Ready for a Dirty Weekend?

One fully packed amazing, but tough year of preparation, all for this weekend.  Sounds like a Hollywood climax, but to be honest, I have already arrived!  

For me it was the training, working hard to prepare my body for the 24hours of gruelling, mud slogging, dirt eating endurance.  So many people have asked me whether I am nervous, but right now, I can honestly say no, I am so very very excited about it - even though the weather is rough, the course is like peddling through thick chocolate milkshake, I am so happy to have even made it this far - this weekend for me is a celebration of all the hard work, efforts and dedication.  I am worried about not finishing as don't want the urge to have to repeat it again, but it would take broken bones and lots of blood to pull me out of the event.

I set out wanting to discover if it was possible to have children, a job, run a home, have family commitments and the added joy of ageing and still train hard enough to do an event like this and do it well.  I have my answer and it is no, it is not possible to compete at a high level and have a normal life.  

Not at all do I mean that I would give any of my life up, I have discovered again how much I LOVE mountain biking, the community behind mountain biking, the support and encouragement you find within this community.  Before I had my children I was gaining great results and enjoying the success that came with it, the respect, sponsors, etc. but this pressure can take you down a road which only ends in you forgetting why you started riding in the first place - because you love it for what it is.  Sponsors are amazing, they help keep the sport moving forwards and developing, but it is so important to love what you do without the bright lights and even more important to get that message across to the younger riders.  

My daughter Freya is 8 years old.  She already has the pressure at school to like 'x-factor', Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga, as a parent it hurts me to see her picked on because we don't spend our saturday evening idolising wanna-be celebrities and then spend the rest of the week filling our days talking about them!  The other day her teacher pulled my aside and said that she has done nothing this week but talk about Mummy and how I am doing a 24 hour race in the mud and dark.  I'm not bothered about winning this weekend, I am my daughters Idol (for this week anyway!), and if she can find inspiration from not just me from from other sporty hard working, driven and dedicated people, then I have already won.

I hope that this weekend is a good one for all taking part, please stay happy on the course, remember why you started riding in the first place - to have a great time and if there is a slow rider with a larger than average arse in front of you, say hello - if they are smiling, then it will be me!

Next week - 'the aftermath!!!!'

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