Blogging from Heaven

... well I think I am. Mainly because I'm sure that yesterday, I died.

Ok, Ok, back a couple of steps then. Right, I kept this away from the blog mainly because even up until Thursday night, I didn't know if I was going to go through with it. With what??? I hear you ask. Well, on Friday I met up with my team and on Saturday we competed in the 2007 Snowdonia 7's challenge (see t-shirt for details).....

For those of you too lazy to click on the T shirt, it reads "22 miles, 8000 feet, 7 Summits, 1 Challenge". I can honestly say I think it is possibly the hardest single event I've ever done in my life. Oh, it was a running event too, no bikes this weekend :o(

This picture is a 3D map and I've drawn on the route but it basically went like this:

730am on Saturday, get over major anxiety of day before and get to start line in Llanberis. 8am GO!!! 74 teams of 4 race up Snowdon and boy did we go. We got to the top in 92 minutes, the pace was unreal. From here, we doubled back to another peak (Two down) and then back again before heading off Snowdon down to Pen-y-pass. I think we got here in about 2hrs30ish. My groin was killing from the run down through paths which better resembled waterfalls. Did I mention it had rained from the start? Well ok, it was raining. Loads. We stopped for 6 minutes to fill up water bottles and stretch before we got back to it and headed for the Glyders. Not direct, we had a river crossing to do where the water went above my waist (and almost to Dave's nipples!) and a trek across some bushy stuff before we followed yet another waterfall up, up and more up. The third peak was one of the Glyders and by now, my left foot began to cramp up. No shin splints, but this niggling away at the sole of my foot started to slow me. We pushed on through the weather (did I mention it was raining?) to the second of the Glyders and then down to the time check with 9 minutes to spare. If you didn't get here in 6hrs, they stopped you. My legs resembled Bambie's by now, not thin (like they ever will be) but very unstable.

Onwards meant another climb to the fifth and six peaks. We've been over 6hrs by now with only that one stop and Dave and I were lagging. Ryan and Simon were spurring us on though. After the sixth, there was a big descent, a horseshoe and then one final climb to a very craggy peak. As we left the seventh behind we caught up with some of the other teams and overtook them. There were lots of tired legs but the thought of being only an hour from the end pushed us on. When we hit the flat of the lake we were about 2Ks from home. From somewhere we all found spurts of energy to break into the odd run and thanks to Ryan bellowing at me we all crossed the line running. 8hrs 53 minutes. Of sheer hell :o)

The event organisers said it was the worst weather in the event's history. In total 74 teams took part. Only 26 finished. Three other teams did it from the salon and all four of us finished. The veterans came home about 40mins ahead of us, the girls (who won the female event - woop woop! well done) were about 20mins ahead of us and the mixed team about 20 mins behind so we were all very close together. We think we finished about 20th but await confirmation.

So....That was last week's training. Looking forward to the next ride now, see you soon,

Chris

Oh....you want to know how I feel now? Well, I can hardly walk. My left foot is killing and I hardly slept all night as my legs kept cramping. Going up stairs is OK but I just had to resort to my bottom to come down. If you want to know if I'm doing it next year, give it at least a couple of weeks before you pop the question.

Biggups - Dave, Simon and Ryan. I'd have never got round without the encouragement. Gordo and Dave for scaring the living daylights out of me on Friday with their pre-race planning. Ruth for the ONE text of encouragement I received all day (OK so I didn't tell you all that I was going), and Becki and Aide for the cups of tea this morning which kept me awake for the drive home. Legends all of you.

Lycra wasn't made with me in mind!