Exmoor Beast

You know this morning when you woke up and looked out of the window - did you notice that summer had come to an end? Gale force winds and horizontal rain! Hm. It was at 4am that I made tracks to Butlins at Minehead for the Exmoor Beast. Of all the days - particularly considering the fantastic weather we've had! Why did it have to break today of all days! It was clear early on that conditions were extreme, and reports coming direct from the top of the moor were talking about 50 mile an hour winds. The rain was lashing down. There were obvious safety issues for the organisers to factor and options to consider - would we go at all, would be one of them! The 101 mile dream was over, the call was made to only do the 100k route and postpone for an hour. The decision was met with little resistance. What transpired over the next 5 hours was a battle royale against the elements.

To put some perspective on how extreme it was - at times on the flat straights I could muster only 6 miles an hour (compared to a normal 15-20), barely managing to stay on the bike at times. And the easiest part of the first 35 miles was the long haul up from Lynemouth to Simonsbath, the 6 mile uphill run, the place that I had feared the most. The sheltered valley offered all 1700 competitors a respite from the battering.

It was brutal! So many steep strength sapping climbs - one after another, after another with the wind seemingly head on all the time. Even the downhill sections offered little respite and had to be treated with respect as leaves, branches and pine needles scattered over the road made for ice like conditions. You had to keep a keen eye on the riders in front to watch for places where the wind blasted through gaps in the hedges from the roadside. Charging was not an option. All the riders became insular - this had become a personal battle. The incessant driving rain called for full concentration, heads down and chatting was not an option.

At the start line, I muscled my way to the second row. After ten miles I'd managed to keep with the leading pack. On the hills I did okay losing only a few places. But once we became fully exposed on the top of the Moor, well there were many stronger riders.

I crossed the finishing line after 5 hours and 2 mins (the leaders coming in around 4 hours 15) that was 437th out of 1730 - with 5 weeks training I've got to be pretty stoked with that. My quads have never felt as tired as that, ever. But I was really chuffed having conquered some of the steepest roads at their most challenging and giving it all without stopping! It was a huge mental and physical test and a very memorable experience! It was a great day.