The next Cross Update

I’ve just arrived at my season break point. When I say arrived the simple fact was due to a Christmas party and no local races due to it being a National trophy weekend I was presented with an opportunity to get the bikes serviced and just spend some time just training. There is lots to talk about and I shall try to piece it all together through this blog.

This blog will cover Novembers races ending at the West Midlands Champs which were early December but whose really minds that ?

First up was another trip to the NWCCA for round 5 , due to my inability to do the early rounds and their approach to gridding I was on the 2nd back row however I made a remarkably good start and managed to ride/run myself up to 11th. I had as I do made some early calls on where I would run and making a choice rather than dismounting when it goes to shit seems to work well for me. As the mud built I made the call to change bikes. With no pit crew this is never smooth but I do my best and was rapidly heading through the mud. I made the call ahead to 2 riders I was lapping and 1 didn’t move got it wrong and took me out. Once moving again I went to push hard and my chain snapped. It was a long run back to the pit to collect the dirty and very used Northroad. Issues changing gear due to mud had me distracted and I crashed heavily. I brought it home in 16th with a real feeling of what might have been.

Anyone seen my chain?

Thanks to Ian at Northroad the Specialized Crux was fixed and the Gobi was given a sprucing as well.

Next day I travelled with Nick Popham to West Midlands league round 8. Another muddy day out where decisions on running Verses riding were needed as were off camber skills. I had brought both. I like West Midlands as they grid on average finishing position and even though I had a really bad start to the year I found myself on the 3rd row. Of course I moved smoothly backwards off the start but I was soon into my routine and making progress. However, as seems to be my way something goes wrong. On one of the harder ground sections I thought I may have a puncture but as I paddled in the mud it made no difference. I then hit the path and yeap the front was pancake flat. Fortunately this wasn’t a long section and once back in the mud the bike was very rideable. I made the pits, pulled my bike off the rack then set off, it was time to see if the repaired chain was up to the job. Turned out it was as were my legs as I ran an rode myself to 5th place. Finally some reward for my fitness even in the face of a little adversity.

Told tyres work better with air in them

Confidence was high as I headed to Torbay for another round of the National trophy and thanks to reasons unknown to me the grid was small and I found myself on the 3rd row. The goal at all National Trophys is to finish above my gridding so instantly I had put myself under pressure as this meant I needed to beat my best ever finish. The unpredictable element is local riders who don’t travel. Onto the race…… I started no worse or better than normal and selected smart enough lines before the first run. The pre-ride had told me I should wear trainers 🙂 Have to thank the lads from Rotor who pitted and cheered me on. Even with all my running the bikes were struggling. I was racing 2 guys and every run section I either caught them or got a gap but sadly I wasn’t riding well and after the last bike change I never got back. I finished 15th, ranking points were mine, I was above my gridding. I should have been over the moon but although happy I was disappointed as I just never seemed to get going. Everything is geared towards the National Champs in Falkirk so to come away for the weekend and actually get points was a real bonus.

All pictures need a portaloo

With the Sunday the 19th being my wedding anniversary I was not racing but chatting to Nick we decided to make a trip to the Notts and Derby League on the Saturday. a 3rd league and a 3rd approach to gridding. They respect national ranking here so Nick was number 1, I am outside the national top 50 so was on the back row. We did laugh. Conditions were so bad we didn’t do a pre-ride but instead warmed up on the road. I don’t think it had any impact on my day as a shocking start even for me followed by total carnage of V40s and 50s ahead meant I had plenty of time to look at the course. The course was muddy with a very hard climb, I rode the climb lap 1 but ran it the other 4 time, I was faster running. There were 2 mandatory dismount points, 1 made sense the other didn’t. You just went with it. Ironically unlike trophy the previous weekend I had some bike skills, picking good lines in the mud and making progress everywhere. Come the 3nd lap I had top 10 pace and rode my was to 18th overall and 11th V50. More points which made the trip worthwhile. 

