Am I ready to take on the UK Mountain Bike Solo Championships? In a word, No, but I’m prepared as I can be. The months of planning are soon to become reality when the starting gun fires for the start of 24 Hours of Exposure on 7th May. Riding with the top endurance riders will be an honour, yet daunting as I rub shoulders with those who write the many blogs and tweets I follow..
Preparations are meticulous, as always, to give me the best opportunity for an excellent ride. So many of the seasoned 24 hour racers appear to turn up in their flash vehicles and team kit with new bikes, showered with sponsorship deals and full support crews. It seems that many others have connections within the cycle or fitness industries to gain a competitive advantage. I’m simply driving the 400 miles to Newcastleton with brother Dave and we are going to do the best we can. Dave supported me for my South Downs Double ride in 2009 and has kindly agreed to help me for the 24 hours of Exposure.
Much of my training has been on the North Downs around Ranmore and Box Hill. The 12 mile course for the race consists of 1800 feet of climbing per lap, which is the equivalent of 5 times up Box Hill. Detailed research on nutritional information has helped me piece together a formula to provide sufficient energy during the 24 hours. The 2 bikes are ready for action and just in case it rains, a spare set of wheels are primed with tyres more suited to mud.
Do follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com @Hillburner where we will provide updates on my progress. The latest tweets can be seen on the right of this blog.
