Chasing Peaks. Enduring Troughs. 1.4

Euphoria | Despair

The Bardenas Reales is a semi-desert region in southeast Navarre, shaped by centuries of wind and water erosion. Its clay, chalk and sandstone soils have formed canyons, plateaus and unique isolated hills called cabezos. Vegetation is sparse, and streams flow only seasonally. The route crosses the Bardenas plateau, about 100m above surrounding farmland. This landscape was formed by sediments from an ancient inland sea that once filled the Ebro basin. Over millions of years, erosion carved out the striking terrain seen today, with alternating layers of soft clay and hard sandstone. Riders will descend into a large valley, then climb back up to the plateau before entering Peñaflor, a small oasis-like valley rich in vegetation. There lie the ruins of Peñaflor Castle, also known as Doña Blanca, named after the legend of Queen Blanca I of Navarre, said to have been imprisoned there by her father.

Last night would end up being my best night’s sleep. Up and away early, I was excited as today we would travel through the Bardenas desert. Today’s early start would align perfectly with cafe and shop opening times for breakfast and resupply respectively. Whilst Pro Plus offered (with a little imagination) the versatility of a high end barista at the pop of a pill - it was definitely nice to enjoy a coffee in a cafe with some breakfast whilst sat on a chair. What luxury. Onwards for resupply before heading into the desert. The perfect start to a day.

I entered the Bardenas desert late morning and whilst the sun was beaming and temperatures high, it was bearable. I mean I’d completed the heat training protocol and after enduring rain for the first 24 hours (and what was the first and only time this season I had to don my rain jacket) I wanted to put this heat training to the test! Rolling into the desert during Badlands, I recall an underlying panic for what was a scorching day in the high forties, with zero shade in sight. Any issue beyond steady progress would have spelt major issue. This however, was different.

The desert was beautiful. Meadows of ‘burnt’ dead trees, contrasting with bleached white, cracked earth. Alien rock formations that were surely impossible to have been created naturally. This new, diverse landscape made for a novel and plain fun riding experience. And for reasons unknown this experience coincided with a prolonged, almost euphoric high. A continuous hum of happy chemicals that lasted for what seemed like hours. Pure enjoyment, mind, body and spirit.

The heat continued into the afternoon and terrain changed once again. We were now navigating a long and flat ‘transfer’ through Rioja wine country. You’d think the relative flatness would be welcome but the exposed flat plains coupled with continuous high temperatures made it frustrating, mundane, dare I say boring. The high of the morning had long gone as this fast become a low point. I bumped into T. Some welcome conversation broke up the monotony. T cracked on at a speed that I recall thinking felt out of reach. I felt slow, really slow. I felt low, really low. What’s going on?

Tyre pressure? Fine. Suncream? Sufficient. Hydration? Consistent. Food? Food. Food! A quick nutrition analysis was duly triggered….

Calories. Macro mix. Carbohydrates per hour. I was well down.

I’d inadvertently eaten myself into a hole. I’d managed to self engineer a near bonk. The flat terrain of the afternoon’s riding had fooled me into thinking I didn’t need to sustain the high level of carbohydrate intake I had been following to date. And so as blood glucose dips and glycogen stores deplete, a waterfall of physiological knock on effects take hold and in turn a psychological depressed mood state.

This was hugely frustrating as it was completely avoidable.

It was around this time, my low mood had convinced me the power banks I held would not sustain me for the duration of the race. Whilst entirely possible, the timing for such a thought to take hold was entirely unnecessary.

Looking back at this now, it is truly amazing how mood and with that mindset can fall off a cliff when depleted of the right kind and volume of adequate energy.

Two emergency gels consumed. A bag of Haribo opened and inhaled. It was remarkable how quick it was to conclude that under fueling and with that relying on poor carbohydrate sources had led to this demise.

It’s hard to come back from a near bonk. With glycogen stores near exhausted I knew I was running on fumes, wholly reliant on absorption of what I had just eaten to fuel forwards movement. You hold about two thousand calories in muscle and liver glycogen - once depleted you hit the wall, bonk, crash.

Eventually I rolled into Muro de Aguas where there was a much needed bar. And they served pasta. The verbatim write up from M from Brighton, was “do you remember the first time you tried to make pasta?” And this very much hit the nail on the head, but well needed and truly appreciated. With batteries plugged in and resigned to staying here this evening. I had another serving. And a non-alcoholic beer. Two. And an ice cream. And a chocolate milk. I was slowly topped back up.

That night a group of us slept in a covered fountain zone. And whilst it was less, the sound of a tranquil running stream, more, the drone of mains pipe room in a factory, some sleep was had.

The best day. The worst day.

Day 3: 170km. 2,319m. 15hrs 7mins. San Vicente, Urraúl Bajo to Muro de Aguas.

A neurochemical mix of endorphins, endocannabinoids and dopamine mixed with focus induced norepinephrine could offer a physiological explanation to euphoric highs. When considered alongside the psychological Opponent Process Theory (Solomon & Corbin, 1974), suggests an overt emotional response triggers an opposite (or opponent) emotional response to restore balance. Over time, the initial (a process) e.g. pain weakens and the opponent (b process) e.g. euphoric, response strengthens. And with practise the a-process gets weaker whilst b-process comes on stronger and faster. And so over time this plays out to the afterglow of a race becoming ever increasing whilst the suffering involved pales in significance. Here lies a danger. Fuelled by physiologically fuelled highs and psychological positive reinforcement. Appetite for ever increasing challenge, risk and danger increases.