29th, April 2023
'Etape Lochness 2023
So I wasn't looking forward to Etape Lochness 2023. Training at this time of year is tricky, especially when you have a rubbish winter and there are colds and bugs flying about. Saying that, I wasn't worried about it either. Waking up at 4am and looking outside on the day of the ride, it was cold, wet and windy, so far from inviting. It crossed my mind not to do it, but it would have pissed me off if I hadn't.
Once the race had started, I started to enjoy it. I wasn't in the mood for blasting down to Fort Augustus, so leached off other riders all the way down. The hill was pretty easy, popped into the lowest gear and spun up. After the top, the headwind became apparent. It was going to grind back to Inverness.
All in all, I did enjoy it. My time was 3 hours and 37 minutes. 7 minutes longer than my target. I did think this would be my last one, but next year is the 10th year of the ride, so may see if I can keep my fitness up this year and go for a PB next.
Jim