Merida 100 Mtb Marathon
Merida 100 – Nearly
Fi Spotswood / 14.06.2006
The Merida 100km mountain bike race at Rhayader may not be an adventure race, but when two members of Team SleepMonsters, Gary Bridgeman and Fi Spotswood, entered following the Questars race the previous day, it was an adventure at any rate ...After a good sleep at the Rhayader campsite, we tentatively stretched out in the morning sunshine to see how the muscles were feeling after the previous day’s exertion. Following the essential bacon roll, bike tinkering, endless cups of tea and nervous chit chat, all 1000 of us eventually cued up on the track leading out the road start.
It was seriously exciting, particularly for me – an mtb race virgin. I was a bag of nerves on that start line, as it was the first solo endurance event I had ever done. I would have no team mates to pick up the pieces when my bike, or body, gave in. Deep breath.
The first 7km were on undulating Welsh lanes, at a fairly slow pace and in the sunshine. Such a contrast from the previous day’s rain and mist. The road section ended with a granny-ring climb up into the Black Mountains before we hit the sludgy singletrack we were to be battling with for the next 6 hours. I felt fabulous. I pulled away from several racing-snakes and was merrily chatting almost all the way up. Surely the legs would start aching in a minute?
The race itself offered options of 25, 50, 75 or 100km. I gave myself an opt-out clause allowing a shorter distance if I felt too tired. I didn’t want a repeat performance of the preceding Monday, which I spent asleep as I recovered from the 12 hour mountain bike ride across the South Downs Gary. No, it was time to be Captain Sensible.
But it was fabulous. The mud slowed everyone down, granted, but the pressure and adrenaline meant I was riding tougher descents, higher drop-offs and rockier, muckier single track than I had ever attempted before. I didn’t even disgrace myself on the photographer-supervised river crossing. I was climbing everything and just taking my time and working hard but keeping within myself. Bar a ten minute mid-race wobble where I hadn’t eaten enough I was loving it and drinking in the stunning views.See All Event Posts