Front and back , lol

Over the last few weeks travelling with Nick to races we have chatted quite a lot and I made the choice to move teams and join Nick at M.I.Racing Team Enable giving up the Orange for the green and a little blue of Team colours. The last round of the West Midlands League was to be my first race in Team Colours, of course I still own all the rights to my accessories. This means clashing with myself will be justifiable EVERY week.

On the front row in the team Jersey

So round 11 of the West Midlands League and I found myself on the front row, this had not happened since 2014 which research tells me is the last time I was actually competitive if we are being honest. A good pre-ride told me I could ride all of this course except for the big barriers. There were no hills which meant just lots of head down and ploughing through the mud. This hadn’t gone well for me in Torbay but that was a few weeks ago. To the race and you guessed it I went backwards off the start AGAIN ! However, the joy of row 1 meant I didn’t drop far and by the end of the lap I was up 6th. Now if the race had finished there and then I’d have been happy to debut the kit with a 6th but not today. I was soon in 5th and could see the podium group ahead of me, only the leader had got away. Turns out Nick had overdressed and overheated and soon I was with him. For half a lap he pushed me before I moved away now in 4th. Each time over the start section I could see I was catching 3rd and with just under 2 laps to go I made contact and then the huge call to change bike. Again I had no pit crew so knew I was losing time but it was smooth and after a couple of turns I was back on his wheel just in time for the long soggy mud drag past the start. I kicked hard and flew, got a good gap and then I focussed on smooth lines and staying ahead. In the end 2nd was only 16seconds in front but I never saw him and had no idea if I could have found anymore. I was on the podium(if there was one) for the first time in a decade. AWESOME!!!

Welcome to M.I. Racing Team Enable

So December the 3rd and there I was at the Regional Championships, my target was top 10 but having hit the podium last weekend I was if honest hoping for something a little better. Pre- ride again showed it was a mud bath but not for the first time it was a largely rideable mud bath but with a number of banking that would require running up. No complaining from me then :¬) I wasn’t sure how gridding would work but I did get the call and find myself for the 2nd week in a row on the front of the grid. I had dressed for the weather but I think took my layers off too early as I was cold and thats never great for me. Poor start, obviously and then not helped by a few over enthusiastic starters. It was a strange day, certain parts of the course I felt good and was strong but there were also sections I just couldn’t get the right lines. On one of the descents I realised my front brakes were not really working and this brought challenges and the reality of needing a bike change. I did have a little support thanks to Nick’s friend Corrina and got a bike change. You realise it is not your day when the change bike refuses to hold certain gears and obviously they are gears you need. I just got my head down and ploughed the mud. It was weird as due to the start I had no idea where I was in the field but on the last lap I passed 2 people, felt for Andy as he punctured but was very pleased with my race craft to get the final position. Turned out I was 4th and 7 seconds from the podium. It was beyond my dreams a few weeks ago but I was disappointed to miss out on the podium.

Why slow down ?

That’s the race update done for now, lets push on to BMCR and then BC Nationals in the new year.

Quack

Have fun

Gobi

Arse or the National CX champs

The title probably tells the story, things didn’t go quite to plan.

Forward planning was spot on, bike serviced, car packed in plenty of time etc.

Arrived at the venue with Rach and was so early I walked to collect my number, this presented the first shock which was the state of the ground, everything just looked like a bog. Sadly this was no unlucky moment as when I saw the rest of the course it was a bog as well. 

Oh well, kit on bike out and onto course for warm up with Brian, where to run and where to ride was the conversation of the day and I made those choices there and then.

The race, made my usual piss poor start and coming out the first bend I had Rich for company and I was dead last :¬0 Over the rest of the lap I started to make ground until I jammed some tape in my front forks which needed time to sort. Not my day and the worst was yet to come.

Lap2 and I was racing now having collected a few places and with my usual race head kicking in I was running and riding quite strongly. The run / ride strategy was good but annoying, as strange as it sounds being a former runner I wanted to ride my bike not run with it.

Onto lap 3 and my race was really on (exciting at the back eh ?) and then it wasn’t as on a flat bit of mud my rear mech removed itself and some of the hanger and placed itself through my back wheel. GAME OVER !!!!!

