Preparations...

So how do you prepare for a 24hr race? Not sure I have the best answers for this but here's what I've been doing this week:

Monday night: spoke to team mate (Maria) for first time and decided to enter race with her as her team mate had broken her arm

Tuesday: last minute running training, my team mate sounds VERY fit

Wednesday bought buoyancy aid, found out most shops don't sell flares as they're technically explosives, sent texts to everyone I know and posted on lots of forums to beg/ borrow smoke flares, finally found one (thanks Duggie!) and went for a wee swim in Loch Lomond because it was sunny. Maria managed to russle us up a double kayak out of nowhere (thanks to Russ this time) and my kayaking ticket to ride arrived through the post (just in time).

Thursday: unsuccessfully trawled shops trying to find a screw long enough for my bike lights to fit on the fatter bit of my handlebars so I can also attach a mapboard. Went to Sainsbury's and got a 'why aren't you obese' look from the assisstant as I exited with jelly babies, wine gums, fruit pastilles, jaffa cakes, peanuts, crisps, crackers, cereal bars and related rubbish. I did have skimmed milk though! Packed clothes for every eventuality into backpack then collapsed in small heap, exhausted with preparations!

Already feeling a mixture of excited and scared!!! Leaving at lunchtime tomorrow...

Looking forward to trying out my new forks off road (don't think the rat race really counted, though you wouldn't think so given the mud-spattered appearance. Maybe Edinburgh is known as Auld Reekie for a reason??). Interested to see how I cope with 24hr, especially with a gigantic kayaking section. I've never raced in a female pair before either. Why do we need one sling and two krabs and vitally, do I have enough cable ties? Roll on the big adventure!