Salamon 4Trails, Austria July 2019

(Seefeld to Leutasch - 24.5km, 1600m 3hr 48)
 4Trails, day 1. Bright sunshine, warm. Two massive lumps in 25km ( ok, one massive, the second merely large but impact significant due to the first in legs) meant that it mostly felt like a hike rather than a running race.... my own lack of descending skills partially to blame for that! A bit more technical than the Quantocks. And maybe... I DO need some of those damn walking stick For now I'm just inside top 10, got to stand on a podium for the Fv40+ class, and more importantly, first Carritt.

 (Leutasch to Weildermeiming – 24.2km, 1250m, 3hr35)
 Day 2 on the trail started with a Yelp of pain as I discovered that I have broken all my legs and arse cheeks. The run today started with a lovely gentle climb, a good warm up, for some reason the uphill parts were the least painful...then one helluva hill which we had to scramble over. Lotte and I were pretty close all day (somehow, she'd retained the use of her legs) until the descent off the mountain, which I took at the speed of a geriatric without walking sticks.... Lotte took full advantage on the final descent into the finish, placing 9th in our catagory woman and 6 minutes ahead of me. So its 1 all. Aggregate times place her ahead by 4 minutes still. So its ON tomorrow for day 3.... Can someone please make sure that my legs get the memo...and wheel me to somewhere that serves steak!

 (Weildermeiming to Nassereth – 21.6km, 1270m, 3h14)
 Saloman 4 trails, day 3. 75% done ...and 100% broken!! A slightly shortened course today, due to forecast thunderstorms they decided that less time on a ridge at +2000m would be better, so it was a simple up n down jobbie. The ups, weirdly were not a problem. Any decline however was. (You know that post marathon/ironman can't walk down stairs/ lower yourself onto the toilet seat feeling? Double it and then try to run off the top of a mountain.... ) Yes, my legs may actuallg be broken. Yes, I may be seriously considering the purchase of some special wanking poles. Yes, I might be getting my ass handed to me by my weedy little sister ( and the majority if the rest of the Master Women) and Yes, I've become an Aid Station Lingerer.... ....but its a very interesting type of fun and the scenery is ok and the company not too terrible, I suppose . My comeback is coming tomorrow Lotte Carritt. Be ready.

 (Nassereith to Imst – 25km, 1200m, 3h13)
 Well, that's that done....day 4 and, following a decent sized steak, a decent amount of merlot and a go on Lotte Carritt's quad squeezer... I actully felt almost OK for the start of this one...and ready to make my Big Comback from the back of the pack to, well..so where near the middle. No matter that it was pissing down...much of the route was through forests, with only a relatively small climb, and even in the wet not such a terrifying decent- so, mostly runnable. In fact, on fresh legs this route would have been a blast. As it was, I held a good position to the top if the first pass, then as expected The Field ran through me on the wet n rooty way down. But no sign of The Loat. Maintaining a lead on her motivated me somewhat, and it was just a case of steady progress, run all the hills (knowing that she wont) no stopping for photos, and try to ignore my quad complaints on the down hills. We didn't see each other all day, and lucky for me I crossed the line before she'd had the chance to catch me today. So we are 2 all, and I'm happy enough with thaf. Very proud of Lotte Carritt for making the top 10 in the overall Master Woman competition. I'll accept 13th as it's been a painful but interesting experience, i have learned to pee standing up, accepted that there might be more to this poles thing than unnecessary and annoying accessories, that even if you think you are shit-hot, perhaps you maybe shouldn't run flat out on day 1 of a 4 day event ( even if there is air freshener to be won), drunk a lot of beer and spent 4 days looking at some very nicely toned legs...... holidays are wikid!

Tales From Morrocco - Atlas toAtlantic Bike Tour

Day 1 - 3rd Feb 2019 The first day of our Morroco tour...and quite a warm up ride. Just the most amazing day on the bike....to be in such totally different scenery and culture. Varied roads, with all manner of surprises around each corner, and a big -ass climb up to the ski resort at Oukaimeden ..Local children hold their hands out for High Five as you pass, or run along side the bike ...women crouched around ovens set in the rock in apparently the middke of nowhere at 2000m, on arriving at the top you are immediately offered Very Good Quality quartz rock, necklaces, a bag of lemongrass... A long "technical" descent to end the day, with sunset views of the Atlas still yet to come.

Day 2 - 4th Feb 2019 Our second day of cycling, took us through less touristed roads, a much quieter ride . Gently climbing the valley, roads shaded by almond trees and again into the mountains. Up to Tizi en Tete, the highest road pass in the region..where, having scraped Marc Atkinson off the road, we stopped for a Moroccan feast of a lunch. All descending for the second half of the day, unfortunately not without incident, as Robin suffered a blow out and kissed the asphalt at speed. Really not the kind of thing one ever wants to witness on the bike and a very unnerving day. Fortunately both the guys are pretty much "fine" and after a few stitches were back with us for dinner. The stayed over night in an old palace.... Orange groves, peacocks, four poster beds and the most incredible decorative tile work. Only thing (desperatly) lacking was alcohol!! If ever there was an evening that we wanted it!!!

