Im very much looking forward to spending the weekend with existing and new team riders :)
Off to the Borders of Scotland in Feb for Team launch and a weekend of fun
:)
This blog will follow the training and racing activities of the UK based Women's XC Mountain Bike Team. We are the only such team in the UK and are dedicated to raising the profile of women's mountain biking through our enthusiasm and commitment to the sport.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Thursday 4 November 2010
TEAM BIKES FOR SALE
BIKE TWO
Moda Carbon Encore team bike
This bike has a brand new frame never sat on and the equipment was only used at the teams photo shoot,
Frame brand new – 16.5in, LDC High modulas CarbonForks Reba SL Team forks with 100mm motion control poplock. Shimano XT disc brakes.Shimano XT chainset and gears Carbon bars and stemAll cables and hoses in Goodridge custom white.American classic 350 wheels, In immaculate condition.£1250
Moda Carbon Encore team bike
This bike has a brand new frame never sat on and the equipment was only used at the teams photo shoot,
Frame brand new – 16.5in, LDC High modulas CarbonForks Reba SL Team forks with 100mm motion control poplock. Shimano XT disc brakes.Shimano XT chainset and gears Carbon bars and stemAll cables and hoses in Goodridge custom white.American classic 350 wheels, In immaculate condition.£1250
BIKE THREE
Moda Carbon Encore team bike
Frame - 16.5in, LDC High modulas Carbon This bike has been completely stripped and rebuilt.
New bottom bracket and inner and outer gear cables, new disc pads. New chain.
new set of Kore handlebars and stemForks Reba SL Team forks with 100mm motion control poplock. Shimano XT disc brakes.Shimano XT chainset and gears All cables and hoses in Goodridge custom white.American classic 350 wheels, In excellent condition. £1200
BIKE FOUR
This is a custom built Moda Rondo, Triple Butted 7005 Aluminium, size 16.5Forks upgrade to Reba SL Team 100mm with Motion control Poplock
Magura disc brakes.Shimano XT chainset and rear mechUSE carbon bars and USE stem. Carbon seat post.All cables and hoses in Goodridge custom white.American classic wheels (not raced on).In immaculate condition.lighter than the standard model
£850
All bikes have only been ridden by female riders with no abuse, and serviced at every event.
Contact - wxcmtb@aol.com
Monday 25 October 2010
Newnham Park BMBS XC by Emma Cutler
I arrived on Friday in time to ride the course, was not expecting it to be quite so hilly. I had heard about the infamous pipeline section however and was slightly worried about how I would manage that. However got to the end and realized I had gone down it without even knowing and it wasn't too difficult. A few sections I rode over a couple of times to find a good line. It seemed ok, I just hoped I would be strong enough for some of the steeper climbs.
The start of the race was quite nerve-wracking. I don't really know many of the people who regularly race there, but I tried to look around at who was in my category. I was glad to be standing with my team mate Magali Jimenez and we wished each other the best of luck before going into our starting position.
The race started through the first river crossing, having started near the back people converged in front of me so I decided to run through this one. I climbed the first hill but saw several of the vet ladies disappear ahead of me. Trying not to be discouraged I continued at my own pace. I believed that one or two of the ladies in my group were behind me. Sometime later in that lap I passed a lady who had been next to me at the start. I continued at the fastest pace I was able, managing pretty much any of the technical parts and enjoying the fast downhill section towards the end. The second lap went much as the first although after a couple of the hills I was having a serious problem with sweat running into my eyes. At one point I was unable to see at all and my eyes were stinging, but removing my glasses for a while and wiping my eyes managed to clear them with the downhill breeze.
The final lap on one of the later climbs I recognised another of the very fast vet ladies as she smoothly overtook me on an uphill, so assumed she had had a mechanical of some sort. The descents at the end felt great now I knew exactly what to expect and tried to make up for lost time on the uphills. Overall I was pleased with the result having never raced at a National XC Race and only started racing this year. I had a great time, raced on a World Cup course and have something to tell the grandchildren (haven't got any quite yet!)
Thanks also to my husband for his support.
