Bealaching

 On this day last year I rode the 'Bealach Beag' cycle event.  It covers 72km and 1500m of climbing, up and over the Bealach na Ba, the UK's biggest road climb - and the brutal coast road that follows it to complete a circuit of the beautiful Applecross Peninsula. 

If that sounds familiar, it may be because it is the same route - barring another 20km - as is used for the Celtman Solo Point Five bike course. 

So really, I had to do it again this year!  To pass it up would have been passing up a perfect opportunity to train on th longest climb on these shores, and to test myself against a time limit: could I do it fast enough to meet the 5 hour cut-off time? 

Last year, it took me 4 hours 48 minutes.  I stopped a couple of times on the way up the Bealach (carefully chosen - it's not easy starting off again with cleats on a steep climb), and stopped at the feed station in Applecross village.  I enjoyed it last year but struggled towards the end, and was pretty broken when I finished. 

So this year, I hoped to get that time down to closer to the 4 hour mark.  The Celtman Solo Point Five bike cut-off is 6 hours after the race start.  I need an hour (ish) for the swim and transition; that's 5 hours for the bike, and it's 20km longer than the Bealach Beag. 

I've been training reasonably hard lately, and only had two rest days before the event - could I do it?  I'd give it a go and find out.  

Setting off, I felt good.  It was a lovely day, with just a gentle breeze from the south - perfect for this route. I'd just try and ride the route, not push it, but not slack too much either.  

Let's be clear about this though - the Bealach is HARD.  I don't think it matters who you are, or how much of a racing snake you are: it's 610m of sustained climbing with significant portions above 10% gradient.  It's hard.  And it was no different today. Funnily enough, I stopped in exactly the same spots as last year - mostly because I can clip in again to get started!  

The difference this year was that I didn't feel like I needed to stop at the top.  I felt quick and comfortable on the descent, and didn't feel the need to stop at the feed station either.  I unwrapped a Veloforte bar while riding, had the odd mouthful of that, and kept going... 

To cut a very long story short... I didn't need to stop. And I didn't feel broken.  I just kept plodding on, up all the steep, sharp hills of the coast road.  And made it to the end 28 minutes quicker than last year. 

Now, 4 hours 20 minutes for that route is not quick.  But I don't care - it's quick enough.  I have 7 weeks of training left, and I will be tapered and ready on the day.  

I can swim the swim route; I can ride the bike route; all I need to do is put it all together, get to the start of the run, and then put one foot in front of the other for 14 hilly, rocky miles...

Bring it on.