The stuff dreams are made of!

At the end of last year I was super excited when I realised that I had acquired enough UCI points in order to compete in World Cup events. I still remember waiting for what felt like weeks for the race dates and venues. Sadly Fort William lost the XC World Cup event but I was stoked that Dalby (North Yorkshire) had been successful in their bid. Resulting in the first round of the World Cup travelling there for 2010, which meant that my first ever experience of a world cup would be on home soil - that was pretty exciting!

I didn't really know what to expect from the event to be honest but I knew that it was going to be pretty massive when I started to get butterflies in my stomach the Monday before the race . . . . . in fact I am getting those butterflies once more now just thinking about the whole event!

It had been a bit of a manic week for me at work but Kerry and I eventually set off at 8am on Friday morning. The journey down was relatively simple - partly because we had been down that way before, but we did take a slightly different route this year. Co-pilot Kerry was on top of her game though! It took around 4 hours to get down which gave me plenty of time to register and get a practice lap in. I raced at Dalby last year as part of the British XC series so I knew that it was a good course, the best bit was that they had continued to develop the course cutting in even more technical lines and creating proper chicken routes that added on time! Thank you course designers! It's one of the toughest courses out there to race on, the hills are not massive, instead steep and mostly in quick succession of each other - that certainly starts to wear you down as you get through the laps. Furthermore there is little recovery to be enjoyed on the descents since they are technical - yee ha so concentration levels have to be up there! Its just fab!

After practice it was a quick scoot to the B&B to drop off all my stuff then back into Pickering for the pre-eliminator sprint race. A short 2 minute circuit had been created around the town that encompassed short climbs, a grave-yard, steps and a rather sketchy gravelly section. The format for the race was individual time trials and if you were quick enough you progressed onto a 4cross-esk race in which 4 people raced around the circuit together with the top 2 of each race getting through. The locals got right behind the event, loads of folk came along to watch and cheer all the riders on, bands were on the street playing music. I progressed into the first 4v4 race but didn't get any further - it was amazing! Home to bed to try and sleep :)

Saturday was another early start - up, breakfast and then back down to the course to get some more practice. After 2 laps I was pretty happy with my lines and decided enough was enough. It was pretty cool as Kerry and I then managed to spend a little time wandering around the race village before watching the junior race. Katy Winton cycled to a very impressive 5th place in the junior females, with Kenta Gallagher taking 13th in the junior males and Grant Ferguson 23rd after fixing a broken chain! Saturday night was much more relaxed - a quick bit to eat and then feet up for the rest of the night.

Sunday morning arrived and to be honest I just couldn't wait to get to the race. Everything seemed to go past pretty fast and before I knew it I was away warming up. We got penned 20 minutes before the race before every individual rider was called to the start line . . . . . there were 95 riders in total. I was gridded 2nd last row and was actually struggling to see the start of the riders - ha ha it was wicked. Positioned right in the center of the row I knew the start was going to be a fun one! It wasn't long before 1 minute to go was called out and everyone began to creep forward, by 30s I couldn't actually move anymore as I was surrounded by people. And we were off, it was fast and I mean fast, bikes and riders were flying around the place and the game had well and truly commenced! For an hour and a half after that all I can tell you was that I was beasting myself big style! I ended up finishing 81st - sweet! The crowds out there were amazing, everyone was cheering you on trying to keep you going!

I'm sitting smiling just now writing this piece because it was just so amazing. The podium read as follows: Irina KALENTIEVA, Willow KOERBER, Katerina NASH, Georgia GOULD & Julie BRESSET.

What an event to be a part of!

Yee ha

Les

Nae hill's at Sherwood!

Getting back into racing certainly does pack a punch and already the whirlwind of last weeks race and a 40km TT midweek left me slightly weary! Sherwood pines is about a 4 and a half hour journey for me so I guess its not too bad! However it just seemed to take an age to get down there and I was proper tired by the time we arrived. It was time for a quick kit change and a practice lap. There is one thing that you always know about Sherwood Pines, it's gonna be flat and it's gonna be fast and yep that pretty much sums up the lap. After the lap it was time to get some food and find the travel lodge.



