In the week leading up to the event I could feel another cold starting and it was evident on my mid-week commutes that all the energy in my legs had disappeared. All that was left was give my legs a few days rest and hope for the best. In the opening miles my fears were becoming a reality. Climbs seemed longer and harder than those on the Dyfi Enduro and all I could do was spin my 29tooth chain ring with a low cadence whilst watching the other riders passing me with ease. The first downhill brought a welcome respite although my slow start meant I was in the middle of the bottle necking. The second climb, although short, brought some hope when I managed to overtake a few people again, not exactly strong legs but better than the first few miles. I managed to complete the first lap in quite a respectable time considering being held up on the singletrack sections.
Leaving for my second lap first climb syndrome struck again, climbing the grassy field into the singletrack sections through the woods was hard going. Probably not helped by the rear MudX tyres I had fitted as a last minute change thanks to the rain. Had I been more familiar with the area and conditions I probably would've kept with my first instinct and kept my fast rolling Specialized Fast Trak S-Works on the back as the track was already drying out and getting faster on the second lap and no longer warranting the need for a mud tyre. I plodded on and managed to complete a couple more laps eating more food than ever before during an event.
On my final lap I made the fatal mistake of thinking I could complete a lap with a half full bottle. Idiot! Within a few miles I had gone through it and it wouldn't be long until I was suffering as consequence. Trying to just get around I realised my times were slowing badly and then three miles from the end I was constantly pulling over and being sick. I knew at this moment that this was the end of the race for me unless I wanted to make my situation worse. Absolutely gutted I crossed the line after 3.5hours of riding and 4 laps, dragging myself to the car where I fell asleep until woken by the family with a steaming coffee.
I'm disappointed with the outcome but there's nothing you can do if your health isn't 100%. That said I still managed 43rd out of 67 which gives me a position to improve on next year. The course wasn't ideally suited to me given the riding I've been doing recently but with Stanmer Park only a stones throw from me I have a year to practice before the next attempt.
A massive thanks to all involved in the event, definitely one of the best events I've competed in.
No comments:
Post a Comment