5th place vets
The start of the race was quite nerve-wracking. I don't really know many of the people who regularly race there, but I tried to look around at who was in my category. I was glad to be standing with my team mate Magali Jimenez and we wished each other the best of luck before going into our starting position.
The race started through the first river crossing, having started near the back people converged in front of me so I decided to run through this one. I climbed the first hill but saw several of the vet ladies disappear ahead of me. Trying not to be discouraged I continued at my own pace. I believed that one or two of the ladies in my group were behind me. Sometime later in that lap I passed a lady who had been next to me at the start. I continued at the fastest pace I was able, managing pretty much any of the technical parts and enjoying the fast downhill section towards the end. The second lap went much as the first although after a couple of the hills I was having a serious problem with sweat running into my eyes. At one point I was unable to see at all and my eyes were stinging, but removing my glasses for a while and wiping my eyes managed to clear them with the downhill breeze.
The final lap on one of the later climbs I recognised another of the very fast vet ladies as she smoothly overtook me on an uphill, so assumed she had had a mechanical of some sort. The descents at the end felt great now I knew exactly what to expect and tried to make up for lost time on the uphills. Overall I was pleased with the result having never raced at a National XC Race and only started racing this year. I had a great time, raced on a World Cup course and have something to tell the grandchildren (haven't got any quite yet!)
Thanks also to my husband for his support.
5th place vets
Bedgebury Insomnia BHF 12 hour solo endurance race by Emma Cutler
I was really looking forward to this race as I had watched all the excitement last year and wanted to join in, this was my first attempt at a 12 hour race and overnight as well. 8 PM waiting to go and thankfully it wasn't raining, although very cold, and the forecast was good. My left knee was feeling a bit sore as a result of a long training ride and I was a bit concerned as to how it would fare. Starting the race was a fight for position, always a mental blur to me! I knew the course went onto the first bit of singletrack via a small steep run up and was hoping to get there as quickly as possible as it would not be easy to pass anyone on the singletrack. Unfortunately some others stopped in front of me so I had to push up the first run up but luckily got a good start on the singletrack anyway.
I had decided beforehand to try and keep to a slower speed particularly on the climbs and drags so as not to tire my legs out too quickly, it was going to be a long night. I did the first 5 or 6 laps without too much trouble, stopping briefly a few times to quickly eat/drink something or change bottles or add clothing and put on a knee support bandage. Sometime during a stop Keith informed me that they were having problems with the timing, he said I was in front but we had no idea who was behind me and how far etc.
During the seventh lap I started to feel really tired. I tried to focus on the thought of some hot food at the end of that lap. After a brief respite, I jumped back on my bike and felt much more lively! I had really wanted to do another 5 laps after this but realized time could be a bit tight and still didn't know where the second place female was.
I decided to split the final laps into two lots of two, giving myself some tea in between. I managed a fairly decent couple of laps after the food, this race seemed to be all about eating extensively and drinking tea which was fine by me. I hardly saw any other riders and was starting to think I was on my own, strangely enjoyable! During my final two laps it began to get light which was wonderful after the grimness of the early hours. I sped up and really started enjoying the last moments. On my final lap I passed a female rider on a hill who seemed to recognize me and congratulated me. Later I found out that she was the second place female and had chased after me going out on my lap 9 but luckily I had lapped her. I started getting towards the end around ten minutes before the finish at 8am and slowed down. Since no solo female riders had overtaken me I believed I was in front. Got to just before the finish line and lurked for around five minutes or so, heard the siren and finished the race at dead on 8am. 11 laps, painful but hilarious at times. Having finished and realized that the timing was still up the chute, I said a few “words” to the timing systems operator and went on my merry way!
Final results were 1st place solo female, (3rd solo person overall), and 1st place fastest lap for a female
Big 'Up' to the Bedgebury Boars for all the voluntary time and effort spent on organizing this race and the wonderful marshals who kept everyone safe and entertained through the long night.
