Torridon. Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon Race report 23 June 2012

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Cora Brooks
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Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon Race report 23 June 2012 I had hoped to do the Norseman in 2012, but sadly did not get in on the ballot.

wanted to visit so why not kill two birds with one stone. So I took a deep breath and entered the ballot (which I think every got through) and what an amazing race it proved to be.

Torridon On I was through the ballot we booked flights and accommodation fortuitously very near where the start turned out to be.

1 Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon Race report 23 June 2012 I had hoped to do the Norseman in 2012, but sadly did not get in on the ballot. Whilst waiting for the Norseman ballot result a new extreme iron distance race was announced to take place in the very north west of Scotland, This was a part of the world I had always wanted to visit so why not kill two birds with one stone. So I took a deep breath and entered the ballot (which I think every got through) and what an amazing race it proved to be. The most astonishing race I have been in. I reached new highs and new lows and loved every minute of it. This race will become a classic and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Torridon On I was through the ballot we booked flights and accommodation fortuitously very near where the start turned out to be. The swim course was not announced till May with the bike and run coursed being announced in the spring. Given the remoteness of the race the number of entrants was limited to 150. The start list showed 149. The course was as follows The swim was to be a 3.8k A to B swim across Loch Sheildag

The bike was 127 miles of Scottish highland, with each competitor needing a support team Marathon was a game of 3 halves o 1st a 11 mile off road / over the Coulin pass route which required some

Gaelic) is on one of the spurs off the main ridge of Beinn Eighe and stands at a height of 1,010m.

2 The bike was 127 miles of Scottish highland, with each competitor needing a support team Marathon was a game of 3 halves o 1st a 11 mile off road / over the Coulin pass route which required some safety kit o the second 11 mile section, requiring a support runner and full safety kit, maps etc, up on to the Beinn Eighe Massive with its 2 munros Ruadh-stac Mòr ('Big Red Stack' in Scottish Gaelic) is on one of the spurs off the main ridge of Beinn Eighe and stands at a height of 1,010m. The second Munro, Spidean Coire nan Clach ('Peak of the Corrie of Stones' in Scottish Gaelic), is the highest point on the main ridge itself. It stands at a height of 993m; and o a 4 mile road run to the finish. The team My ever supporting wife kindly said she would join me for the trip, which meant my Mother looked after our youngest child and my old man took the elder three to sailing event! So much support, thank you! As for the support up the mountain? My Cousin Freddie, a female GBR Age grouper, volunteered. She had qualified for escape from Alcatraz so would be well trained. She did so well out at San Francisco and was 2 nd in her AG BUT on the way back picked up Flu on the plane. Two days before the event I got a call raising the Alarm she had a temperature of 102 and was not getting better. At this point James, my brother, who had done no training offered to take Freddie s place so the team was complete. Training In 2011 I got myself overtrained by doing too much to early. This year I held back at about 8 hours per week from New Year through to the beginning of April. I then got an inguinal hernia (or two as it now transpires). So I had to decide have the operation and bail on the Celtman or press on. I pressed over a 12 week program built up to about 22 hours training in my peak week. The training

was all slow & steady as the Hernia did not help, but given the course configuration I was fairly relaxed. The Day before! Alison, James and I flew to Inverness on Friday and drove over to Torridon.

3 was all slow & steady as the Hernia did not help, but given the course configuration I was fairly relaxed. The Day before! Alison, James and I flew to Inverness on Friday and drove over to Torridon. For those that don t know where this is it is properly north. When you come out of Inverness Airport the sign post pointing South/East says Aberdeen 100 miles!! As he headed over to Torridon for registration we were simply stunned by the beauty of the place. It is fair to say that I have not swum in a more beautiful location or cycled a more glamorous route. Having registered we went to our B&B at Sheildag and then to the race briefing. After 1 hour it became clear that the event was somewhat more of undertaking than I had initially envisaged! A quick trip to the Swim start (the course is from beyond the left side to the village of white houses on the right And rebuilding the bike for the first time!