 Day 3 - 5th Feb 2019 We left the High Atlas region today, with a bus transfer across the plain to start our ride at Imi Mquorn. A 3rd day with again very different landscape and terrain. Hot, rocky and rolling...we were at lower altitudes and the granite landscape much more craggy, black rocks radiating heat ...the theme of the day was "isn't it warm"? A short ride today...we spent ~3 hours ascending, picnic lunch, another hour or so going up - my legs flaked out on this part, so was able to enjoy countering along the empty roads in the sunshine alone - and then a spectacular, cooling (cautious!!) descent for 20km down to Taufarout to finish.

 Day 4 - 6th Feb 2019 Yesterday's ride was a loop from and back to Tafarout... the highlight if which, if you're kinda getting bored of fabulous switch back climbs and long sweeping descents on near deserted roads with a m a z i n g views, was the Ait Mansour valley. Descending off the first big lump of the day, into a rocky gorge...which became progressively greener with palm trees as we reached Ait Mansour Oasis. The road through which didn't seem like a thing that bicycles should pass, and the temperatures plummeting from the 20s in the sun to near freezing in the shade of the trees...but intrepid bicycling enthusiasts that we are, made it through. The scenery turned to dessert, the road weaving between huge mounds of stratified terracotta rock... some "proper" dirt roads, causing our chief guide to lose his sense of humour (winging it much?) And much amusement for us..... the group split after snack stop, 6 of us competed the 135km route as a chain gang, bullied along by the Chairman. Legs down to 6 bars. Should get me through the last couple of big days.

 Day 5- 7th Feb 2019 5th day...and it's been a biggie, but THE BEST (again) riding. You gotta like mountains, I don't think there were any flat bits ... but if was net downhill today, so lots more descending practice. We rode out of Taftout, down into valleys and the landscape for this section much more like I'd imagined Morrocco to be...drier and rolling, red earth dotted with scrubby loking argon and almond trees, cloaked shepherds and their goats. Not dissimilar to Gran Canaria, but on a lot of Califorian Advil ;)... first climb of the day, traffic free but sketchy surface as they'd just laid fresh chipping to the surface made the switch backed ,descent a bit hairy. Snack stop, a lie down on the road for some dates, oranges and trail mix- not a Haribo in sight all week ! Onwards over a couple more big climbs both with brilliant views and long sweeping descents, starting to get the hang of this - and really enjoying it. Big grins all round. Jon Ellis-Smith and I agreed we didn't think a Thursday bimble could possibly be more fun. Picnic lunch in the hills, bit more riding, stopping for pictures, the last little bit dragged on as the day got hotter... retired to a cafe for cold drinks and regroup for a stinky hungry sticky bus transfer into the city of Agadir for the night. Reckon I was down to 3 bars by the end of that! ...luckily it was a buffet dinner.

 Day 6 - 8th Feb Our last day was to include a ride through Paradise Valley, which I was very excited about and therefore rather disappointed by the reality when it turned out to be "under construction" and a ride along a rumble river bed with not a lot to look at, if one were willing to take their eye off the ground infront. Still, negotiating the river bed like surface kept the group together until the start of the big climb of the morning... gaining 1000m over 30km. I think it's fair to say we were all a bit apprensivd about this, and mostly resolved to settle into the least painful rhythm and tap it out gently. I was in no hurry, and operating on about 2bar by now, had no choice. Fortunately there was the usual delightful scenery to distract us...and a surprise come break after 10km to re unite the strung out riders. We were also told that only 12km to go, thus we somehow saved 8km of climbing. Great descent and by now the front pack had long disappeared, I continued to twiddle, yakinbbin the last views of this brilliant countryside. Turns out that I chose the right day to ride in the "groupetto". Not entirely my choice, but for all our chasing myself and Dylan Bogg couldn't see any sign of the legends that had apparently disappeared up the road. When we arrived at the shaded clear g that had been chosen for our lunchdtop at 80km, we were very surprised that no one was there already. It turned out that the lead pack had been lead astray, 10k up another climb.....and were at that time on their way back to the route. Dylan and Charlie Brookes were most sympathetic of course ;) Realising that we'd have an hour or so to wait for them to catch us, we elected yo roll on slowly, as a group, to the finish... hoping that the others might cstchbus before the end of the day. This made for a most pleasant ride to e d the week...an ice cream (of sorts) at the surf town of Imsuoane, and the nice warm feeling of having "won" the Tour of Morrocco by brain rather than brawn