HARO BIKES

RBS Caledonian Challenge, Nairnshire Challenge, Highland Cross, Mizuno, Scottish Community Foundation, Team Assurances, High 5, Mike's Bikes, Tain and District Medical Group, Montgomery Litho Group, Boodle Hatfield, Sports New Media,  Stewart Hastie and Co.

http://www.highlandcross.co.uk/frame.htm

The RBS Caledonian Challenge was, as the headline suggests, not the wisest decision I have ever made, compounded by the insane belief that all I needed to do was turn up and complete the 54 mile off road route (on foot - no bikes!) from Gairlochy to Strathfillan wigwams, south of Tyndrum. The weather was fine as we set off in our Mizuno Performance shirts with corporate sponsors emblazoned on the front contributing to the £2,500 we would raise for the Scottish Community Foundation

http://www.caledonianchallenge.com/scottish-community-foundation.html 

It was already warm and we appreciated Mizuno's dryscience wicking fabric and UV30 protection on the gentle introduction along the canal path to the first check point.

I was wearing the Wave Creation 10 shoes reviewed in "Cairngorm Runners test drive Mizuno"

http://www.aviemorebikes.co.uk/bikes/cairngorm-runners-test-drive-mizuno.html

and on the rougher terrain over Cow Hill and out Fort William I was glad of the stability and comfort they provided but no amount of good kit can take the hard work out of a challenge like this and by the time we reached Kinlochleven I was feeling pretty despondent about my chances of completing the route. At this checkpoint Craig and Ian, two of my team mates from Team Assurances, set off together in pursuit of a 12 hour completion time with Craig changing into his Wave Harrier 2 shoes for additional traction over the Devil's Staircase. James and I took a little longer to to muster the energy to head towards the ski centre at Glencoe but for my part the High 5 energy and recovery bar, drink and gel I had managed to take

http://www.highfive.co.uk/indexUK.php

brought me back from the brink of giving up and I set off with more hope than I had on reaching the second check point.

I'd like to say that the rest of the challenge was a blur but it wasn't and even remembering it is painful. I reached Glencoe about 5 minutes ahead of James and we set out towards Inveroran together but it soon became apparent that he had more in the tank than I had and by checkpoint 4 I was 15 minutes behind. Team Assurances eventually finished 16th fastest team after 15 hours when I arrived at Strathfillan with Ian having broken 12 hours, Craig 2 minutes outside the magic target and James completing in 14 hours.

At the finish I met Helen Mackie, a former colleague and a trustee of the Scottish Communities Foundation and she told me that this event alone raised over a million pounds for charity. Its not the sort of thing RBS has been famous for recently but events like this might provide a means of restoring its reputation. 

On behalf of Team Assurances, I'd like to thank Cheryl from Mizuno for her help with the shirts and our corporate sponsors Mike's Bikes, Tain and District Medical Group, Montgomery Litho Group, Boodle Hatfield, Sports New Media and Stewart Hastie and Co. Thanks also to the many individual sponsors who helped us reach our fundraising target. We couldn't have done it without the outstanding assistance from our support team members and we would also like to express our gratitude to the many volunteers who made the event possible.

It was the hardest thing I've ever done, possibly the daftest thing I've ever done and I'm NEVER doing it again!

Photographs to follow when Craig gets his camera back from his mum!!