Training Log Archive: fluceluce

Recce of the BUCS cross country course with the Shef Uni guys. Muddy but not unridable after letting air out of my tyres. However it got muddier after the guys third lap...before the sport races...so it was going to be tough.

BUCS XC MTB Elite race.
4 laps of about 2.9miles with 116m climb. If you got lapped by the leader of your race you finished on their 4th lap.

Lap 1 (23:05): Helen shot off and I immediately realised I was in the wrong gear - massively. Rode the start probably in about 12th position. But then we turned the corner onto the golf course and I overtook very quickly - back past Helen and another couple of girls into what turned out to be 4th position. We set off about 2 mins behind the guys so caught them up just at the start of the killer hill. So boggy at the bottom it was miles quicker to run - which allowed me to overtake into 3rd (didn't know that at the time). The singletrack at the top was congested so I hung back accepting we weren't going to be able to overtake all the riders ahead until the short bit of open. The girl behind me thought otherwise and started yelling 'riders coming through'. It annoyed me so I let her past to deal with the guys ahead. She made it about 3 guys ahead. Then there was unridable mud and I was right back on her tail. Somewhere in this mud fest singletrack she got a minute on me (according to lap times). I had real trouble with non mud tyres - own fault though!
Really enjoyed the last bit of the course with the bomb holes and proper downhill fun! Even got the comment 'your riding it better than the guys' hehe. Through the finish in 4th.

Lap2 (24:33): If possible it was muddier. I was still in touch with 3rd going up the climb and planned to dig in and try and stay with her at the top - then I got distracted by somebody saying they thought I had a flat (turned out not - just running low psi) and the few seconds stopped to check was enough to lose contact. Another girl overtook in the gloop at the top which I had had to dismount for. That put me back in a bit of a race mode and I overtook her and put distance between us quickly.Still no sign of 3rd anymore.

Lap3 (25:47): Course deteriorated badly - churned up unridable sections now clear though so I knew where to dismount and where to push through. No sign of girl ahead or behind. Towards the end I started to expect the first girl to lap me (didn't know I was 4th) and when my chain came off in a bog I thought it was over. But no, got through finish without being lapped so off on lap 4...

Lap4 (26:13): Mud now no longer wet mud but sticky mud. Got the dismount sections firmly in my mind but had to stop a few times to clear mud to keep wheels turning. Tyre tread completely saturated - just like riding slick tyres! But no sign of girl ahead or behind so dug in and enjoyed the descents at the end for the last time.

Finished 4th which is way more than expected.Rode all the technical downhill well and only messed up the row of 6 bomb holes once when my tyre slid out on the mud on lap 3. Needed less than a min a lap to reach the podium (cough:mud tyres) - next year :-)

Ride out to Castleton to watch fell race with Zanthe and Claire from Fox House. Horrible weather, wet with a strong headwind all the way- needed more layers than the wind jacket I was testing out! Quite chilly by the time we got to Hathersage so put ina bit of pace on the front for a couple of miles to warm up a bit!

Rode into Douglas and around a bit - so wet again! So glad we didn't try and ride anywhere on Tuesday, soaked through - had lunch - got ferry back to liverpool.

Rode into Douglas and around town, had lunch whilst waiting for delayed start. Rode up to Creg Ny Baa. Big hill! Watched racing then rode back after roads had opened!

So unbelievably wet - walked into Douglas and around town - tour of coffee shops and stayed out for tea. Met up with the crowd from Barnsley that we'd met at the Railway on Monday. Then taxi home as was late and still chucking it down!

Rode back to Douglas to spectate at Bray Hill, up and down between Grandstand and Bray hill a bit as delayed start. After the first race decided to ride out to Crosby. Fail at spectating there so rode all the way back to Union Mills where thankfully they opened the road for a few mins and we crossed back to the railway to spectate. Good spot! Then rode back into Douglas for a meal then back to Union Mills. Long day riding!

Ride from Bray Hill to Crosby - fail at being able to access the pub while the roads were closed. Rode over to the Highlander - some good off roading here! Highlander is an Ex-pub and nice current house...Rode back to Union Mills..Could have done with cycling kit for this but interesting in jeans...