What did I learn?

2 bikes are needed when it is really muddy and I really looked like an amateur without a spare

You need a pit bitch to clean your spare bike

2 bikes would not have helped me where I broke it but with a clean bike each lap I may not have broken it

As I look back on the cross season I realise for reasons I don’t understand that I have found a part of cycling that really appeals to me and this means I will want to be ready for next winter.

Watch out people “The Dark Lord” is coming to get you

 

The Turbo trainer and some other stuff

It is not that I hate it I just don’t enjoy it. This morning I tried to think about why. Basically I don’t like the fact that so little effort takes so much effort. How is that for a contradiction ?Spinning away at 80+ rpm my HR is in the 90s and yet my legs for no real reason are unhappy!!!

The penny dropped a little and brings me to the reason why I am on the turbo. I am riding my TT bike which is set up in my 2014 position and to be honest it feels all wrong. A mistake I made last year was to spend too much of the year playing with my position so this year the first set up session has been done and now I will ride it on a Friday with plans to do longer efforts and longer sessions.

In 2014 the TT bike has to be ready as does the user from the start of the TT year.

South of England Cyclo X at the RAL in Harwell.

Firstly Dunko and Didcot Phoenix did a great job of organising the event. Marshals and facilities were excellent. That said I had heard nothing good about the course, in fact the only thing I had heard about was the hill. Oh it was a hill and it had steps. That said the course itself was very fast and not very technical. In a strange way probably good for me.  Rode hard from the start and spent my race basically swapping paint with a chap from Bicester which kept me honest, 28th V40 was good but being lapped was bad.One of my goals for next season is not to get lapped in any CX races. Rather than seeing not being lapped as a good day it should be a normal day. I hope the chap who crashed was ok.

Running has been going on ok and I have done my first 10 miler of 2013, there is still a concern around my weight and to be honest I am running out of time to sort it !!!Finally, Rach and I are back in the gym training together, this is good news and means that Rach will get out a bit, I may even do some swimming :¬0

Finally had a crash on the track

AKA Gash Watch

Since starting at the Winter track league in Newport there has been a view that at some point a certain young man will cause a crash. During the first few weeks it is safe to say he was spoken to more than once and sometimes it was pretty colourful BUT although close nobody ever went down. Then about 3 weeks ago a couple of fast lads joined us and his riding changed, observation and motivation changed everything about his riding and I was impressed. I even told him and his mother so.

Sadly for reasons only known to him as soon as the lads were gone so were his observation skills so even before my incident there were moments and then while in a breakaway racing him there was an incident that caused me to drop back from him I then buried myself and coming round the bend with 2 laps to go he moved up slightly I went low, he then dropped down again sp I moved up to pass and he moved again. Too late for me this time as I was along side his back wheel and then I was board surfing. Strangely as I sat there knowing I was ok there was another crash at the other end of the track. I just told everyone I was ok as was my bike so they could help the others.

The end result has been gash watch

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

healing nicely really but my hip feels like it has a tennis ball in it and I have whip last.

Here is my suit

Heading to the bin I fear.

Hey ho I can run and I can ride so not going to get too stressed.

A plus was a parent whose children race was quite bike sharp and gave me some great advice about my chain and now my rear wheel spins easier.

I made the startline of the other 2 races, pain yes but I wasn’t stopping :¬)

 

CYCLO X on Sunday and back to the western league, the only thing that will stop me is neck movement but as that improves daily I expect to ride.

Onwards …….

 

More CycloX

but before that a little bit of track.

Sadly I am in the C league in Wales until January. I say sadly as it seems my presence upsets people. I don’t win all the time but I work hard either way I am not popular. The reality is I would rather be in B but when I signed up they said oh new accreditation go in C.
Week1 I was told I would be moved to B but it was full so I was stuck in C then on a week only 6 turned up so I was in B then I was back in C. It is frustrating and so I made the decision to just stay in C so I can just ride track. This just upset people more. January cannot come soon enough.