The travel lodge was about half and hour away and did the trick for the night. They even allowed me to take my bike into the room, which actually allowed me to get some sleep during the night . . . . . . not waking up every 5mins to peep through the curtains! All I had to do was remember to switch my clock to go off an hour earlier! :)



Sunday arrived, my phone managed to change the time by itself (it's just amazing living in the 21st century) and everything was going nicely to plan. The race was tough from start to finish 5 laps of flat out effort with very little recovery out there. I finished 13th pretty happy with that result to be honest!

Other Glentress riders were out in force as usual with Katy Winton taking 2nd in the Junior females, Lewis Kirkwood 6th in the Junior males and Hannah Ferguson taking 4th in the Youth females. Nice one guys!

A few weeks off now to train like a beast for Dalby

Yee ha

Les

That's Life!

The racing season has defiantly crept up on me with a bit of a bang this year. I'm not sure if it's to do with the weird winter we have just experienced where lets face it, biking became a little tricky and my skills have been used more in the sports of snowman making and extreme sledging (not for the faint hearted!), but I'm just not really sure where the time has gone. So now its March and the start of the SXC season . . . . . . . . here we go again.

Most of Saturday morning was spent by me running around like a headless chicken, not quite fully remembering what I required to race, blatantly packing way too much stuff and in the end being content that I knew I had a bike, shoes, shorts, top, helmet and gloves and lets face it anything else was just going to be a bonus! Did I mention how sweeet my new race bike is??? Check it out below:

So off Kerry and I set for Kirroughtree and our first road trip of the season. All went according to plan and we arrived around 3pm in the afternoon. I popped off for a quick scoot around the race route and once again was more than happy with what Kirroughtree had to offer, actually it was even a bit better than last year as more sections of fire-track road had been taken out and replaced with natural sections - now we are talking! After a quick lap it was back to the B&B ( http://www.muirfadbedandbreakfast.co.uk) to chill-ax before the race the next day. Muirfad is one of Kerry and I's favourite places to stay when we are travelling around, Sue and Basil always make you feel very welcome in their home, it you are ever over that way you should definitely pop in and see them.

On Sunday morning everything felt good and I was really excited about getting out onto the race to see how everything was going. The race went really well up to the last lap where unfortunately I got a puncture, after a bit of faffing and a dodgy gas canister I eventually finished, coming in 6th, not quite what I was hoping for on the day but just makes me even more hungry for the next SXC! Sue Clarke took the win, with Lee Craigie 2nd and Elke Schmidt 3rd.

Fellow Glentress Riders Hannah Ferguson and Lewis Kirkwood got 3rd in their categories. Graeme Short finished 18th in the Vets.

British XC next week

Yee ha

Les

It just had to snow right!

Lets face it November's weather has challenged the best of us! Part's of the country have experienced almost a years rainfall in 24hr, the Tweed almost doubled in size over night and on more occasions than I really care to remember I have had to contend with soaking wet feet (don't you just hate that!). So it was of no surprise when I woke up on Sunday morning, looked out the window and I saw the rain streaming down the window (first thoughts were this bike is gonna be fun and slippy), but I wasn't prepared for the snow that was about to follow - it defiantly has to be the first of the Glentress Duathlons with weather like that ............ha ha!

For the first time I can remember the first duathlon was completely sold out - it's really nice that the series is seeing the support that it truly deserves. Pete, Elspeth and the rest of the gang had once again set up a flawless race course that only ever guarantees one thing . . . . . . . . its gonna be tough out there but surprisingly fun too (don't be fooled normally the fun part is only sensed when you are actually finished and alot of the time I think it is just relief :) he he!)

At twelve o'clock sharp we were off (thank goodness because it was freezing!), it was as rapid as usual as everyone battle for a position on the firetrack road, the lungs got a bit of a shock with the lack of recent racing and just the sheer coldness of the air. The course was the same as last year but due to the wet weather the descents were a little more interesting - I was loving the slippy-ness! It caught more than a few people out as I watch some rather sore looking face plants in front of me! From there it was up and down, up up and down with a little more up before returning to the transition area. By this stage my hands were pretty numb and the whole task of taking off a pair of biking shoes and attempting to tie up laces on running shoes was providing to be just a little too difficult - after a few to many minutes I was off out on my run. My stomach was going berserk, it kind of sounded like a washing machine - yuk! The whole run was a bit torturous for me as I just really felt that I didn't have a lot of energy, at which point it really started snowing (check out how happy I am in the photo below), it was made slightly worse by the fact that it was an out and back run so I could see the girl leading and the other competitors chasing me down-eek! I managed to hold on to second place after Elke Schmidt who was flying at the front of the field taking a convincing win and finishing in 8th spot over all! The whole race was pretty tough and I never really felt like I had a second gear - must have forgotten to pack my gear box!