Thanks to Keith WXC Team Manager for all your support and ay-up lights were literally brilliant
I had decided beforehand to try and keep to a slower speed particularly on the climbs and drags so as not to tire my legs out too quickly, it was going to be a long night. I did the first 5 or 6 laps without too much trouble, stopping briefly a few times to quickly eat/drink something or change bottles or add clothing and put on a knee support bandage. Sometime during a stop Keith informed me that they were having problems with the timing, he said I was in front but we had no idea who was behind me and how far etc.
During the seventh lap I started to feel really tired. I tried to focus on the thought of some hot food at the end of that lap. After a brief respite, I jumped back on my bike and felt much more lively! I had really wanted to do another 5 laps after this but realized time could be a bit tight and still didn't know where the second place female was.
I decided to split the final laps into two lots of two, giving myself some tea in between. I managed a fairly decent couple of laps after the food, this race seemed to be all about eating extensively and drinking tea which was fine by me. I hardly saw any other riders and was starting to think I was on my own, strangely enjoyable! During my final two laps it began to get light which was wonderful after the grimness of the early hours. I sped up and really started enjoying the last moments. On my final lap I passed a female rider on a hill who seemed to recognize me and congratulated me. Later I found out that she was the second place female and had chased after me going out on my lap 9 but luckily I had lapped her. I started getting towards the end around ten minutes before the finish at 8am and slowed down. Since no solo female riders had overtaken me I believed I was in front. Got to just before the finish line and lurked for around five minutes or so, heard the siren and finished the race at dead on 8am. 11 laps, painful but hilarious at times. Having finished and realized that the timing was still up the chute, I said a few “words” to the timing systems operator and went on my merry way!
Final results were 1st place solo female, (3rd solo person overall), and 1st place fastest lap for a female
Big 'Up' to the Bedgebury Boars for all the voluntary time and effort spent on organizing this race and the wonderful marshals who kept everyone safe and entertained through the long night.
Thanks to Keith WXC Team Manager for all your support and ay-up lights were literally brilliant
Saturday 23 October 2010
BMBS Final round Newnham Estate, Plymouth
Carla Haines
The final round of the national series had come around so fast. I was excited, very nervous but a bit sad that it was the last event of the race season.
Looking at the start list there were 5 international riders so I knew it was going to be a very tough race...however it would give me a little bit of experience of the standard at World Cup events.
Friday
I rode over to Newnham, as I don’t live very far, and pre rode the course. It was shorter than I expected, and quite hilly but I did like it. The ground was greasy in places but still dry, so decided to keep the Kenda Small Block 8 tyres on. .
Saturday-Race Day
It was an earlyish start, 7am, for a good breakfast and pack the car. I was really nervous for this race, I wanted to do well as it was the last one of the series.
My preparation was great...everything was ready in good time so there was no last minute rush. I had a good warm up so I was fired up and ready to go.
We were called up for gridding 20 minutes before...I was number 16 so my number was nearer the end. Standing at the start line I was surrounded by some of the worlds best riders, in front of me was Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, the multiple World Champion.it was amazing and so nerve racking!! I had such a mixture of feelings I didn’t really know what to think...but just to focus and race how I normally race.
The whistle was blown and off like a rocket we all went. My start was ok at first until I got to the river crossing where I had to run with my bike. Some of the others rode through but a few didn’t. At this point there was a gap between myself and the leading bunch. The short steep grass climb was near the start was really hard so I just kept going as hard as I could.
By the time I reached the very top of the climb the pack had made a much bigger gap, but I could still see them in my sights. My aim was to catch up and work with the last few riders round the course.
My weakness is climbs which I really needed to work my socks off in the race. I was slowly gaining on them by the 2nd lap. We worked together a bit but then I made a break from one rider. After that I didn’t see her, so I my next target was to gain more time on the other riders and also not get lapped by the leader.
On the 4th lap I was starting to get a bit tired..and my mind was drifting a bit. To stop this from happening I tried descending differently. The sections I usually braked on I didn’t and I went harder into the corners. This kept my mind switched on and started to get back into race mode.
On the final lap..I had realised I didn’t get lapped by the leader which was good news...but I still had to keep my head in the race. The final descent I knew I wasn’t very far from the finish so I went as hard as I could for the last flat section.
