9 AM
Mountain Biking warm up/down 51:19 [2] 6.49 mi (7.6 mph) +160m
Pre ride of the race route. Already scorchio on the open field sections but not too bad in the forest. Starts off fast track/singletrack looping around forest, then heads across a field to the next section of forest, steep sharp climb through forest then up a road. Bomb hole fun at the top. Heart in mouth moment the first time I did the first one - pretty big. Then out across a field before dropping down through the forest on thin swoopy singletrack with a couple of short climbs thrown in, through 3 different sections of wood then in to the finish.
12 PM
Mountain Biking race 44:49 [4] 6.89 mi (9.2 mph) +180m
Lap 1 including short start loop. Set off a bit too far back - sprinted the big tracks to overtake then was stuck behind people on singletrack for about 25mins of this one.Not as bad as kielder by any means! All bunched up again so slow towards he end. Official results say my lap time was 42:24 so short loop was the rest of the time.
Mountain Biking race 42:13 [4] 6.49 mi (9.2 mph) +180m
Lap 2 - less people in the way - fastest first section of the race.
Mountain Biking race 43:45 [4] 6.49 mi (8.9 mph) +180m
Lap 3 - around 3pm - flagging in the heat - legs struggling with the climb this time
Mountain Biking race 45:09 [4] 6.49 mi (8.6 mph) +180m
Lap 4 - last one - still excrutiatingly hot - still flagging and this time my back tightened up big time on the descent so lost a bit more time. Still - this took us into the lead by a lap and we finished 1st in the female pairs. Looking at the other womens times from the race there is much to be improved on. Iwona who I am racing mountain mayhem with rode faster than me for the first lap, then pretty much the same as me for the next 3 laps...except she was racing 12hrs solo so did them back to back instead of having 45mins rest in between! Machine! Fastest time ridden by a woman - 38:20!!