Mark_Abrahart

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  • in reply to: Fred Whitton #8572
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Hi

    For those interested in the Fred Whitton challenge, taking place on 11th May 2025, the Special Charity entry is now open at

    Entry

    The ballot entry takes place Monday December 2nd, but this is usually oversubscribed. You may get in on the 1st ballot or reserve list, with an better chance if you’ve not entered before. I previously got in on a reserve list entry in 2022 but you only find out a month before the event, which doesn’t give a lot of time for the type of training required for this event.

    The Special Charity entry guarantees entry but you have to pay for your entry and a charity donation to one of the 3 main charity’s so the ticket ends up at £218.75.

    I’ve entered donating to “DUDDON AND FURNESS MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM” under the team name FWCC.

    in reply to: 2025 Mallorca 312 #8461
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Merged threads..

    Each year the tickets sell out quicker. 45 minutes in 2024 and according to some posts even quicker for the 2025 edition. Tickets may still be available from vendors selling packages.

    The guys above all have tickets or packages.

    Looking forward to the 312\Fred winter base training and to the event in April next year.

    @Martin – you set a great time back in 2016, even though it sounds like you had it cold\windy\raining.

    in reply to: Straiton struggle road race 25th may #7656
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Bump…for anyone that can assist for this race.

    in reply to: Majorca 312 #7579
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Hi Allan

    On my finisher certificate the Total Time was 13:45:11 and a Net Time (chip time) was 13:25:10
    Strava has my moving time at at 12:17 and total time of 13:27

    For me the main aim was to complete the event safely, enjoy it, and soak up as much as the atmosphere as possible. Once I made the 2nd cut took my foot of the gas to the last 2 feed stations knowing that I was going to complete the event.

    • This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Mark_Abrahart.
    in reply to: 90th Anniversary away day #7550
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    I’d be up for the 90 mile run Derek. New Galloway or any of the locations.

    in reply to: Majorca 312 #7549
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Thanks for all the messages of support. Just got back to Scotland in the early hours today so apologies for the late reply.

    Glad to say that’s Mallorca 312 ticked off the bucket list 😊 For those interested here’s a little breakdown.

    The event was Epic and lived up everything that Mikey, Martin, Mark and others had told me and I had read about. The 312 expo was great ( Mikey I have some socks for you ) and some eager Englishman had to get my personal unremovable 312 id wrist band forcibly removed from wrist before getting it attached to mine for the next 48 hours. The wrist band, race number and shirt numbers were all mandatory to stop the increasing number of freeloaders.

    Up at 3am in PP, cycled down with Craig in the dark to the start in Playa de Muro, as the nightclubs in Alcudia were spilling out, to be in the red pen for 5.05 in the morning. Used my foil blanket to keep warm while waiting in the pen, and ditched it when we started moving, only to realise we were only filtering further down the road so ended up freezing on red pen start line for a while. Doh. Never mind you warm up quickly as you hit the many of the iconic climbs.

    The official start was 6.30 but I didn’t get across the start line until 6.50 so the 1st cut time at mile 60 would come in to play at 11.15. Didn’t panic and kept the effort and HR under control up Col de Femenia and Puig Major and kept it safe on the windy decents, and decided to cycle past the cut off and make it to the 3rd stop to refill water and grab a bite to eat.

    Overcooked one corner on the coastal road to Andratx but managed to straighten the bike and get round without drama. Guy 30 seconds behind me wasn’t so lucky and had a nasty smash in to the 2 foot wall that was the only thing protecting him from a hundred foot fall on the rocks below. With 8000 people in the event plenty of crashes and seemed like you witnessed punctures and mechanicals every few miles – reminded me of a FWCC weekend club run !

    Probably relaxed too much for my next stop at Sa Granja at mile 98 and was guzzling my 2nd coke and 2nd sandwich when I saw the green jerseys ride by and looking at timings was 10 minutes behind. Made a mistake and only filled 1.5 bottles and as I set off knew I’d need up the pace to make CUT 2 at mile 137. I got in to a group and me and another rider did big stints at the front managing to average over 20mph for the next 40 miles, which were at that point much flatter.

    Was glad to make the 2nd cut and even happier to see a feed station at Ariany at 152 miles as I’d been out of water for a good while. Mikey and others had told me about the party at Arta at mile 178, but it still takes you by surprise on the welcome and cheers when you cross in to the town. I stayed for a few minutes to soak up the atmosphere, grabbed a small refreshment, and then cycled to the finish 16 miles down the road.

    The legs were fresh on the flat run in and had and had my family cheer me in over the finish line which was one of my highlights of the day.

    Really happy with prep for the event (thanks to all the advice I’d been given) and having the weight at 70kg on race day helped on the climbs, with fuelling and with the heat in the middle of the day. New bike with 30mm tubeless tyres was super comfortable in the later stages where it becomes more like Ayrshire lanes, and had zero issues.

    Glad that those long early winter training miles in to the Ayrshire Alps with a few of the hardier (crazier ?) club members, building the base miles, paid off, and if we didn’t have rain Sunday and Monday would have been out riding again. Did manage a Sa Calobra run on Tuesday and the legs felt good.

    It’s definitely a bucket list event and well worth doing the full 312km, but now that I’ve completed the full event, would maybe be more interested in doing the shorter 225km version next time as it has all off the same main climbs.

    in reply to: club consitution #6262
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    I think it should. I’ll get it added.

    in reply to: Sunday 9th October away day,double dukes #4823
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Count me in
    Mark A

    in reply to: 5 Ferries – 11 June – Ardrossan 7am Ferry #4138
    Mark_Abrahart
    Keymaster

    Ardrossan 7am Ferry cancelled due to wind conditions tomorrow. Might attempt this again next Month if there’s any interest.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)