By 8pm we were enjoying a pasta meal and then early to bed for a 2:45am rise. Race day By 3am I was enjoying Pauline the B&B owner s porridge, 2 eggs, toast and tea.

4 By 8pm we were enjoying a pasta meal and then early to bed for a 2:45am rise. Race day By 3am I was enjoying Pauline the B&B owner s porridge, 2 eggs, toast and tea. She and all the locals were very excited to be having the race in their part of the world and the reception we received was wonderful. No sooner had I finished my Breakfast did the Midges start theirs though!!! As I walked down to rack the bike and get chipped I got well and truly munched (a theme for the day) With the bikes racked we all got onto coaches to be taken to the swim start, everyone either focused and quiet or making magdelan jokes. The Swim The swim start was simply stunning see below. BUT the water was cold 11 degrees (unfounded rumours of 10 degrees abound), so the swim was shortened by taking out the loop of the small island (making it c3.2k). As we entered the water the bagpipes were playing and a huge Celtman logo lit. Uber Atmospheric

6 Man the water was cold, and also full of blue stinging jelly fish (one or more got my neck!) I really enjoyed the first half of the swim with its glimpses of mountains, crystal clear water and jelly fish to dodge, but as it proceeded the cold began to really affect me. My hands were like claws and I could not pull my fingers together, my catch went to pieces. After 1:06 minutes I staggered out of the water to be met by a very warm handed Alison carrying flat coke for me to drink.

7 I was so cold (see below), it to over 6 minutes to do a normally 1 minute transition, but it was the same for everyone. The Ride

The ride went perfectly Alison and James met me in just the right places about once an hour after Gairloch where they had a reputedly fantastic breakfast organised by Celtman for supporters.

8 The ride went perfectly Alison and James met me in just the right places about once an hour after Gairloch where they had a reputedly fantastic breakfast organised by Celtman for supporters. The 127 miles took the planned time 7:20 (c50th bike time). I was really careful to cycle within myself and averaged just 17.5 mph. Lots left for the run, the nutrition was right, the energy usage was right. I left T2 heading up the Coulin Pass full of confidence a top third finish was to be the order of the day... The run Part 1 The Coulin Pass is like scene from the Lord of the rings, it is magical. It starts with 250m ascent which I ran/walked whilst having some banana and High 5. When I reached the top I settled into a nice tempo run of 8 minute miles. All was going too well. When I reached the first of the 2 feed stations should have run passed and stuck to my nutrition plan, but I am weak and feeble and was hungry. It was covered in cakes, chocolate, Pretzels etc. I ate 3 slices of fruit cake, a couple of chocky cakes etc.

Well with the best part of 135 miles in me you don t need to have PhD in Nutrition to know what happens next. The whole system shut down. One moment of madness cost me a really decent result.

9 Well with the best part of 135 miles in me you don t need to have PhD in Nutrition to know what happens next. The whole system shut down. One moment of madness cost me a really decent result. Anyway I pressed on to T2A where I was meeting James for the run. I got there and just over an hour later, 1:50 after setting out. I had gained three places and lost three. Not bad I thought, but I was very aware I had very low energy levels. As I came to the car I started to bonk. Alison gave me some tea and flat coke but I could not manage any food. I spent 10 minutes trying to sort the stomach out but to no avail, so press on we did!

10 Most importantly I had made the 12 hour cut off at T2A with and hour and half to spare and was somewhere in the early 50 s out of the 149 entrants. I am not sure how many started as there had been a highish drop out rate The Run Part 2 - Climbing! After an imposed 2 minute break for a kit check James and I headed up the mountain. Following the snake of competitors. It was strange to be so close to the competitors given I had in the last hours seen very few on the bike and the run. Everyone started by walking before moving to hands and feet as we scrambled up. I used a walking pole which helped n=but may have slowed me down. If I do the event again I will not take on. Whilst it was sunny in the Valley the mountain tops were covered in Cloud and as we climbed the temperature dropped dramatically and visibility closed to 20m or so.

