Hit The North 2010

Hit The North 2, the fourth Hit The North, was an 8 hour laps race.

For this race I borrowed an awesome Ragley TD-1, the demo bike of Hotlines.

Lap1 (00:54:40) started with a run, in which I did my usual saunter from the back. I spent the first part of the lap overtaking people, then stopped to lend my pump to someone and watched them all overtake me again. So I overtook them again. At the end of the lap I wandered off to refill my bottle.

In laps 2, 3, 4 and 5 (00:45:25, 00:47:05, 00:54:04, 01:01:18) I kept riding at a steady pace and keeping out of the way of fast people, with a wander back to the tent at the end of each lap for more fluids.

Getting back at the end of lap 6 (00:50:21), Ragley rider and HTN co-organiser Jase was manning the timing station. He took a look at my water bottle and told me I had plenty of juice and to get our for another lap. So I did (00:43:54). And then another one (00:43:14). On these, I actually felt like I was racing as I caught a few people and people were actually moving aside for me!

I did then refill my bottles before going out for two more laps (00:52:31 and 00:53:28).

I finished my tenth lap in 8:26:00, which was good enough for 25th solo in a field of 59 (results).

Mid-table mediocrity.

Distance: 105km
Time: 8 hours 29 minutes
Surface: off-road
Weather: Reasonable (for HTN)
Bike: SS Ragley TD-1 (32:18, with 2.2" tyres)

Pic: riding the rocks down to the stream crossing
Pic: Wondering whether to pass out or puke while waiting for food afterward