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| The start in Skagway,Alaska 14th May |
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Eastern Series Rd 6 & LVRC Portsdown Hill
Mud Sweat & Gears Rd 6 Hitchingbroke Park 4/8
My third Eastern Series Race of the year on the flatest MTB course I've ever seen. I makes Thetford look hilly!Having sid that the organisers laid out a really good course with a mixture of fire roads and mega twisty singletrack. One fly in the ointment for the competitors was a massive lack of parking. Hopefully they will sort that out for 2014. With Amanda left trying to find a parking space I managed to sign on and do half a lap's warm up. There were people signing on rigt up to the start time, so it was tight for a lot of folks. Got a good start, but lost a few places catching some slower vets into the first singletrack and spent the rest of the race trying and failing to catch Jack Peterson and Rob Jackson. Happy with 3rd as those two were definitely quicker in the singletrack. Something to work on for next year. It is a good series, several of the Beyond MTB guys ride there. Also carries BCF points like the souther XC. I will be back next year to do as many of the 8 rounds as I can.
LVRC Road Race Portsdown Hill 17/8
The Vets road race league races are pretty spread out, but there are a few in the south east and cate for 40 year plus riders, in 5 year age bands. They use the Perfs circuit for this race which meant 8 laps up the hill for my age category. Just missed the split with the lead "A" riders, but finished wiht the next group to get 3rd in the B category race. Must do some more of these. The races are much more positive than the 3rd cat Surrey League races I've done. Lots of attacks and splits etc and rather less dangerous riding. I will be a "C" category next year. Apparantly we get a toilet stop every 2nd lap...
Hadleigh Farm - National XC
The discussion in the hotel room over breakfast was if we were heading to the race course or A&E. After a fall during practice on Saturday I had suffered an uncomfortable night propped up on one side, largely unable to move. A trial run in the car park proved I could at least get onto the bike - so Hadleigh Farm it was!
Like thousands of others my application for tickets to see the 2012 London Olympic mountain bike race was unsuccessful. However, when the venues were announced for this years British National Cross Country Series, the Olympic venue at Hadleigh Farm is Essex was the location for the final round. My entry booked way back in February; I have been eagerly looking forward to this weekend all year.
The weather was kind and the sun shone as those riders that has survived the practice sessions were corralled into their categories for the start. Riders nervously discussed different possible lines through the technical sections as we were moved to the grid. A deep breath and we were off!
The start climbed directly to the top of the hill and I found myself near the front as we hit the first rock garden. I turned into the less technical 'B' run as the rider in front plunged directly across the rocks. With a crash he was down, the 'A' route was blocked but I rode safely on. At the next steep decent a rider was already lying contorted on the rocks below, so again I followed the riders ahead down the 'Chicken Run'!
To my surprise everyone was taking the safe option. Where I had expected to lose time, I found the majority of riders taking the slower but safer routes around the obstacles. Despite this there were many fallers. As we entered the switchback climb I looked back down the hill and there was nobody insight behind. An accident had clearly held up the rest of the field.
Climbing was extremely uncomfortable; deep breaths putting pressure on my bruised and battered ribs. Every breath caused a sharp jolt of pain. Once over the worst climb there was a long flowing decent with a couple of foot high rock steps taken at full speed. Hitting these caused me to wince and almost lose control of the bike.
I crossed the line to complete the first lap; checking the clock we'd been racing 20 minutes. I rode up the next climb, chest heaving and then struggled again to control the bike down the other side. I began to realise I had been running on adrenaline, the pain killers were wearing off and I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for 2 hours. At the next marshall point I pulled to the side of the course and stopped.
It was a tough decision. I had been training for this event for 8 months. It had been my primary target when I had planned my race schedule long ago on a dark winters night. It was difficult to accept it was over.
Now back home I am still disappointed. My training had gone well and I had been riding strongly in the weeks leading up to the race. However, I can now consider myself lucky. 13 riders didn't even complete the first lap of my race. Some of those will have found themselves in an ambulance on the way to Basildon General. Unbelievably riding just one lap of six was enough to earn me 29th in a National XC race.
What have I learnt:
1/ The Olympic athletes of 2012 should really be admired for making such a tough course look almost tame. Although speaking to one of the organisers he did point out that many of the countries spent the entire week prior to the race training and practising. I have no doubt that with training I could ride all the sections, although admittedly probably slower!