Once again a really great tough event!

Thanks to the bike patrol - that half covered digestive biscuit and cup of tea at the end were the best I have ever tasted! The only thing that was missing was a bit of Carl's banter, but you guys did him proud!

Happy to have a rest today!

Les

Something green and shiny to make you smile during the dark winter months!

Another season down . . . . . . .

I don’t think I’m alone in the feeling that the 2009 SXC series was defiantly one of the best yet! There were surprises around ever corner, some great new courses, some great twists to old courses and as always some great folk out there competing and supporting! However the mere mortals among us drew a great sigh of relief as we crossed the finish line at Drumlanrig as that signified the end . . . . . . at last time to put the feet up for a while and recovery.

Don’t get too comfortable thought! Winter is fast approaching and if you get stuck inside too long with you feet up, well it may just become a bit of a habit . . . . a bad habit! As the nights draw in and the nip in the air turns into a bit more than a nip, that bad habit might just become to tough to break- be careful (eeeekkkkk)!

Winter is a funny old time especially in Scotland, the weather is unpredictable to say the least and even with his best efforts Michael Fish has a pretty poor chance of predicting what is actually going to happen! But that kind of adds to the excitement I guess, I enjoy being out on the mountain bike when it is wild and the wind is blowing a hooley around you, it’s pretty cool! Last winter however my patience got tested on more than one occasion after getting frost bite on the road bike, being blown with my bike completely off the track and for more times than I care to remember attempting to cycle in snow that was just silly deep (great for playing the longest skid though!). But my biggest hate of the winter has to be that after every ride you seriously have to strip your bike if you want the components to last even half the winter, and that’s just boring! Especially when it’s freezing outside and I would rather be sat in side with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit!

But this year it’s going to be different . . . . .

With a little help from my buddies at The Hub (the bike guru’s that they are) my eyes were opened to a hidden little treasure . . . . . The Genesis IO-ID. Genesis are pretty smart cookies and at a last somebody has actually designed a bike suited to withstand British winters and all that they can throw at us, plus they are pretty sweet to ride too (always a bonus). The IO-ID is a pretty trusty little stead, it has a really nice geometry, an apple green Reynolds 520 double butted frame (it’s cool check oot the pic’s), Rockshox Recon race forks and Shimano 575 brakes. But that’s not the impressive bit, the rear hub is a Shimano 8 speed Alfine that proves to be a winner on so many accounts – the restricted gear ratio is ideal for improving power over the winter, there is no derailleur so go mad, ride over heather and such like without a care in the world yee hee! The bike is a little heavier than a normal hardtail because of the rear hub but again the weight gain is perfect for winter training. But the genius bit that just makes me smile is the reduced maintenance, no rear cassette or derailleur to clean after ever ride only a simple chain! Thus meaning I will be spending less time cleaning my bike and more time enjoying the nicer things in life – remember the tea and biscuits!

IO-ID’s are extensively used on The Hubs hire fleet, but are only used a maximum of 35 times before retirement, at this point good homes are sought for each and every bike! The only prerequisite is that when you purchase one of these little babies you promise to have fun on it! Each bike is fully serviced after every ride and again before going on sale (many with brand new components) so in many ways it’s as good as new. So if you fancy grabbing yourself a little winter bargain you can pick up an IO-ID for only £499, check them out at http://www.thehubintheforest.co.uk/Bike/Bikes_For_Sale.html or head along and have a chat with the dudes at The Hub (they really do know what they are talking about!). Still not convinced? Hire one of the bikes out for the day and take it for a whizz around the trails, then if you decide to buy the bike you will be refunded the hire charge – spiffing!

