Peak Fitness

North West Scotland is vaguely familiar from a number of family holidays. The scenery is dramatic from shore to moor and peak and in all weathers.

Yesterday, the Celtman Extreme Triathlon took place in this landscape around Shieldaig in Wester Ross.

I was of course no where near the place. I followed the action on a laptop screen whilst sat at the table in my dining room some 492 miles distant using a tracker on the web site promoting what is one of the toughest competitive events in existence.

The mere thought of a 3.4km swim across Shieldaig Bay followed by a 200km bike race and then a 42km run over mountainous terrain made me reach for the cafetiere for a comforting cup of strong black coffee.

The event may have gone unnoticed other than for the 250 souls and their followers who have dedicated their lives and livelihoods to the sport of Extreme Triathlon. The list of participants is truly international and with no differentiation of male or female gender. The competitors tour the world in pursuit of glory and a personal best.

The focus of the tracking operation from the comfort of home was competitor number 135, Alasdair Matheson.

I cannot even imagine the anticipation and fear of entering the ocean for the swim. The aerial photo of the start was in an eery dawn light only to be found in Northern Scotland around 4.45am being a combination of sunrise through drizzle. The pink swim caps of the 250 or so wet-suit clad starters make for an unworldly scene.

Leaving aside the imminent commencement of competitive hostilities which would turn the tranquil inshore waters into a seething cauldron some thoughts must have been on the prospect of encountering jelly fish, unknown depths and the pull of tides and currents. In previous years the organisers of the event had to warn that sea temperatures were below the seasonal average and advised on specialist insulating layers to protect competitors against hypothermia. During an offshore storm in 2013 those in the race were driven farther out to sea and had to be rescued.

The individual entrants were all on a transponder tracking system. The auto update was patchy and intermittent but given the topography and remoteness of that region any form of signal is a modern wonder of communications.

As at 6.15am Alasdair's blue tracking dot showed him near the map symbol of a picnic area on the mainland and ready for the transition to two wheels. He had completed the sea swim and his support team texted to say that he was in the top 50 emerging from the water. The weather, another critical factor to contend with had improved a little in the first 3 hours of the event and the sun was trying to show itself.

The 200km of road cycling was the next part of the extreme challenge. The Highland roads are little more than single tracks with passing bays apart from the EU funded stretches that just appear as wide and well made and then vanish. The surface dressing is a distinctive reddish tint attributed to the need for resistance of the materials to snow, ice, frost, persistent rain saturation whilst providing a bit of traction over the lumpy terrain.

It is important to stress that the event is extreme in all interpretations of the word. It is compulsory for each competitor to have a mobile support team of two persons and on the accessible road sections they establish themselves at strategic points to provide assistance. The energy required in the physical exertions requires a constant supply of food. The swim accounts for over 3000 Kilojoules, the cycle race over 22000 Kilojoules and around 12000 for the mountain run. This represents over four times the average daily level for a fit adult and consumed under severe distress to the system.

The tracking system showed Alasdair churning out the miles over the cycling section with recorded speeds from a slope crawling single digit cadence to rapid descents. His position could be seen in isolation ,with all or a selection of the participants. This made for compelling viewing as the same names ebbed and flowed in the standings as the terrain climbed over some 2000 metres. This was not a closed route and additional concentration was necessary in respect of other road users and obstacles to be found in the wild Highlands. On a pan flat course the race distance would still take over 6 hours for the best club level cyclist. The complications of weather and fatigue took this to epic proportions.

The mountain run introduced yet more extreme factors. The competitors, before entering the off road route mainly comprising tracks, parts of long distance trails and  undefined paths had to satisfy a medical team as to their state of health and the Organiser's strict guidance on all weather clothing and equipment. The emphasis was on survivability should the weather conditions close in during the following 42 kilometres. Whilst Mountain Rescue and a large team of volunteer stewards were on call the risks of injury or exposure are very real. The course climbs steadily through the Beinn Eighe range and there are two Munro peaks to be ascended at over 3000 feet.

At 11 hours into the event there was a cut off amongst the competitors with the fittest and strongest being directed over the high part of the course which would, upon finishing, be awarded with a coveted and prestigious Blue t shirt. Alasdair made the cut. Those beyond the cut off took a lower route but not to be seen as a compromise or concession in that hostile environment.

After the 4.45am start Alasdair reached the finishing line in Torridon at around 8.30pm. A truly athletic feat.

It is hard to imagine what he went through in terms of physical and mental exertion. There must have been times in the sea swim, on the bike and on the mountain summits when self doubt, exhaustion and fear will have dominated.

We, even as long distance and very casual observers felt exhausted but elated as well for Alasdair and his support team.

When is the next event?