, as well as Ashton Court and the like. In between we had three abseils off the Bristol & West HQ, a massive one in the Avon Gorge, and finally one off the cranes in the Floating Harbour.

We race as Macpac Anatom, who provide us with some outstanding kit. Please click on the names to visit their sites.

What a phenomenal weekend! For once it wasn’t about the racing, it was about the good time shared with friends, old and new. Time spent on the bike was part of it, but only as a means to an end that involved the pub. Had a cracking bbq on Saturday with all the peeps I’ve known in Bath. The boys from the MTB club presented me with a beautiful Scotland Saltire riding jersey as a leaving gift. I nearly came over all emotional, it was a really appreciated gesture. Thanks again guys!

Took my three new South African friends down to Cheddar Gorge and had the funniest day in a long, long time. Cider and Cheddar fest so it was. Bank Holiday BBQ in Tetbury with the Clan Casey was a really nice finish to a thoroughly relaxing weekend. It was just such a massive relief to get the final year project in at long last, even if it didn’t all go as planned…Still not quite finished yet, roll on 24th June.

The infamous Man of Porage race at the weekend was definetly a highlight of the year so far. The Heading brothers, Jonathan Edwards and other Polaris veterans put on a great route for us to ride, totalling about 125km on the bike, plus 10km or so of foot orienteering, which all linked together as if it was just one of their favourite Sunday rides; which it turned out to be. The weather was perfect, although a little hot to sustain the blistering pace I set off at that saw me in the lead for the first hour or so. John Houlihan, Gary T, and Killian Lomas, all GB MTB-Orienteering team members eventually caught me and we rode together for a good while until Killian and I simultaneously seemed to blow our tops and we had to stop to take some layers off, by which time John and Gaz had disappeared over the horizon. A shortage of water in the heat forced me to just slow it down a bit and in the end I cruised home into 6th place, although if I hadn’t got lazy with the map and forgotten how to read the bloody thing at one stage I could have held on to 3rd. Ho hum, it was all about the spirit of the race, which was great and I hope that next years event, rumoured to be heading to the South West can be as good. Definetly one that can be won in the future…I hope…

Just back from an unexpected race at Coed y Brenin, Mid Wales and getting the kit through the machine for the third wash already. The week had started off with me in bed with some virus/cold/bug thing and a blank weekend ahead with which to catch up on missed work, but when word came through the grapevine that there were places going begging in teams for the weekend’s ACE race, I couldn’t resist. After a bit of to and fro-ing that almost had me racing for The North Face, I ended up in the wonderful Total Adventure team. Despite almost being old enough to be my parents (sorry guys if you read this, although most folks in UK AR are in that position!), they are a strong team with lots of good banter, and I had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend covered head to toe in sheep shit, mud, rain, river water and snot! Story of the weekend I think was the chap that The North Face persuaded to stand in for them, and who worked so hard that he collapsed in a jibbering heap close to the end of a long run and had to be carried by his team mates to the finish line! Fair play, he gave it his all and you can’t ask fairer than that.

Next up is Porage in the Peaks on 14th May… Should really do some training if I didn’t have so much work to do…

Hardcore XXX

The first big race of the season kicked off in style with the ACE XXX on 5th/6th March. It made for a rather anti-climatic birthday spent travelling North to the Lakes, but our hosts Pyro’s parents along with Iona pulled it out of the bag with a great meal and birthday cake! Cheers guys. The race was awesome and we came a very pleasing 3rd, although we lead for half of it. It came down to experience in the end and the other two teams had it in spades, and we acquired it in bucketfuls! What a wonderful race it was with some really beautiful, funny, tiring, scary, inspiring and fun moments. Well done Phil Humphries and all the hardy marshals.

Tom Gibbs was putting on the annual Quantocks fell race in Somerset at the weekend, and we made it down to have a bash. Not counting mountain marathons then this was my first proper fell race, but I didn’t think it was going to go too well as I lay on the sofa the night before, sure that I was coming down with the lurgy. A good nights sleep later and I still felt not quite right, but gave the race a go anyway. Was therefore very pleasantly surprised to be holding onto Gareth’s coat tails for the first climb and eventually held on for 5th place, while G won the thing. It’s looking good for the coming XXX if I can feel that bad and still manage a good result…. It looks few of the ‘big’ teams are racing so it could well be the race where we make our breakthrough. Here’s hoping…