So, on day one I was really finding my feet. I tend to overthink things and I was really nervous about how I’d cope throughout the duration of the race as I had barely any experience in long distance riding with the Trans Alba being my first full blown ultra distance race (technically, it was my first actual bike race.) All day, I’d been in my head full of self doubt and whether I’d make it around the whole route and back to Edinburgh. 

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As the day went on and the field stretched out I saw less and less people on the road especially as we got out into the Cairngorms. The scenery was increasingly dramatic which only added to my anxiety as to whether I’d bitten off more than I could chew.

Then I came around a corner to see a guy dancing in the middle of the road! Chris was, in his words, giving me his best moves and belting out Africa by Toto. I couldn’t help but laugh and that broke the tension for me and really helped me get settled and remember, it’s only a bike race and I was meant to be out there having fun. 

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The route is where you go but the people make the race. 

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Whether it was Chris dancing on the road, Colin saving me with a spare tyre when mine came apart in the middle of nowhere, the ferry captain who text the cafe owner in Kilchoan where I was eating to pass on to me they needed to leave early and to head to the harbour or the supportive messages from ultra racing friends, it was the people that made the race for me. You might not see anyone for hours or a maybe even a day, but those interactions have stayed with me perhaps more so than the route itself. 

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And of course, the pineapple. We had such a short time together, but I’ll cherish every moment. 

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CAP 17 - TIM NEEDHAM 

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Click on Tim's pineapple to read his blog...

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