CycloX has me hooked, I now find I have bike envy, wheel envy, drive chain envy. I shall however be completing the season on the bike I have. I think the most amazing thing is that next year I am contemplating a mid season break so I can push my training on for an extra month.

Why? At the most basic level I have watched myself become a little less fit as my rest period has gone on and although I can take it now I know that my desire to compete will see me wishing to be in better shape in 2014.

Oh I am now training again but of course it has the same initial impact as not training.

Performance suffers :¬) Hopefully December will be my friend !!

CycloX and birthdays

yesterday I turned 43!!!

43!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how did that happen ? I have found the last few week tough, I have no idea why this has been hard but it has. They keep moving middle aged but in my mind I am very much in the middle of my life. Being morbid if I get to live to 86 then it will have been a good innings. Cakes in the office on Friday went down a storm and it was nice to share “my happiness” but more importantly bring some happiness to the office on a Friday. I’m enjoying my job and really hope this turns into a long term gig.

Last night I had a party, pizza excess for sure including the Special Pizza hut pizza with a burger on the outside. Admit it you ALL know you want to try it. To be honest it is just a pizza with a burger on it. Cheesy balls are nicer!!! The evening was great with old friends and new ones in attendance. No surprise to say the conversation was around cycling and running. What else would I talk about? Rach made the most amazing cake with cyclists climbing a mountain and even had some classic cars on it. COOL HUH ? 

Sometimes you forget how many people you know and I am looking forward to my birthday curry with the Oxford social crew next Friday to close off this period of excess and talk more rubbish :¬)

CycloX today didn’t happen. I got up and I fixed my bike including getting the mud tyres on. Bob decided to come and watch me so we set off for Oxford, after 500 metres we had a car on our side of the road out of control coming towards us. Quick stop and idiot controls his car and rolls up the road. MORON!! We stopped briefly to pay respects with 2 minutes of silence on the A34. I think it is important to remember the fallen and my view on this will never change. We arrived at the venue around 11.25 and 15 mins later we gave up and headed home having not been able to park the car. Worse than that while trying to move around the carpark I hit a fence post straight on. Car will survive but that was me finished so I went home. In some ways I am not that bothered as I feel like crap anyway.

Clean living starts again tomorrow with operation skinnier rider in 2014 really starting to take off as my training volume also starts to pick up.

I think I may have found my true calling

CycloX is the nearest thing to a running race I have found. There is something very pure about it. Yes bike skills matter but you can’t sit in. You can’t coast, it really is your fitness that gets you round.

Now I want a new bike of a higher spec. I want tubs, I want to do national events………

So here I am reflecting on a good 2013 that started with me thinking I like TTs so lets use them to help the road racing which I really enjoy. The crazy bit is I have not ended my season. Oh yes I have stopped the big miles but the season has been extended as I am an indoor track and cycloX racing.

Onwards to the top 10 in the dirt and the B league indoors

What really gets me is I will ride next season knowing that the year will last much longer. Time to plan my winter break in December then……

Life throws up surprises, it is how you deal with them that defines you.

The moment you realise that too much time has gone by……

Yes indeed it has been too long since my last blog but here we go. 

LVRC TT – I rode hard and put out good power, made one mistake and that was not low enough gearing so I had to stamp up a few of the climbs. I did my best and was happy with my ride. 

CycloX – I have been improving steadily and got my best result in the last round I could attend of the BanjoCycles Supermarine Flootlight league. I am more concerned with the fact I am enjoying it and may get another bike than I am about my rather ropey bike handling skills. A funny statement really as on the road I consider myself to have pretty good bike skills. 

My season is over as I sit here writing this blog from Le Velo Jaune in the wonderful Alps, I have no training goals to worry about and am riding my bike up hills just because I can. 8 hrs in 3 days is nothing too silly really. 

More interesting is that I went running this evening, along to Venosc where Rach and I use to run. Having started out with a 5 or 6 km intention I hit an old friend and that was that, runner mode on and I wasn’t stopping until I reached the top. By the time I got home I had done nearly 5.5 miles. All is good right now and I really enjoyed the run. I have a feeling I could be in all sorts of pain tomorrow though :¬0