2/ Secondly the course was too hard for a national event. When less than half the field complete the race you know something isn't right.
3/ Thirdly, I expect I've cracked a rib or two.
Like thousands of others my application for tickets to see the 2012 London Olympic mountain bike race was unsuccessful. However, when the venues were announced for this years British National Cross Country Series, the Olympic venue at Hadleigh Farm is Essex was the location for the final round. My entry booked way back in February; I have been eagerly looking forward to this weekend all year.
The weather was kind and the sun shone as those riders that has survived the practice sessions were corralled into their categories for the start. Riders nervously discussed different possible lines through the technical sections as we were moved to the grid. A deep breath and we were off!
The start climbed directly to the top of the hill and I found myself near the front as we hit the first rock garden. I turned into the less technical 'B' run as the rider in front plunged directly across the rocks. With a crash he was down, the 'A' route was blocked but I rode safely on. At the next steep decent a rider was already lying contorted on the rocks below, so again I followed the riders ahead down the 'Chicken Run'!
To my surprise everyone was taking the safe option. Where I had expected to lose time, I found the majority of riders taking the slower but safer routes around the obstacles. Despite this there were many fallers. As we entered the switchback climb I looked back down the hill and there was nobody insight behind. An accident had clearly held up the rest of the field.
Climbing was extremely uncomfortable; deep breaths putting pressure on my bruised and battered ribs. Every breath caused a sharp jolt of pain. Once over the worst climb there was a long flowing decent with a couple of foot high rock steps taken at full speed. Hitting these caused me to wince and almost lose control of the bike.
I crossed the line to complete the first lap; checking the clock we'd been racing 20 minutes. I rode up the next climb, chest heaving and then struggled again to control the bike down the other side. I began to realise I had been running on adrenaline, the pain killers were wearing off and I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for 2 hours. At the next marshall point I pulled to the side of the course and stopped.
It was a tough decision. I had been training for this event for 8 months. It had been my primary target when I had planned my race schedule long ago on a dark winters night. It was difficult to accept it was over.
Now back home I am still disappointed. My training had gone well and I had been riding strongly in the weeks leading up to the race. However, I can now consider myself lucky. 13 riders didn't even complete the first lap of my race. Some of those will have found themselves in an ambulance on the way to Basildon General. Unbelievably riding just one lap of six was enough to earn me 29th in a National XC race.
What have I learnt:
1/ The Olympic athletes of 2012 should really be admired for making such a tough course look almost tame. Although speaking to one of the organisers he did point out that many of the countries spent the entire week prior to the race training and practising. I have no doubt that with training I could ride all the sections, although admittedly probably slower!
2/ Secondly the course was too hard for a national event. When less than half the field complete the race you know something isn't right.
3/ Thirdly, I expect I've cracked a rib or two.
Thetford Summer Enduro
Looking for a race in June I came across the 4,6,8 and 10 hour Enduro in Thetford Forest home of Dusk to Dawn, I couldn't get any takers to join me probably the thought of me driving home after a 8 hr ride. At the registration tent I bumped into Fay Cripps up in Norfolk visiting her folks so she popped down to get in a little 6hr training ride.
Are You Tough Enough
After 2012's wet race this year we were roasted with temp in the mid 80's, with a good turnout of team and club members we had a mixed day. Fay, Julia and Olive took a 1,2,3 in the Ladies 2hrs, James D'Arcy 1st 2hr Vets, Ben Connor 4th 4hrs Male, Ian Petherbridge 6th 4hr Vets with John D and Andy G 23rd and 24th. To Emma's dismay after riding 8 laps in 6 hrs finishing first lady only to be told there was no ladies cat and that she was 14th in an open event, poor show guys. To make things worse Marc's seatpost snapped 200 yds into the male 4hr and his day was done.
A change in venue from Porridgepot to Frith Hill saw depleted entries, not sure if it was down to the weather or the venue. I certainly think the course is more suited to xc race more than an enduro but it was nice to ride somewhere different. Very deceptive course extended to 7 miles with 500' of climbing taking in all of the Gorrick twist and turns. For a change the forecast was right and we all slapped camel backs on and had plenty of water track side. Avoiding cramp and taking on as much water as you could were paramount and everybody had more than there usual pit stops. In all another tough day but what else would we do on a sunny July day?
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