I was so tired and glad to finish. I had a good race and was quite pleased with my result. I ended up 12th and also got some more UCI points..which is step closer to racing at world cups.
I’ve had a really good season in my 1st year elite and I’m looking forward to next years racing already.
The final round of the national series had come around so fast. I was excited, very nervous but a bit sad that it was the last event of the race season.
Looking at the start list there were 5 international riders so I knew it was going to be a very tough race...however it would give me a little bit of experience of the standard at World Cup events.
Friday
I rode over to Newnham, as I don’t live very far, and pre rode the course. It was shorter than I expected, and quite hilly but I did like it. The ground was greasy in places but still dry, so decided to keep the Kenda Small Block 8 tyres on. .
Saturday-Race Day
It was an earlyish start, 7am, for a good breakfast and pack the car. I was really nervous for this race, I wanted to do well as it was the last one of the series.
My preparation was great...everything was ready in good time so there was no last minute rush. I had a good warm up so I was fired up and ready to go.
We were called up for gridding 20 minutes before...I was number 16 so my number was nearer the end. Standing at the start line I was surrounded by some of the worlds best riders, in front of me was Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, the multiple World Champion.it was amazing and so nerve racking!! I had such a mixture of feelings I didn’t really know what to think...but just to focus and race how I normally race.
The whistle was blown and off like a rocket we all went. My start was ok at first until I got to the river crossing where I had to run with my bike. Some of the others rode through but a few didn’t. At this point there was a gap between myself and the leading bunch. The short steep grass climb was near the start was really hard so I just kept going as hard as I could.
By the time I reached the very top of the climb the pack had made a much bigger gap, but I could still see them in my sights. My aim was to catch up and work with the last few riders round the course.
My weakness is climbs which I really needed to work my socks off in the race. I was slowly gaining on them by the 2nd lap. We worked together a bit but then I made a break from one rider. After that I didn’t see her, so I my next target was to gain more time on the other riders and also not get lapped by the leader.
On the 4th lap I was starting to get a bit tired..and my mind was drifting a bit. To stop this from happening I tried descending differently. The sections I usually braked on I didn’t and I went harder into the corners. This kept my mind switched on and started to get back into race mode.
On the final lap..I had realised I didn’t get lapped by the leader which was good news...but I still had to keep my head in the race. The final descent I knew I wasn’t very far from the finish so I went as hard as I could for the last flat section.
I was so tired and glad to finish. I had a good race and was quite pleased with my result. I ended up 12th and also got some more UCI points..which is step closer to racing at world cups.
I’ve had a really good season in my 1st year elite and I’m looking forward to next years racing already.
Looking at the start list there were 5 international riders so I knew it was going to be a very tough race...however it would give me a little bit of experience of the standard at World Cup events.
Friday
I rode over to Newnham, as I don’t live very far, and pre rode the course. It was shorter than I expected, and quite hilly but I did like it. The ground was greasy in places but still dry, so decided to keep the Kenda Small Block 8 tyres on. .
Saturday-Race Day
It was an earlyish start, 7am, for a good breakfast and pack the car. I was really nervous for this race, I wanted to do well as it was the last one of the series.
My preparation was great...everything was ready in good time so there was no last minute rush. I had a good warm up so I was fired up and ready to go.
We were called up for gridding 20 minutes before...I was number 16 so my number was nearer the end. Standing at the start line I was surrounded by some of the worlds best riders, in front of me was Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, the multiple World Champion.it was amazing and so nerve racking!! I had such a mixture of feelings I didn’t really know what to think...but just to focus and race how I normally race.
The whistle was blown and off like a rocket we all went. My start was ok at first until I got to the river crossing where I had to run with my bike. Some of the others rode through but a few didn’t. At this point there was a gap between myself and the leading bunch. The short steep grass climb was near the start was really hard so I just kept going as hard as I could.
By the time I reached the very top of the climb the pack had made a much bigger gap, but I could still see them in my sights. My aim was to catch up and work with the last few riders round the course.
