Marin winter series round one

Me and Paul rode the first round of the winter series yesterday. This year the weather was good, 9'C and and dry, with no mud to speak of. 500 had signed up to start.






I warmed up by riding to the first bombhole to see the lines, as this is where there is usually a bottle neck of people peering over the edge. To help warming up I wore a gilet, I wouldn't need it to race. I lined up at the start on the second row and there was a minute's silence for poppy day. Just as I took off my gilet to put it in my pocket the klaxon went and I was stuck with my hands behind my back as everyone surged forward. doh! I managed to stuff it in my pocket and set off in pursuit. I caught Paul just before the bombhole, he'd passed me at the start and had been at least three rows behind me.

Luckily, we reached the bombhole with the first wave of capable riders and everyone rode straight into it, as I came back around it there was already a huge queue of stationary riders. Into the first singletrack and my legs are really hurting, I don't feel particularly out of breath but there's no power in my legs. So, I sit and spin and hope they get better. Out of the singletrack onto fire road to the second bombhole, this one was great - A steep four metre drop-in to a right hand berm, then part way up the opposite banking into a left hand berm, around a tree and back down in the direction we'd entered to exit on a sharp kick a couple of metres along from the entry point......excellent!

A bit more fire into some singletrack and then a long straight descent completely covered in fallen leaves. This was quite exciting because I had no idea what was underneath the leaves, and it was a matter of ..."what you couldn't see wouldn't hurt you" :-) I was able to use the smallest sprocket for this, but still couldn't get completely on top of the gear. A ninety degree right turn then took us up to the finish/start line. Normally, I'm feeling a bit nauseous for the first couple of laps, but I just had sore legs. I carried on like this for five more laps feeling worse and worse, when coming out of the first bombhole for the seventh time I stood on the pedals and the bike surged forward! Suddenly I was ripping through the singletrack out of the saddle, overtaking loads of people wtf! I started to feel good at last.

I'm not sure what to put my bad form down to, I had done a fastish 40km the day before and had a not too hard massage the night before. The only thing that I hadn't done was to massage my legs with deep heat before the race.

I managed eight laps in 4:23:43 Paul came in about a minute and half later. I was 7th. and Paul 8th. Vets.

Iron Cross

The Mighty Dinsdale takes 18th ladies (no vets) and KB is 50th in the vets. Hopefully one of them has taken some pictures.


Some pics here: Tom Miller

Trailbreak

This weekend is the annual trailbreak ride from Evans at Gatwick. Trailbreak

Me and Jane will be doing the mtb event on Saturday, lots of the SWRC are doing the Sunday road bike sportif. I thought about doing the road event, but I think we are doing a hash event on Sunday.

The long route is normally about 50-60 kms. Me and Jane will ride to the event from Dorking, about 25 km each way, making a good training ride for Thetford.

The Sugarloaf from the east

Ramon, juanita and the lco hiked and ran to the top of the Sugarloaf mountain in Abergavenny from the east side today, keeping our pledge to take one weekend a month off the bike to hike and run.

At the top we met a begging sheep who bullied the lco into giving up her energy bar, the woolly bully then began to flirt with Ramon for the Mr. Toms peanut bar he had in his pocket.

A good strenuous day in the hills, the lco is now beginning to keep up on the downhills too!

some pics here: sugarloaf

The Iron Cross

Julie the mighty Dinsdale leaves for NYC on Wednesday to compete in the Iron Cross, a US version of the three peaks cross.

It's 100 km with 2000m of climbing.

From the website: Iron Cross

This isn't a dirt road race nor a mountain bike race - it is a course that favors a 'cross rider on a 'cross bike. The race will start and end with a lap with barriers at Camp Thompson and you might run into some barriers at spots along the course to remind you that it's a 'cross race. Bring your climbing legs. The course is mostly fire-roads with some trails interspersed. The trails may contain sections where you will want to get off your 'cross bike and run, but for the most part will be 'cross bikeable. There are three run-ups. "Run-up" is a term used loosely and very open to interpretation.

Blog: Alicia Parr that's her in the picture with the mahoosive iron cross, I want one!!

Good luck JD bring your Iron Cross to Dorking for us to see when you get back.

Grand Traverseé du Limousin

This looks nice, a three day race in Limousin (wiki ) at the beginning of May, for teams of four. I found it on this excellent blog - statobiker . He has moved to the area and it details his road and mtb exploits in and around Limousin. He sounds a bit quick! :-)

The Abha Trophy

Gunther sent me a link for this race in Saudi Arabia, which he and Tim are doing this year in October. They asked if I wanted to go with them, but I'd already booked a training week in ibiza.

http://www.abhatrophy.com

Maybe next year.

3 peaks X cancelled! :-(

Damn I'd just increased my running in Wales at the weekend.

Entries are being carried over to next year.



http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/cyx/News2007/20070917_3_peaks_off.asp

Cross training

lco, juanita and ramon took to the hills in Brecon for a bit of training for the three peaks cyclo X.

lco used an onboard hydration system for the first time and tried a gel which enabled her to power up the last big climb of the day!

juanita practised running for the Thames Meander.

ramon remembered how hard the three peaks cross was last year!

fotos here: flickr

the Thames Meander

Anyone fancy something bonkers in February?

site here: thames meander