Training Log Archive: GD44

Warm up

Recce of course #1

Recce of course #2

Welsh Cyclocross League Round 2 Builth Wells

Finished 33/46 in the Male Vets 40. Third AJAX rider in this category.

Lap times:

1. 9:51 (not comparable to other laps as started from different place)
2. 10:19
3. 10:05
4. 10:09
5. 10:22
6. 10:05

Average lap time: 10:09 (jnc first) or 10:12 exc first.

Very technical course with plenty of ascent too. Some used mountain bikes but I stuck with the CX bike as Clare effectively said that using an MTB would be cheating.

Mark Ponsford (16/25 in Men Senior) covered the same amount of laps (6) two minutes faster than me with an average lap time of 9:49 over 6 laps.

The men's winner was averaging 7m 51s laps!!!!!

Clare D came second in the Senior Women and averaged 9:48 per lap (4 laps).

Event: BMBO Event 8 Talybont Forest
 

Black Mountains MBO Event 8 - Talybont Forest

Results: https://www.bmbo.org.uk/images/event/a519bf05b2082...

Rocks up to Llangynidr Village Hall with Dawn with no expectations on how i’d do. Some big names in the event and I expected them all to be ahead of me: Mark Rowley, Harry Kingston, Mark Morgan, Ian Cartwright and possibly Nick Dallimore.

I started towards the back end of the starting window and looked at the taster map for about 10 minutes before starting. I hadn’t looked at it in detail beforehand but I knew the area pretty well from previous MBO, AR and running events.

I struggled to think of an optimum route when I got the map and I took longer than my normal 4 minute max limit. This turned out to be 7-8 mins!

I deliberately avoided having to go up Cwm Pyrgad so selected to go anti-clockwise.

It was a warm day which peaked at 21 deg C so there was plenty of sweat from the off.

S>15: Decided to get this 20 pointer on the way out to provide an easy run in at the end where I could rocket down the valley road and pick up the 10pointer. Passed Nick D on the ascent.
15>3: OK
3>24: Long trudge up the bridleway through the fields. Always seems longer than the distance on the map. Got passed by Ian Cartwright on this leg.
24>4: OK. Big descent on road, through Talybont and start up the other side of the valley.
4>22: OK. Big climb up.
22>6: Hike a bike after the Clydach valley but was expecting that. Ran with the bike. Lots of gates entering back into Nantllannerch Farm. CP on obvious bend.
6>16: OK. Down to Aber. Up and across the the dam.
16>18: OK. Bumpy slog up Brinore Tramroad.
18>14: Was tempted to 'cheat' and take the footpath to the lower track but decided against it. Good thing I did as my win would have brought more scrutiny than normal! Mark Morgan and I struggled to find the CP. Lost 2 minutes here. He found it for us in the end.
14>5: OK. Pulled away from Mark M. This is when I knew I was onto a good day or he was having a bad day.
5>21: Over to Abercynafon and hiked up the byway to the gravel track in Talybont Forest to ride up to the peak and down to the CP.
21>12: Back and passed Mark M so knew I was putting time into him. Never been on the gravel track to the west end of Talybont Forest before.
12>20: Another first on a MTB. Ride along the Blaen y Glyn stream.
20>11: Decided to drop CP1 as it was only a 10 pointer and CP8 as was 15 pointer. Hike a bike up to Torpantau along the track. Then down Taff Trail. Lots of people walking on some charity walk.
11>25: Road ride along west side of Pentwyn Reservoir. OK.
25>9: Ride through Dolygaer and up to Bryniau Gleision. Quite technical in places.
9>19: Along track on Bryniau Gleision to gate at Pen Bwlch Glasgwm. Lots of sheep in the way!
19>7: Overshot the junction and lost 2 minutes.
7>10: Bit of a slog along the old tramroad to the quarry. Wet and slow.
10>23: Rocky, technical section along old narrow tramroad. Had to get off twice as too narrow to ride! Again decided to avoid taking an obvious hike a bike shortcut and stick to the permissive routes. Struggled to see the CP in the Cwar yr Hendre quarry for a while so lost 1 minute.
23>13: Fast descent from the quarry to the CP in Cwm Pyrgad.
13>17: Fast descent down bottom half of Cwm Pyrgad and along the road in Dyffryn Crawnon.
17>2: Caught Mark Morgan up here and passed him. OK
2>F: OK

Felt strong throughout.

Finished first overall!

1. Gary Davies 475
2. Mark Rowley 446
3. Mark Morgan 444
4. Ian Cartwright 438
5. Nick Dallimore 434

C • Well done 2

Serviced the rear hub on my Whyte 29 CS. Hope Pro 2 Evo SP. Replaced the 5 bearings, cleaned it all out and re-greased including the springs and pawls. Got bearings from SJS cycles.

RTW

RHFW

RTW on PlanetX LONDON Road but with Cyclocross tyres I had on from yesterday. No mudguards but I did put the pannier rack on.

Dry but cold.

Floor work in the gym mainly stretching my leg & butt muscles using moves learnt in Pilates plus some core exercises.

RHFW - pissing down with rain!