My weakness is climbs which I really needed to work my socks off in the race. I was slowly gaining on them by the 2nd lap. We worked together a bit but then I made a break from one rider. After that I didn’t see her, so I my next target was to gain more time on the other riders and also not get lapped by the leader.
On the 4th lap I was starting to get a bit tired..and my mind was drifting a bit. To stop this from happening I tried descending differently. The sections I usually braked on I didn’t and I went harder into the corners. This kept my mind switched on and started to get back into race mode.
On the final lap..I had realised I didn’t get lapped by the leader which was good news...but I still had to keep my head in the race. The final descent I knew I wasn’t very far from the finish so I went as hard as I could for the last flat section.
I was so tired and glad to finish. I had a good race and was quite pleased with my result. I ended up 12th and also got some more UCI points..which is step closer to racing at world cups.
I’ve had a really good season in my 1st year elite and I’m looking forward to next years racing already.
The final round of the national series had come around so fast. I was excited, very nervous but a bit sad that it was the last event of the race season.
Looking at the start list there were 5 international riders so I knew it was going to be a very tough race...however it would give me a little bit of experience of the standard at World Cup events.
Friday
I rode over to Newnham, as I don’t live very far, and pre rode the course. It was shorter than I expected, and quite hilly but I did like it. The ground was greasy in places but still dry, so decided to keep the Kenda Small Block 8 tyres on. .
Saturday-Race Day
It was an earlyish start, 7am, for a good breakfast and pack the car. I was really nervous for this race, I wanted to do well as it was the last one of the series.
My preparation was great...everything was ready in good time so there was no last minute rush. I had a good warm up so I was fired up and ready to go.
We were called up for gridding 20 minutes before...I was number 16 so my number was nearer the end. Standing at the start line I was surrounded by some of the worlds best riders, in front of me was Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå, the multiple World Champion.it was amazing and so nerve racking!! I had such a mixture of feelings I didn’t really know what to think...but just to focus and race how I normally race.
The whistle was blown and off like a rocket we all went. My start was ok at first until I got to the river crossing where I had to run with my bike. Some of the others rode through but a few didn’t. At this point there was a gap between myself and the leading bunch. The short steep grass climb was near the start was really hard so I just kept going as hard as I could.
By the time I reached the very top of the climb the pack had made a much bigger gap, but I could still see them in my sights. My aim was to catch up and work with the last few riders round the course.
My weakness is climbs which I really needed to work my socks off in the race. I was slowly gaining on them by the 2nd lap. We worked together a bit but then I made a break from one rider. After that I didn’t see her, so I my next target was to gain more time on the other riders and also not get lapped by the leader.
On the 4th lap I was starting to get a bit tired..and my mind was drifting a bit. To stop this from happening I tried descending differently. The sections I usually braked on I didn’t and I went harder into the corners. This kept my mind switched on and started to get back into race mode.
On the final lap..I had realised I didn’t get lapped by the leader which was good news...but I still had to keep my head in the race. The final descent I knew I wasn’t very far from the finish so I went as hard as I could for the last flat section.
I was so tired and glad to finish. I had a good race and was quite pleased with my result. I ended up 12th and also got some more UCI points..which is step closer to racing at world cups.
I’ve had a really good season in my 1st year elite and I’m looking forward to next years racing already.
Irish National Marathon Championships, Plus - Cait Elliot
After racing in the British National Series race in Plymouth and finishing top 10 in a field of quality Internationals on the Saturday we had a 3 hour drive to Bristol after the race, a 2 hour delay with the plane, missed the bus from Dublin airport and finally getting home at 1am absolutely exhausted - great race preparation for the Irish marathon championships the next day. I had to be up at 6.30 on Sunday morning for a 3 hour drive down to Ballyhoura, unsure if I'd be able for racing but decided that if my legs felt in anyway functioning I’d at least try and get around the course.
Warming up I felt tired but able to ride, and after the disaster the day before I suddenly found a sense of purpose, I was going to win this thing if it killed me, I had to salvage something from the weekend. I was testing some compression wear before the race from new WXC team supporter Compressport and can highly recommend them, it really helped speeding up recovery.
