This is absolutely great for the sport. The downside is that
it has become a lot harder for a non professional to compete at elite level.
For me personally it is not the day to day training which I find challenging, I
am a motivated person enough to fit it all in around a busy full time work
schedule. It is the lack of recovery I am struggling with. When my training
starts to unwind before a big race, I finally have more time to organise
everything and find myself running around to the bike shop to get my bike sorted,
washing my clothes, preparing my race kit, organising flights, accommodation, race
nutrition and pack everything before rushing out of work to make it in time to
the airport. This is my life and I love it, but as my priorities have changed,
so has the desire to keep on battling away at the back of the pack of an
international elite field of athletes.
Whilst I was preparing for a MTB Marathon World Series race
in Portugal in an attempt to qualify for the MTB World Championships, I also
decided that this would be my last season chasing the elite dream. Although it
had taken me a while to get here, I was finally ready to let go.
With this in mind I felt very relaxed about the days ahead. It
was a long travel to the picturesque little village Longroiva, Meda. I stayed at the beautiful event hotel
Longroiva Rural. The service I received from all the staff during my stay was
second to none; I cannot thank them enough for all their help. Unfortunately it
rained from the moment I set foot in Portugal. I explored the beautiful trails
of Meda, regardless of the weather, which meandered through endless little
vineyards set around the river Douro. It was an amazing place to be.
Jeff coming to the rescue for last minute bike repairs
Saturday before the
race I caught up with Jeff Bossler. Jeff had received legendary status after
winning the Cape Epic MTB stage race earlier in the year and it was nice to see
his friendly face after spending a few day’s alone. Old Friends made through the
MarathonMTB network catching up! We decided that this was what it was all
about, riding with friends rather than racing against world’s best.
Exploring the beautiful trails of Meda
The rain never stopped since I had arrived. So there I was on the start line wearing my
summer kit with dry tyres on the bike. Not ideal. The start included the
shorter races and when the gun went off it seemed like an explosion of riders.
I did not start very well and it took me a while to wave through the field and
settle in a little group with another female rider. The course was saturated
with water and had turned into a mud bath. I was moving along ok until I heard
a big bang and my bike came to a screaming halt. “Race over” I thought. I
manually untangled the chain which to my surprise was still intact. However my
gears were non-functional and I had to manually move the chain to change
gears.70 km’s to go. The conditions were extreme; there were mud waterfalls on
the climbs, mud rivers on the flat and torrential rain pouring down with
freezing strong winds. The notoriously tough muddy Selkirk MTB Marathon in the
Scottish Borders had nothing on this race. I got so cold that at one point I
wondered if I could actually finish. The irony of it all, a DFN in Portugal due
to hypothermia from a Scottish based rider.
One of the most comfortable kit I have ever worn by Ashmei
A few km’s further I
got hit by a small mud covered rock in my face. A sharp excruciating pain took
over my right eye and I kept riding with my eye closed hoping for the best. I
don’t know how I kept going but I did. I washed my eyes out at the technical zone’s
which would relieve the pain for a few minutes. Everything turned into a blur,
literally. My bike was barely working and my body was running on empty. The
last 10km’s were a never never-ending steep mud climb which felt like riding
through treacle. I cried myself to the finish line; all I knew was that I had
not given up. I aimed straight for the firemen and asked for help, at this point
I had lost complete vision out of my right eye. “Where is your team?” they
asked me “I am my team” I answered” Within an hour, my eye was looked at and
treated by a doctor, my bike washed by a team of firemen (was I dreaming?) and
I was dropped back at the hotel. Big thanks to the Pompiers of Meda and
especially the lovely Patricia for being absolute heroes. Back at the hotel I
soaked my tired body in a hot bath and felt half human again, “I had not given
up” I thought to myself.
When I looked up the results online, I did not see my name. My heart sank. This
could not be happening. Within 5 minutes I had written many emails to the
organisers and begged Jeff to help me sort this out. I needed official
recognition that I had not given up. After the hell I went through with a
broken bike and a broken eye, I deserved this.
The after math, a corneal scratch and a whole heap of mud
After what seemed an endless wait I cannot thank the
organiser Joaquim enough for his persistence to prove to the UCI that I had met
all the regulations of the race and amongst many DNF’s finished in 12th
place. I was included in the results. 6 hours and 55 minutes of suffering had
gained me automatic qualification into the UCI Mountain Bike World championships. Mission complete.
Another chance to wear the national kit at an World Championship
Another chance to wear the national kit at an World Championship
It was not until I came home that I had an immense feeling
of satisfaction, not necessarily of gaining entry into the world championships,
because let’s face it; I am only a tourist at that level. It was not about
that. It was about the mental determination and strength I had shown by
finishing this insanely brutal race. And I had done it with no support. A
strength I felt I had lacked in recent years, but which I believed defined me
as a person. After two years of having been disappointed in myself I
finally felt truly proud of what I had achieved.
“It is within herself she finds the strength she needs”
Happy being back in Scotland enjoying some sunshine and friends!
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