Progress Report 11 - w/c 25.05.09
i love this game! raced again on sunday 24th may, awesome fun in the sun, though i had not read the small print, it was a 3 hour race not 2.5 as per the previous one. sitting on the bike during the pre race talk and we were all told that this course was going to be tough and for me and a few others they were right! i was shattered after the first 3 laps!! keiran was up in support which was a fantastic, both the moral support as well as a pair of hands to hold the bike while i filled up with petrol and had a drink after the first 1hr 18 mins - i must invest in a camel back.
the race was over a 4.8 mile course on the private deer park of shuckburgh hall in northamptonshire. 150 bikes hurtling round a predominantly wooded course, with some very steep and slippery climbs, very slippery corners, plenty of bare roots to slide on and tree stumps to negotiate. for me it as a totally new experience!
can't wait for the next one on june 14th in leominster....bring it on!!!
i fell more times than i care to remember. there were times where i could not let go of the handle bar as i had such bad cramp and there was a time where i could not put my hand back on the handle bar as my hands had locked tightly into a claw!! at one point a lad in front stalled on this very awkward, steep, anti camber climb, the soft loam had given way to the wet clay beneath and i put my foot down to stop and it just slid away, and shortly followed by me and then the bike, all in slow motion! i could not even stand up without slipping over and slowly, very slowly the bike and i slid back down the hill. a marshal having assisted some other rider back up the slope, ran over to help me. back on my feet, on the bike, engine running, i just slid sideways rather than up as hi increased the throttle, so i turned around, rode back down the slope i was trying to climb, for a second attempt. once the engine had cooled and i had regained my breath - i was knackered at this point - i made a successful attempt back to the top. from that point every time i reached this slope i made sure nobody was in front so i had a clean sweep; i was not going to go through that again in a hurry. it cost me 12 mins of race time and tired me out, so in terms of results i would have done a little better than 24 place - still respectable though, as there were 50 riders in my class, 10 of whom did not complete it.
there were definitely more competitive, or should i say aggressive riders than at long compton. even after the race manager, pete, had made it clear that this was not the order of the day and that everyone had to start somewhere, there was some serious effing and blinding, elbows in the chest and general argy bargy going on....i loved it really, made it all the more enjoyable when the aggressor tried to tackle me and fell over....it made me laugh...i may not be fast but i stood my ground when i had to! hahaha
magic having keiran around, taking photos, shouting encouragement or abuse, couldn't tell really but moreover, he held my bike when i came in for a pit stop, i was too tired to keep it upright and poured litres of sports drink down me neck...could not eat the banana though, i felt too sick - was not sure whether it was dehydration or the vibrations! i filled up with petrol once, again keiran was on hand to help. so if any of you reading this are free on the 14th i would love some help...pretty please : )
been training regularly now, cycling to and from work, carrying a bergen with cotswold stone while on 20k walks with chobe and i even went on my first run in about 4 months yesterday! anther massive thank you to becca my physio, without her i would still be on my back.....you know what i mean!!!
course is nearly finished, only 5 weeks to go. i have completed about 75% of my exams/ tests and i am about 50% of the way through the coursework.....got some catching up to do! i've learned so much, just need to put it into practice.
following on from my last note about moving brands i actually finished on April 30th. the team put on a fantastic party, you can link to some of the photos here
and here
i have now been working at healthcare international for a month and it has been fantastic, full-on and a complete contrast to moving brands in one sense, but then very similar in another....a business is a business and my focus is about helping it run better. but one thing that is exciting is that we are opening an office in dubai in august and i hope to do some sand dune training in later this year...that will be awesome!
more to follow my friends!
tobes and chobes x
the race was over a 4.8 mile course on the private deer park of shuckburgh hall in northamptonshire. 150 bikes hurtling round a predominantly wooded course, with some very steep and slippery climbs, very slippery corners, plenty of bare roots to slide on and tree stumps to negotiate. for me it as a totally new experience!
can't wait for the next one on june 14th in leominster....bring it on!!!
i fell more times than i care to remember. there were times where i could not let go of the handle bar as i had such bad cramp and there was a time where i could not put my hand back on the handle bar as my hands had locked tightly into a claw!! at one point a lad in front stalled on this very awkward, steep, anti camber climb, the soft loam had given way to the wet clay beneath and i put my foot down to stop and it just slid away, and shortly followed by me and then the bike, all in slow motion! i could not even stand up without slipping over and slowly, very slowly the bike and i slid back down the hill. a marshal having assisted some other rider back up the slope, ran over to help me. back on my feet, on the bike, engine running, i just slid sideways rather than up as hi increased the throttle, so i turned around, rode back down the slope i was trying to climb, for a second attempt. once the engine had cooled and i had regained my breath - i was knackered at this point - i made a successful attempt back to the top. from that point every time i reached this slope i made sure nobody was in front so i had a clean sweep; i was not going to go through that again in a hurry. it cost me 12 mins of race time and tired me out, so in terms of results i would have done a little better than 24 place - still respectable though, as there were 50 riders in my class, 10 of whom did not complete it.
there were definitely more competitive, or should i say aggressive riders than at long compton. even after the race manager, pete, had made it clear that this was not the order of the day and that everyone had to start somewhere, there was some serious effing and blinding, elbows in the chest and general argy bargy going on....i loved it really, made it all the more enjoyable when the aggressor tried to tackle me and fell over....it made me laugh...i may not be fast but i stood my ground when i had to! hahaha
magic having keiran around, taking photos, shouting encouragement or abuse, couldn't tell really but moreover, he held my bike when i came in for a pit stop, i was too tired to keep it upright and poured litres of sports drink down me neck...could not eat the banana though, i felt too sick - was not sure whether it was dehydration or the vibrations! i filled up with petrol once, again keiran was on hand to help. so if any of you reading this are free on the 14th i would love some help...pretty please : )
been training regularly now, cycling to and from work, carrying a bergen with cotswold stone while on 20k walks with chobe and i even went on my first run in about 4 months yesterday! anther massive thank you to becca my physio, without her i would still be on my back.....you know what i mean!!!
course is nearly finished, only 5 weeks to go. i have completed about 75% of my exams/ tests and i am about 50% of the way through the coursework.....got some catching up to do! i've learned so much, just need to put it into practice.
following on from my last note about moving brands i actually finished on April 30th. the team put on a fantastic party, you can link to some of the photos here
and here
i have now been working at healthcare international for a month and it has been fantastic, full-on and a complete contrast to moving brands in one sense, but then very similar in another....a business is a business and my focus is about helping it run better. but one thing that is exciting is that we are opening an office in dubai in august and i hope to do some sand dune training in later this year...that will be awesome!
more to follow my friends!
tobes and chobes x
Labels: tydakar
posted by youngerelagagesavoie at
22:33
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home