One of the simplest ways I can describe it’s it’s like a aggressive recce. You’re driving via phases in a highway automotive at road-legal pace, solely you’re additionally in a contest atmosphere.
This specific occasion was a two-day affair, with Saturday’s leg of 5 phases taking us south-east of host metropolis Dundee to Fife, whereas Sunday’s longer seven-stage itinerary traversed Perth and Kinross to the north-west. With evocative names like Macbeth’s Regulation, Cross of Killiecrankie and The Dragon on the menu, it was time for enterprise.
I don’t care if this makes me sound pathetic: I stay for this sport and the feelings it offers. The entire anticipation, nerves and jitters had been coursing via my physique as Darcie and I launched into our journey into the unknown.
Tackling the primary liasion part and lining up for the opening stage, I used to be overvalued. This was all akin to a stage rally – highway e-book, time playing cards, the in-control, the start-line… solely there was no faffing round with helmets and HANS gadgets. As an alternative the aircon was set simply so, and BBC Radio 1 supplied the soundtrack.
Understandably given she’d by no means executed something like this earlier than, Darcie was a bit extra targeted than I with a willpower to not mess up. However with the primary two phases transitioned to be simply exams given an unlucky delay to the proper timing gear arriving, the strain was off and her smile instructed me every thing I wanted to know.
Similar to a stage occasion, the run is over earlier than it – though it was totally weird not stopping after the flying-finish and as an alternative simply urgent on to the following problem. That first stage had taught us lots although, and confidence was up.
Inevitably, that might instantly come again to chew us.
