Monday, 23 January 2012
You can't always get what you want . . . . .
After 8 months off training due to the dodgy knee I was hoping 2012 would see me return with a little more spring in my step. I cut out the alcohol . . . stopped eating a bus load of food and actually started to train. With 2 full weeks in the bag (you have no idea how good that feels) I decided it was time to test out the knee or lack of it. In hind sight I should have remembered the brutality of the GT duathlons, but why would I do anything sensible like that??
It all started so perfectly, I was late getting there, had no pedals on my bike, could still feel my breakfast rumbling around in my stomach and to top it all off when I ran about 100m down the road to the start line I got a stitch - doh! It was good to catch up with a lot of faces that I hadn't seen for a while and get the usual banter. As the race started it didn't take long for me to ask myself why I wasn't still lying in my bed (that's never a good sign). Running has never been my strong point so when you are unfit that feeling is multiplied by a zillion - so I was left with the feeling that I would have rather stuck needles in my eyes - it was brutal. The only positive for me to take away was that although my knee felt a bit unstable it held up.
As I launched my running shoes off, changed in to my bike shoes and put on my helmet I instantly felt more at home. Don't get me wrong my legs were knackered but I just felt so much better. It all started off pretty well, I got into a nice rhythm and manged to pick off a few riders on the ups and downs. As I was passing one weapon on the last section of the descent he managed to quite spectacularly wipe me out . . . . of course the only place I was going to land was on the knee. I jumped back up got on the bike and could instantly feel it- oh oh! I was pretty worried to be honest and instantly thought the worst. After finishing I got home pretty quick - got ice on it and tried to rest it as much as possible.
Today its much better - yeah its had an impact, is swollen and is bruised, but its still in one piece. So although my fitness may have left me, I feel pretty content with the knowledge that I will be able to ride my bike this week. For now that's all I need . . .
So as the rolling stones say . . . . if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need!
See you on the trails
Les
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
More of a binner than a pinner . . . .
Sunday, 22 May 2011
These things are sent to try us . . . . .
Monday, 25 April 2011
Go Fast Eggs!!
Feeling a bit tired today . . . . nothing an easter egg wont sort out (Kerry bet your gutted you left your egg in my van ha ha!)
Monday, 18 April 2011
Nature starts to reclaim Dalby . . . . . and the course just keeps getting better!
As the race started I got a really good start and was sitting well in the middle of the field for the first lap. It all felt really good, by lap 3 Gabby Day and I were neck and neck and we stayed that way through lap 4 and most of lap 5. I was on the front most of the time doing the work but I felt comfortable there and on the last lap managed to get enough of a gap to get 10th spot. It was a full on tough race out there and it certainly took its toll on my body . . . this morning it felt like Mike Tyson had a few pops at me. . . . . . .
Stunt of the day has to go to Craig Owen who was in front of me on my 4th lap and pulled the biggest endo I have ever seen on a cross country bike off those dodgy little humps after Worry Gill! I still have no idea how he didn't go over the bars! :)
Back to Dalby for the World Cup in May . . . . cant wait!
Les
Monday, 28 March 2011
Time to come out of hibernation
The following weekend is was time to pack up the van and set off to Kirroughtree for the first round of the Scottish XC series. This of course was also the first road trip for Kerry and I . . . . ha ha I have actually missed them! Stoked to be back on the road!
The course at Kirroughtree had been changed a little and I was slightly disappointed to see some of the natural sections that I love so much to be absent from the course. Some of the new natural sections that had been cut turned into a bit of a run, I'm never really up for that. The race was a bit if a shock to the system but I was happy to take 3rd and get on the podium, Lee Craigie (Torq) took the win with Elke Schmidt (Squdra Porcini) 2nd. That's not my pink bucket by the way (see below).
This weekend Kerry and I were on our travels once more, heading south to Sherwood Pines just outside Nottingham. While everyone in Scotland kicked back and enjoyed the sun we were down there freezing our little behinds off . . . . can you believe it??
The course was good despite the fact the course was mainly on the flat! Lots of tight twisty singletrack was cut through the trees keeping the amount of firetrack to a minimum. This type of racing is hard! I was racing on the Lapierre Pro 500 hardtail (look left), aint he something else. To make things a little harder for us all the race got moved forward by half an hour and it was the weekend of the clocks changing-oh oh! Kerry and I weren't sure if our phones updated automatically so we had to set alarms half an hour apart . . . thankfully everything went to plan!
There were 19 starters in the Elite Women's field which is so good to see. The photo to the right is of us at the start, that's me front right as you look at it . . . . .to be honest that blur was how most of the race felt. The pace didn't ease at all and it was brutal from start to finish. I finished in 13th, happy with the result! The Podium read as Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory), Annie Last (Boardman Elite) and Lily Mathews (100% Me). There were alot of fellow Scots down for the race and a hec of support from them all during the race . . . Cheers guys!
Next one Dalby
See you there
Les