Cycling race (MTBO) 1:05:00 [5] ** 17.5 km (3:43 / km) +380m 3:21 / km
ahr:167 max:186
MTBO league at Chopwell woods, Gateshead. Or at least most of it. A head on collision with a full face helmet and armour clad downhiller put paid to the last 3 controls, not to mention front wheel and disc. He was very apologetic, maybe something to do with the trashed front wheel and a rider in GB kit rolling around the floor clutching his collarbone, but it was really a 50:50 accident, we were both riding at a speed assuming there wouldn't be a rider coming the other way at the same speed. I was hard left to avoid oncoming riders but he was coming out of an oblique side junction to the left. One problem was the waymarked downhill route was marked on the map in red, not black, so I didn't even know there was a junction coming up, but who knows if this would've made a difference.
Anyhow, the rest of the race went well. I have been a bit down about the way my fitness is recently with the ongoing knee trouble and I've put on 4kg since April, but actually getting out and doing an MTBO reminded me I love it, I was really enjoying it (possibly too much hence speed into that corner). I was pretty much split exactly between Ifor and Conn at that point, and probably would've maintained that to the finish, but again who knows. Sadly two non-results in a row in the league, but I think irrelevant anyway as Ifor will win it. Lots of fastest splits on the technical riding sections, but losing out on the climbs, but that would've been the case before the knee injury so maybe I'm not in too bad a shape actually.
Looking on the bright side of the crash I have cuts and bruises all over my knees except on the bad bit, and while my shoulder is very sore I think the collarbone had actually gone back into its proper place for the first time in over a year, my neck is free again!