I was totally out of energy and my stomach would not accept food. As soon as we reached the first mountain stream we ditched the High 5 and refilled with water.

Over 40 teams had passed us, but despite this we were loving it. All the way James was motivating me to keep moving, trying to keep me moving, eating and drinking.

11 I was totally out of energy and my stomach would not accept food. As soon as we reached the first mountain stream we ditched the High 5 and refilled with water. Over the next ½ hour I had to stop every 5 minutes whilst I took on water and then added chocolate. After 2 hours we reached first peak, some 1 hour longer than planned. Over 40 teams had passed us, but despite this we were loving it. All the way James was motivating me to keep moving, trying to keep me moving, eating and drinking. At the first peak I took 5 minutes and got some Jaffa Cakes in. From here on in the energy built and we started to overtake people back, what a relief. However the terrain was unlike anything James or I had encountered before. With limited time/resources we

I now know that a path marked on a map for a mountain marathon means someone once walked there and that is about it! Here is the thing.

12 had been unable to visit Torridon first and lacked the wit to Google for what it might be like. I had read there was a path to run along at the top. Now I was not imagining blue belled woods but I had not thought that there could be so many boulders. I now know that a path marked on a map for a mountain marathon means someone once walked there and that is about it! Here is the thing. James and I simply loved the challenge of the unexpected terrain. Yes we were slower than the who are more experienced but we were learning something new. Also we had completely misunderstood how important preparation form navigation would be. We got a bit lost and off the path and ended up climbing along a ridge we did not need to, including doing the extra munro! But who really cares if we lost an extra half hour, we met lots of new people in a challenging environment. Once we started the descent we started to make some places, we helped an all lady team down, one of which had vertigo (very impressive that she managed it at all), took some photos of other competitors for their albums not thinking time could be critical at the bottom... The most amazing descent Path What can only described as a boulder field Then started running as much as we could when we got to the path off the mountain.

At T2B we dumped our packs and Alison came to collect them. She then met us enroute to give me some tea and flat coke. Every time I pressed on though I felt nauseous.

13 At T2B we dumped our packs and Alison came to collect them. She then met us enroute to give me some tea and flat coke. Every time I pressed on though I felt nauseous. Run Part 2 7km road run So James and I resigned ourselves to jogging a long at 10.5 minute miles as we were never going to catch the two groups in front. We had three groups behind us and so long as they stayed there were happy. Clearly they were not so happy to stay behind and the pace started to pick up. With 1km to go one chap had closed to within 50m and we were now running at 7 minute miles. With 1/2k to go we were now flat out at 5 minute miles (this after 16:40 racing). The last 200m were run at a full sprint. I am pleased to report the fellow did not get passed me. On finishing he smiled nicely and said I was not racing you, I just wanted to get to the food!! I finished 69 th in 16:40. Neither numbers I am particularly happy with. I think I am good for a time of about 15 hours on this course. WE were less than 90 seconds form three other teams at the end. Remember those photos taken halfway down... That said who really cares if you come 66 th or 69 th if you have no photos of the craic and if have not had time to enjoy it with your competitors. Post event I felt strangely less broken but more tired. I think that is because you cannot smash the marathon combined with the length of the race. So fatigue is far higher without the damage. After the race I spoke to Susanne Buckenleiwhen, female winner and 3x winner of the Noresman - I asked which was harder, CM or Norseman? - "Norseman is a Tri, this is more like an adventure race, so they are both very hard but not so comparable". Like many I was expecting a Tri and less climbing and enforced walking, but life is richer for its surprises!

com/2012/06/28/video-the-celtman-extreme-scottishtriathlon/ A fantastic video

14 James, Alison and me the morning after And finally the finishers photo For a short video see the attached. A fantastic video race report by a fellow tritalker

Mirjam s Celtman my bit part Dave Robertson

Mirjam s Celtman my bit part Dave Robertson Mirjam had set her goal on competing in the Celtman Extreme Triathlon in 2017. This is a scary race based in Torridon. It starts at 5am with a 3.8km swim in