Highland Fling 2014

Words by Belinda Althaus.



Twelve weeks of intense training, lots of hill climbing (like crazy amounts), and a few 4hr races had led to this day, the Highland Fling.  Time had come around again, however the day was a contrast difference to 2013 whereby average temperatures were about nine degrees, drizzling light rain, no dust and a few less k's.

 

It was what you would consider ideal climate, sunny with a light breeze.  However this brought with it some downsides.  It was dusty, hot in the exposed areas and the wind only picked up as the morning rolled on.  An extra 6kms were added to this year's Full Fling which in hindsight doesn't sound like much…. What they didn't tell us was that there would be a lot more climbing as well. More singletrack was added in the second loop as well which would test the skills, particularly in my case as this hasn't always been a strong point of mine.  



My goal this year was to ride a sub-six hour race with the 2013 race being 6hr 6mins.  I was feeling confident, I had trained hard, and prepared well.  I was mentally and physically fitter and it had all come down to this race.  I decided I would race with the elite women, noting that these women are strong and brilliant at what they do.  Some of these girls included the likes of Jenny Fay, Peta Mullens, Christy Henderson, Rebecca Locke, Lucy Betchel and Naomi Hansen who was the current leader in the Marathon Maverick series.  I was clearly not within the calibre of these riders, but I wasn't going to let this deter me in racing my best.  The Full Flingers (excluding elite) and 100milers set of 15mins earlier then us, and before long time had rolled around for us to hit the pedals. 



The elite bunch including males and females weren't large (20-30riders) which made for a surprisingly pleasant start.  I was aware of my experience and ensured I stayed out of the main field and instead tacked onto the back.  This may have proved a bad move but I didn't want to be seen as "that rider" so for me it was the safest move.  The start wasn't too hectic and the bunch stayed together for the first 5kms.  I was holding on the wheels of the bunch with relative ease, however clicking it back a notch on approach to a loose sandy corner followed by a moderate pinch the gap began to open and the bunch was spreading out.

 

Naomi Hansen had also fallen from the back and I was holding her wheel.  We both began to lose contact and it was at this point that I made the decision to ride behind her wheel rather then lose contact altogether.  Naomi was a strong rider, consistent pace; however she was lagging on hills which suited me.  I used this to my advantage and therefore was able to ride consistently with her in my sights knowing that I only had to put a few good pedals in on the hills and then just maintain on the flats. This worked well, and it enabled me to ride into Transition 1 directly behind her with having over-done it.



Transition went well, a bottle change and some solid food and I was off ready for the second stage.  At this point I was in front of Naomi and help this position until the first section of single track appeared. I was riding well, except I came to a rock garden which I baulked at which was then followed immediately by several riders coming through with I waiting with no where to go until they passed.  Naomi was in this group and so again I was behind her. No time to give up I got back into rhythm riding with intensity, pushing up the hills where I could.  It was getting hotter, the exposed fire roads weren't helping either and my two water bottles were rapidly emptying.  I was conserving my water with anticipation that the mid way water refill would come soon.  A welcomed relief when I saw it, stopping quickly to refill.  Within 10kms of the finish of Stage 2 I descended a hill to see Naomi on the side repairing a puncture.  This was my opportunity to put some time in and with that I was spurred on to keep pushing all the way home.  

Transition 2 appeared and I was clearly behind my goal time of 4hrs.  It had now been 4hrs 40mins but I wasn't going to let this disappoint me.  I had a race to finish and I just wanted to finish strong. Another brief stop in transition, some more solid food and I were again on my way for the final leg. This could arguably be described as the hardest part of the ride as there is a section of single track within the last 15kms that tests every ounce of your concentration and mental capacity.  After a disastrous finish in 2013 whereby I nearly gave up at the 90km mark due to hitting the wall, I was determined this would not happen again.  Instead I continued to eat, and broke it down into 3 lots of 10kms. You do what you can to get you through and this was my best option on the day.  

It worked and I rode a strong final 30km, riding well against the times of the elite women ahead of me.  The single track seemed to fly by and the "final 5km" was getting closer every minute.  Once I saw this, the pedals were turning with exhilaration and determination knowing that once again the Fling had been flung and I had managed to finish with a sense of strength not to mention contentment in my effort regardless of the finish time.

 Unfortunately the goal of sub-6hrs wasn't met, and instead I rode a 6hr 29min.  This was the case for many riders including the elite riders however with many saying it was a lot harder and many riding a 1/2hr longer race.  This was a relief knowing that it too was a tough day for them.  

Overall I had a good day.  Will I do it again in 2015, well I would hope so!  It's a challenging race, but it's a race that can suit a lot of different riders.  For now though, it's just about the end of a season in what has been quite a lot of racing and travelling.  I'm very much looking forward to putting my feet up for a few weeks and just enjoying some sleep-ins and some social rides (or no rides). 2015 looks to be an exciting year of improving my skills and tackling that singletrack!!

 

Many thanks go to the team at BerryMountain Cycles for their continued support and service, they always keeping my Fate in tiptop shape. In addition I would like to thank Lawrence Drummond from Origin Fitness for his guidance and coaching and pushing me consistently to be stronger and fitter. This race proved that Effort = Results.