So tell me what you would rather be doing this winter . . . . cleaning your bike or drinking tea? It’s a no-brainer for me!

Yee ha

Les

Tinto Tinto it aint no disco disco!

The 2009 season was a tough one that was for sure! I had peaks in my fitness that were just incredible and on the whole was stoked with the outcome of the year! It is a pretty full on year racing straight through from April to September, so by the end of the last race I drew a big breath of air in relief for the rest that lay ahead. I took a month off training which gave me time to recuperate and regenerate in prep for 2010, it was great catching up with family and friends and hitting the trails only for fun helping me to remember why I started mountain biking in the first place - yee ha!



As October approached it was time to shake off the cobwebs and get back into training! Its so bizarre how quickly your body starts to shut down after a period of rest and the first few weeks of training were quite intense! But somewhere along the windy road my body started to remember what training was and I started to recover between sessions - relief big style! So for now its full steam ahead.



Saturday the 7th was Tinto hill race and I just had to go back and try it again. It's funny when you participate in sports events and you forget all the bad memories and only remember the good . . . .dam it :) It was a cracking day and that attracted lots of runners with a record 298 people attending! When I was stood at the foot of the hill I was flooded by bad memories of what lay ahead and they did not disappoint! I always find it really bizarre during running races at the volume of people that are around you, talk about people coming into your personal space . . . . . at one point I looked up and I had a guys ass in my face . . . not so pleasant! The climb was tough as usual and all the false peaks got me again :( but I was faster to the top - yipee. The descent was pretty loose and slippy in bits but fun . . . . as the gradient flattened out towards the end of the race I got passed by more than a few whippets - gutted! On the whole though I was a whole 3 minutes faster than last year - result! I finished 160th out of the 298 runners, 10 spots up on last year :)



The last few days have been tough, my body is broken and stairs are my nemesis!



A slighty tired



Les

The Big Finale!

Its gone . . . its over . . . . 2009 sxc done!

The last round this year was at Drumlanrig Castle, and as always it was a great end to the season. The course was pretty slippy on Saturday, probably the worst I have ever ridden it . . . . . at some points I felt like I was in a ping pong machine with my little hardtail, loose as a goose! The course was great, some of the roots are now super exposed and its just a real hard core race out there, not much opportunity to let off the gas! The new section of the course was fabby, really flowing but you had to be careful not to lose your front wheel in some of the loose corners! By the time Sunday had arrived the sun was shinning and most of the course had dried out- it was just the perfect end.

The race was a UCI cat 2 so our start was delayed until 2 o'clock, I would be telling fibs if I said I didn't enjoy the lazy start to the day! Melaine Spath (DU Cycling club) won the elite females, with Lee Craigie (Square Wheels) having a great race finishing in 2nd spot and Lily Mathews (100% Me) in 3rd spot. I finished in 4th and was chuffed to bits with that! That result also secured my 2nd place overall in the series - sweet!

The rest of the Glentress Riders were lapping up the technical course too with Lucy Grant taking the win the the girls juvenile field. Katy Winton won the youth females closely followed by Hannah Ferguson. Lewis Kirkwood also had a good race finishing 4th in the youth males with Sam Waterston in a great 6th place. Jake Law sat this one out spending some quality time with his newly born daughter - aawwww! Graeme Short had to deal with a tough Irish invasion finishing in 13th in the male vets.

Another season gone - that is such a mad feeling!

I have loads of shout outs that's for sure!

To my sister Kerry for traipsing the whole country with me, putting up with my bad moods (normally because she cant read a map - he he) and with out fail always being there on race day feeding me and trying to give me encouragement, even though I look like death sometimes!

The G man for his time and dedication to my training. Without his support I would not be where I am now!

The hub and everyone there for looking after my bike, giving me great advice and support, and putting up with my banter all year :)

Squirt / Luvians / Bloc / Tunnocks / Polar and Baillie Gifford for all the support during the season.

The Wednesday night gang! Training is always an easier thing to do with you guys around. Cheers G, Gary, Graeme and Rue!

A big thanks to the SXC for another great year and everyone else involved that makes the season run so smoothly.

And anyone else that I have missed - thanks!

Time for a bit of feet up before winter training starts . . . I'm excited already

Yee ha

Les