Last weekend my brother Eoin and I travelled down to Brighton to compete in the Brighton Big Dog, a new 6 hour endurance race that can be done solo, in pairs or in teams. We both entered the solo category – other than the last couple of weeks I’ve not done any long rides since April so I thought this would be good training and a bit of a challenge!
There were about 200 people on the course at one time, beginning with a mass start straight into a tough singletrack climb. 11 girls entered the solo category and not having done a race this long before I intended to let them take the lead and try to match the pace for the first few laps. I’m used to fast xc starts though and 2 minutes in I couldn’t help myself getting into the lead. The course was brilliant, set in parkland just outside the city with 11km and 250m ascent per lap. It was nearly all singletrack, fast descents twisting through the trees and several steep, rooty climbs. Flying down one of the best sections I felt a sharp pain in my leg and looked down to see a wasp stuck in it. At the same time there were several other shouts of pain and it turns out someone had hit a wasp nest! 2 days later my legs was blistered and my ankle/foot swelled up like a balloon to 3 times its normal size!
After the first lap I seemed to have a bit of a lead so I cut back a bit, concerned that I still had 5 hours to go. After that I didn’t have much pressure from behind so it was really a case of chugging along and enjoying the trails. 
Most of the climbing was in the first half of the lap so you’d start to feel tired but then the adrenaline and buzz from the descents gave you energy to do it all again. It was very different to an xc race – time to have a chat and meet new people in the middle of the race, and well as thinking about all kinds of rubbish as you’re pedalling along.
Alongside the main race there was a fastest lap competition ending with cake for people who just wanted to give it a go, making a real cross section of riders and a brilliant atmosphere. There was music and plenty of encouragement each time you passed the start but I was a bit envious of people sitting in the sun drinking beer as I began to get tired!
It was very hard to know who was in my category and how much of a lead I had. Going into the last lap a guy from squirt who was helping us in the pit (thanks guys!) told me I was 4 minutes ahead so I thought it was just a case of keeping going – I was starting to tire but still had some energy. 10 minutes from the end I got a shock when a girl caught me unaware and came past on a climb. I didn’t recognise her and couldn’t work out if she was in my race or not. I put my head down and tried to keep up, but couldn’t quite do enough to get ahead again. As I crossed the finish line she was less than 50m ahead. So after leading for so long and racing 5 hour 30 mins/76km/1725m climbing I was convinced I’d come 2nd ,telling everyone how gutted I was.
thats Eoin on the left there!
I got to spray champagne around the place (need to practice that one!), and won some awesome prizes. A big trophy, enough money to pay for my weekend and best of all some new USE Exposure night lights!!
That evening there was an after party in a bar right beside Brighton beach with profit from the race going towards the bar tab. A great way to end the event! I’d really recommend this race to anyone – fantastic course, atmosphere and organisation as well as racing to suit any ability or fitness level. Brighton is a really cool place to visit for a bit of a holiday and a night out. Many thanks to Ian Liech for kindly putting us up, and to everyone involved in organising and sponsoring the event. Looking forward to next year!
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