We set off up a long fire road climb and as loads of over enthusiastic guys went shooting past I rode on Ciara McManus’s wheel, letting her set a steady pace. I moved in front but was careful not to get carried away, I decided riding conservatively was the best option since I wasn’t sure how long my legs would last after yesterday.
I started to pull away from Ciara and settled into a steady rhythm, concentrating on my own race. The course was a nice mixture of fire road climbs, manmade trail centre single track, and rocky or boggy moorland tracks. I’m not normally a fan of trail centres but the first descent was great, super fast berms and jumps that really got the adrenaline flowing without using much energy – perfect for tired legs!
Some of the climbing was tough, technical rocky sections that required a lot of effort and seemed to go on for a long time. After about an hour of riding with the guys, Ciara suddenly appeared on my wheel out of nowhere on a climb. That scared me; I had to force myself to keep it steady rather than panicking and trying to shoot off. At the top I got ahead of a couple of guys so that I had a bit of a buffer, and then went hard on the descent to try and get away. I think I needed a kick up the bum and it meant I had to stay focused for the rest of the race. My one bit of good race preparation was to write on my handlebars where the big climbs and feed zones were on the course – why I haven’t done it before I don’t know, but it was incredibly useful for pacing and pushing myself as we went along.
Some of the open mountain trails were really boggy, with several gigantic puddles. Organisers MBCC did a great job of marking them with signs to warn you how deep it might be. At one point a sign said ‘deep but doable’ – ok I thought, I’ll ride it, my feet were already soaked. I didn’t expect the water to go up past the top of my forks though; I might have been better swimming!
By the last long climb I was starting to hurt a bit but my handlebar note told me there was a big long descent to the finish, so that made it much easier. I was making up lots of places against the guys too as people started to struggle and blow up. The last descent was worth it all, a fast swoopy single track that seemed to go on forever. I was pelting along, riding on my limits with the thought of a new jersey giving me a new found fire in my legs. I caught a couple of guys in front but the narrow trail meant it was impossible to pass. I got a bit frustrated but in the end gave up trying to pass and enjoyed the ride down with four of us riding on each other’s wheel. As the finish came in sight I couldn’t believe it when we were directed into a little finishing loop that included a slight climb, it was a killer and the final nail in the coffin for several people who ended up off the bikes with cramp despite being less than a minute from the end.
I was delighted to cross the line winning my 2nd National championship title and making me feel a bit better after the day before, and good to end the season on a more positive note.
Warming up I felt tired but able to ride, and after the disaster the day before I suddenly found a sense of purpose, I was going to win this thing if it killed me, I had to salvage something from the weekend. I was testing some compression wear before the race from new WXC team supporter Compressport and can highly recommend them, it really helped speeding up recovery.
We set off up a long fire road climb and as loads of over enthusiastic guys went shooting past I rode on Ciara McManus’s wheel, letting her set a steady pace. I moved in front but was careful not to get carried away, I decided riding conservatively was the best option since I wasn’t sure how long my legs would last after yesterday.
I started to pull away from Ciara and settled into a steady rhythm, concentrating on my own race. The course was a nice mixture of fire road climbs, manmade trail centre single track, and rocky or boggy moorland tracks. I’m not normally a fan of trail centres but the first descent was great, super fast berms and jumps that really got the adrenaline flowing without using much energy – perfect for tired legs!
Some of the climbing was tough, technical rocky sections that required a lot of effort and seemed to go on for a long time. After about an hour of riding with the guys, Ciara suddenly appeared on my wheel out of nowhere on a climb. That scared me; I had to force myself to keep it steady rather than panicking and trying to shoot off. At the top I got ahead of a couple of guys so that I had a bit of a buffer, and then went hard on the descent to try and get away. I think I needed a kick up the bum and it meant I had to stay focused for the rest of the race. My one bit of good race preparation was to write on my handlebars where the big climbs and feed zones were on the course – why I haven’t done it before I don’t know, but it was incredibly useful for pacing and pushing myself as we went along.
