What's it like to ride a 24 hour MTB race solo?

Another lap?

I race 24 hour events because I like a challenge, but more importantly I love the spirit behind these events. I wish I could repeat my first SITS solo effort again when I had no idea what to expect or whether I was capable of riding a bike for 24 hours.

As far as I'm concerned my 24 hour solo experiences have not been a complete solo effort, but a team effort between my husband, friends and even strangers on the course. The only thing I do solo is pedal, change gears and remind myself to drink from time to time. There is more to riding 24 hours than mere peddling and I really don't know if I would last 24 hours without the support, encouragement and mechanical prowess of the people around me. Since my first 24 hour solo effort at SITS three years ago I have had the support from a very close circle of friends, but most importantly I have had my number one team mate always on the case working just as hard, if not harder to get me to the finish line.

I owe a lot to my husband Ian Potter who really suffered this year, more so than me, to get my bike and I across the finish line on Sunday August 13 at 2pm. This year was a testing race for the Potters, as Ian woke up early Saturday morning in bad shape, and I too was also suffering with some mysterious tummy bug that couldn't have hit us at a worse time .

There were no problems when Ian and I arrived at Catton Park on Friday to set up and check out the course. As always I was feeling very excited about the event and couldn't wait for the adventure to start. I absolutely love 24 hour events, especially when I ride solo. A 24 hour soloist faces new challenges every lap and there is always that fear of whether one will make it through the early hours or not. The feeling you get when you know you're going to make it to the finish line is one of great fulfilment, but when you cross the finish line to shake hands with Pat Adams there are no words to describe the experience or the feelings bubbling away inside you.

As I checked the course out on the Friday I was pleasantly surprised by the new sections of trail that had been created and also how well the course flowed. There were plenty of challenging climbs, fast descents and twisting sections of single track. The course felt a bit longer than last year, but as a soloist I felt like it was an appropriate length. As I returned to Ian I was confident that my legs still had some strength left in them after the Transalp and also how good the bike felt on the trail. I shouldn't have said a word because as soon as I did we heard a hissing sound and Ian noticed a small hole in my front tyre…10 thorns later and still counting, my only excuse being I was enjoying myself too much to notice where I was riding. Before I go on can I just say a huge thank you to Jon and Rebecca Webb (Just Riding Along) who put me on to Stands No Tube latex, as my tyres hardly lost any air pressure, even after the last thorn had finally been removed.

Before the rain!

Ian continued to clean and check both bikes thoroughly to ensure they were sparkling and ready to roll for the next day. It was a superb evening, the sky had shades of pink across it, 'pink sky night, shepherds delight' is a little saying that came to mind. It was bound to be a fine day and I couldn't wait for SITS to start.

Yet 12 hours later I wish SITS had started and was over as the Potters were feeling in no shape to start a 24 hour race. The morning began with a trip to the chemist in the hope there might be a miracle medicine to keep the symptoms at bay. The women at the counter recommended we both stay in bed for 24 hours, if only she knew what we had to look forward to.

As the morning rolled on and the start was only an hour away, I started to perk up. Paul and Jon from A Quick Release Holidays had arrived to help Ian out, which was a huge relief, all I needed now was someone to help me out with the peddling.

The start as always was a short run which wasn't as bad as I expected. When it was announced we were running to the far distant trees, there were a few groans from the crowd, which made me think it was going to be a longer run than in the past. As I returned to my bike there were cheers and excitement all around. The crowd were awesome, and full of encouragement to every rider out there.

In the past the first lap is often quite slow as large groups of riders hit the single track at the same time, jostling for position and sometimes frustrated words can be exchanged between riders, but from where I was positioned everybody was very considerate. After the first section of single track I was able to increase the pace as I like a nice fast start before my legs start to slow down. I managed a good first lap, but from that point onwards and for the next 6 hours I came close to quitting on numerous occasions. I was struggling to drink or consume any gels (which I might add I usually crave), but more importantly I rely on for the instant carb energy to stop me from blowing. Every time I passed the pit area I tried to look like I was really enjoying myself, as I knew Ian was also suffering, and the last thing he needed was to be worrying about me. As riders passed me with encouraging words, a smile would return to my face and make any thoughts of quitting diminish.

When daylight faded and it was time to swap bikes in preparation for the night time laps I finally started to feel more human. All of a sudden I really started to enjoy myself and all the pain and fatigue I experienced at the start of the race disappeared. It was a beautiful night with the orange haze from Burton-On-Trent lights glowing in the distance. There was no hint of what was to come or what the course would turn into, except it was my 13th lap.

I'm not usually a superstitious person, but for some reason during a 24 hour race I always ride very carefully on my 13th lap. However it didn't matter how careful I was this time, nothing was going to stop the downpour of rain that suddenly appeared from no where. It started as a light shower, which was fine at first and quite pleasant to begin with. Three hours later this 'pleasant' light shower was still hanging around and the temperature had dropped considerably. The course changed dramatically over the next 10 hours, from greasy uncontrollable sections, to sludge that drained all your energy and stuck to you like glue. I have never laughed at myself so much in all my life, and on some laps was having an absolute ball as the bike slid in every possible direction, except the one I wanted.

Kate Potter - still smiling!

The whole experience during the night was very surreal as I felt like I was the only one on the course, when usually there are dozens of riders passing me at full speed. At the end of each lap I stopped for a few minutes while Ian and Paul washed my drive train and scrubbed all the mud from my mechs to help stop them from clogging and the bike experiencing chain suck. However as the mud worsened I was soon forced to stay in granny ring, middle of the block and on a couple of occasions I thought I would be walking back to the pits as the chain wrapped around the block and remained fixed. Fortunately I managed to salvage it. Every time I passed the timing point there were fewer people than the lap before waiting for their team mates. At one point there were less than a dozen, which just proves how atrocious the conditions were, as there were over 500 teams at SITS this year.

At the end of each lap I was resting more and more because my lap times were getting longer and I was changing clothes and adding extra layers to keep warm. Towards the end I found it impossible to ride over 50% of the course, especially the climbs. The mud would build up between the fork crown and front tyre, so every few metres of walking I would be forced to stop and dig the mud out. It was hilarious and although people may see the whole race as a disaster, I feel fortunate enough to have experienced such an event. It was much more than a 24 hour mountain bike race, it was a test of survival for both the body and the bike. It wasn't just about fitness, but more about overcoming the harsh conditions that were thrown at every rider this year. I doubt very much that there will ever be an event quite like SITS 2006, and I feel privileged to have been part of it and the winner!

As for my effort being a completely solo one, well no it wasn't. Ian is my number one team mate and together we race 24 hour events as a team. There were fellow soloists out there who had no support and only one bike who I give my full respect to, in fact, who deserve the top honours for surviving this event without help was truly an amazing effort.

Well done to all the girls out there who participated in SITS this year. I would also like to say well done to Anne Dickens who completed her first solo effort, as well as a huge congratulations to Jenn Hopkins and Lorraine Staley for their podium positions. Plus all the other lady soloists who took part, it's great to see more and more women entering solo 24 hour races.

The Solo Women's podium

Special thanks to -