BNM, I must tell you about my first MTB Enduro event in 06. Long story but it has a point...

It's supposed to be 100km but it ended up being about 115km. (this year it was about 120km)Anyways, I think I trained for it but thought being the SW of Western Australia, it wouldn't be hot on the event weekend. Ermm..wrong..It turned out to be 38C that day, no shade, some bits on gravel roads & it was all UPHILL...I remember the second half of stage 3 very clearly: I couldn't stand it any longer so I stood on the side of the trail & threw my helmet in the bush. AGHGH. Got back on my bike & continued but didn't do stage 4..

Luckily the volunteer SES crews were out with thier little water tankers hosing us down...Everyone was suffering & tons of folks dropped out after stage 2 or 3. I felt like a twit not continuing but I didn't feel bad as I knew others decided to stop. That didn't stop me from doing it in 07 & then again this year.

This year.. was a disaster. First, no one knew the "exact" distances the stages were(25km, 27km?)..Second, there were few signposts & I followed someone who was in the FAST group who'd just come onto the trail. AGHGHG. I (and about 5 others)ended up doing the first section 1 1/2 times. It started to pour, thunder & had to take what turned out to be a rather long shortcut . I decided to stop because I knew I wouldn't have time to get to the stage 3 point, friends that had my nutrition had left & I had lost the frame of mind. Good decision because the second stage was a mud fest...

Now, if you feel like a twit, I feel even funnier..I mentioned I took a wrong turn..It turns out I was a 1km away from the end of the stage... I don't consider it a failure. I'm not sure of the adjective to use...It is funny though!


I will train & do it again next year..