Some of the open mountain trails were really boggy, with several gigantic puddles. Organisers MBCC did a great job of marking them with signs to warn you how deep it might be. At one point a sign said ‘deep but doable’ – ok I thought, I’ll ride it, my feet were already soaked. I didn’t expect the water to go up past the top of my forks though; I might have been better swimming!
By the last long climb I was starting to hurt a bit but my handlebar note told me there was a big long descent to the finish, so that made it much easier. I was making up lots of places against the guys too as people started to struggle and blow up. The last descent was worth it all, a fast swoopy single track that seemed to go on forever. I was pelting along, riding on my limits with the thought of a new jersey giving me a new found fire in my legs. I caught a couple of guys in front but the narrow trail meant it was impossible to pass. I got a bit frustrated but in the end gave up trying to pass and enjoyed the ride down with four of us riding on each other’s wheel. As the finish came in sight I couldn’t believe it when we were directed into a little finishing loop that included a slight climb, it was a killer and the final nail in the coffin for several people who ended up off the bikes with cramp despite being less than a minute from the end.
I was delighted to cross the line winning my 2nd National championship title and making me feel a bit better after the day before, and good to end the season on a more positive note.
Soutern Area Champs - Magali Jimenez, Masters Bronze medallist
Pre race preparation
Having injured myself at home a couple of weeks before the Southern XC Champs, I wasn’t sure I would be well enough to race. But Pippingford being such a great venue and being only two weeks before the next round of the BMBS I thought I would give it a shot.
We arrived at Pippingford a few hours before my race start so that I could go for a practice lap to familiarise myself with the course. The weather wasn’t great but having my two year old daughter jumping up and down and playing next to me while I was getting ready helped me keep my mind busy so I didn’t even notice the rain!
I went for a practice lap with my co-team member and elite rider Carla. She obviously knew the course very well and was warning me of any potential hazards on the way. It was nice to be looked after for a change! I immediately found it more technical and challenging than my local rides and thought to myself that it would be a tough race. I had raced parts of the course at the 8 hour Muc-off earlier in the year but the Southern XC Champs course also happened to be the course of the National champs so it had to be a tough one. The hills were demanding, especially the long grassy one at the end that never seemed to end. There were lots of slippery roots, a river crossing and off camber corners, i.e. a great cross country course! There were also good downhill sections where I could get a good speed to compensate all the hard work on the hills.
Although I am not as clumsy as I used to be when I started mountain biking a few years back, I crashed on my practice lap but thankfully I didn’t do any more damage to myself other than few cuts and grazes. Carla was here to pick up the pieces and we were ready to finish the lap. I wasn’t sure what to think about the course especially after my crash but I tried to stay focused and relaxed before getting on the turbo for a warm up.
The race
A few words of advice from coach Trevor and his usual “don’t worry you’ll be alright” and it was time to go to the start line. We were six ladies in the Masters category on the same line all waiting for the whistle to blow. At that time I was just thinking “don’t mess up your start”. And when the whistle did blow we all pedalled as hard as we possibly could on that grassy start before entering the single track. I thought I had a good start up until the first hill when few girls started passing me. I was going flat out but my flat out was not as fast as theirs so they left me behind and I was the last one to cross the line after the first lap. However, I tried to stay positive and remembered what Trevor had told me just before the start and I kept on pedalling even harder. I knew at that point what he meant by racing hurts. But thankfully I had lots of support from my daughter screaming “go mummy” every time she would see me and from Trevor who was always appearing somewhere in the woods to a shout few words of encouragement.
And so I kept going until I could see in front of me a girl who had passed me on the first lap. She was skidding on the roots and looked really tired. I knew they couldn’t possibly all keep up with that pace! I passed her and heard her for a while in my back wheel going uphill. Then I looked behind again and she was gone. I then got to the point where you could either go down a few drops or take the alternative route. I decided to be reasonable and went for the alternative route - which was not so easy by the way – and I passed another girl who was coming from the other way. I couldn’t believe it I was back in the race! The training was obviously working and I was thrilled! The last hill was very painful but I was feeling a lot better as I could see the finish line. I finally crossed the line and took the bronze medal with a big smile on my face. That was a great race and I’m glad I did it.
The aftermath
Soon after crossing the finish line I was congratulated by the gold and silver medallists which was nice. We had a quick chat about the race, children, etc and agreed that we were happy it was over although we really enjoyed it.
This race was important to me not only because it was the Southern Champs but also because I had the opportunity to race a good course with strong riders who I usually race with at the BMBS. So in a way it was a good rehearsal for the next round of the BMBS. I had a good and smooth race with excellent support from family and at the feed zone from Keith. It was a positive experience which has helped boost my confidence for the end of the season and for many more races to come.
Having injured myself at home a couple of weeks before the Southern XC Champs, I wasn’t sure I would be well enough to race. But Pippingford being such a great venue and being only two weeks before the next round of the BMBS I thought I would give it a shot.
We arrived at Pippingford a few hours before my race start so that I could go for a practice lap to familiarise myself with the course. The weather wasn’t great but having my two year old daughter jumping up and down and playing next to me while I was getting ready helped me keep my mind busy so I didn’t even notice the rain!
I went for a practice lap with my co-team member and elite rider Carla. She obviously knew the course very well and was warning me of any potential hazards on the way. It was nice to be looked after for a change! I immediately found it more technical and challenging than my local rides and thought to myself that it would be a tough race. I had raced parts of the course at the 8 hour Muc-off earlier in the year but the Southern XC Champs course also happened to be the course of the National champs so it had to be a tough one. The hills were demanding, especially the long grassy one at the end that never seemed to end. There were lots of slippery roots, a river crossing and off camber corners, i.e. a great cross country course! There were also good downhill sections where I could get a good speed to compensate all the hard work on the hills.
Although I am not as clumsy as I used to be when I started mountain biking a few years back, I crashed on my practice lap but thankfully I didn’t do any more damage to myself other than few cuts and grazes. Carla was here to pick up the pieces and we were ready to finish the lap. I wasn’t sure what to think about the course especially after my crash but I tried to stay focused and relaxed before getting on the turbo for a warm up.
The race
A few words of advice from coach Trevor and his usual “don’t worry you’ll be alright” and it was time to go to the start line. We were six ladies in the Masters category on the same line all waiting for the whistle to blow. At that time I was just thinking “don’t mess up your start”. And when the whistle did blow we all pedalled as hard as we possibly could on that grassy start before entering the single track. I thought I had a good start up until the first hill when few girls started passing me. I was going flat out but my flat out was not as fast as theirs so they left me behind and I was the last one to cross the line after the first lap. However, I tried to stay positive and remembered what Trevor had told me just before the start and I kept on pedalling even harder. I knew at that point what he meant by racing hurts. But thankfully I had lots of support from my daughter screaming “go mummy” every time she would see me and from Trevor who was always appearing somewhere in the woods to a shout few words of encouragement.
And so I kept going until I could see in front of me a girl who had passed me on the first lap. She was skidding on the roots and looked really tired. I knew they couldn’t possibly all keep up with that pace! I passed her and heard her for a while in my back wheel going uphill. Then I looked behind again and she was gone. I then got to the point where you could either go down a few drops or take the alternative route. I decided to be reasonable and went for the alternative route - which was not so easy by the way – and I passed another girl who was coming from the other way. I couldn’t believe it I was back in the race! The training was obviously working and I was thrilled! The last hill was very painful but I was feeling a lot better as I could see the finish line. I finally crossed the line and took the bronze medal with a big smile on my face. That was a great race and I’m glad I did it.
The aftermath
Soon after crossing the finish line I was congratulated by the gold and silver medallists which was nice. We had a quick chat about the race, children, etc and agreed that we were happy it was over although we really enjoyed it.
This race was important to me not only because it was the Southern Champs but also because I had the opportunity to race a good course with strong riders who I usually race with at the BMBS. So in a way it was a good rehearsal for the next round of the BMBS. I had a good and smooth race with excellent support from family and at the feed zone from Keith. It was a positive experience which has helped boost my confidence for the end of the season and for many more races to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)